Promises in the PsalmsSample

Promises: Close to the Brokenhearted

Broken hearts come in many forms. Some are crushed by a sixth-grade break-up; others when a spouse walks out after twenty-five years. Some come from the rejection of a dear friend; others by reckless words that pierce like a sword. Some hearts are broken when the job is lost, others when the retirement gift doesn’t quite justify the years of sacrifice. Sometimes children go astray. Sometimes loneliness sits heavy on the heart. Sometimes discouragement settles in, and you’re not sure when or why it came. Sometimes you come to the crushing realization that what you desperately wanted is just not going to happen. Anyone who lives this life will experience a broken heart through losses and disappointments experienced along the way. But here is one promise we can know for sure.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

God is always close. If you are a follower of Jesus, he lives in you! But there is something about a broken heart that highlights his presence. There’s something about a crushed spirit that amplifies his voice. When your heart hurts, you will hear him more clearly. When your spirit is crushed, you will experience him more intimately.

It’s not like we go out looking for a broken heart or excitedly anticipate a crushed spirit. But they will come—unforeseen, uninvited, unwelcomed. And when they do, the Lord is close with comfort and hope. He never lets go of his children. He saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Father, thank you for being close to the brokenhearted. In Jesus’ name. Amen.