The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
~ Psalm 34:18
It is a pretty safe assumption that you are experiencing or have experienced brokenheartedness. It comes in many forms and is the result of devastating news or some significant event in your life. It may be the result of a difficult medical diagnosis, the loss of a child or parent, the passing of a family pet, or even financial difficulties in your household.
Spiritual brokenheartedness rears itself as a slippery slope that quickly promises something it can never deliver. Sin promises excitement and fun but substitutes a brokenhearted result. Some of you today are living in the middle of a brokenhearted time in your life and can’t see a way out. This darkness leaves you in a state of helplessness. Satan would love nothing better than to blind your eyes and heart to any hope of restoration and joy.
Several years ago, my grandmother died. She was a tremendous example and confidant to me as I got older. I valued her opinion, and she was a very strong Christ-follower. She, in many ways, was a “rock” when it came to spiritual things. She always gave me advice…even when I didn’t ask. Do you have people in your life like that? They are always quick to give advice. The difference with her is that her advice was always exactly what I needed to hear.
I saw her life diminish slowly through the ravaging diseases of dementia and Alzheimers. Eventually, it took her life, and she changed her address from earth to heaven. I was brokenhearted through that extremely severe illness and was brokenhearted when the Lord decided it was time to take her home.
Maybe you are in the same situation and dealing with things out of your control that break your heart. The Lord has some encouragement for you.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
This is good news if you’re hurting today. The Lord is near to you. As funny as it sounds, it means the Lord is not far from you. His presence is near because He cares deeply about you and your pain. When you’re brokenhearted, the Lord cares about you. Your world may be falling apart around you, but He cares. The Lord is not just someone who cares, but He is someone who acts. He certainly consoles you if you’re hurting.. When you hurt like this, you are in no place to be arrogant or stubborn. You are simply broken.
The Psalmist tells you to, “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22). Do you have cares or concerns? Is your heart broken? Cast your care….throw your concern on the Lord, and He will give you the strength you need to be steadfast in your life. This is a great truth.
Peter tells us to “cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Whatever your care and regardless of your anxiety about those cares, throw it all on the Lord because He cares for you.
I thank the Lord that He cares that much for you that He absolutely wants to help you if you’re in a desperate place.
The Lord saves the crushed in spirit
A crushed spirit. I think about large rocks crushed into tiny pieces. That’s your spirit. In many ways, your spirit is your frame of mind and how you perceive things. Imagine your spirit being crushed into small pieces. Not just broken, but crushed. You live in a state of hopelessness. You’re not only sad; you’re without hope. Who’s there to help? How do you emerge from the cave of anguish and desperation? God has good news for you.
He puts your spirit back together. What was crushed has been remade, reformed, reshaped, and restrengthened. This is what the Lord does. Remember, He is close to us and seeks to help us in ways we cannot help ourselves.
Maybe you need to hear this today. Maybe your heart is broken. Perhaps your spirit is crushed. The Lord loves you, is near to you, cares about you, restores you, and strengthens you. Come to Him in humility and watch Him do a marvelous work in your life.
A prayer…
Lord, today I come to you because I’m brokenhearted and have nowhere else to turn. I know you love me and that you are close to me today. I also know that you desperately desire to comfort me, care for me, and create in me a new heart with a steadfast spirit. I throw all my cares on you today and ask you to replace them with a spirit of a sound mind and a life that will honor you in every way. Thank you for loving me so much.