Victory to Victory | 7 Day DevotionalSample

Day Five: Close to the Broken Hearts

On December 24, 2003, tragedy struck my family as we traveled on interstate I-26 to celebrate Christmas with our extended family. As we drove in two cars, a large SUV drove past my mother and father’s car and hit the second car with my brother, uncle, and me. Shortly after the SUV hit us, we spun out of control and started flipping forwardly for the length of two football fields. That day, we lost my brother and uncle, and I was the only survivor. As I was transported to the nearest hospital that Christmas Eve, I felt the reality of Psalm 34:18, where it says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” I knew that the Lord was right there in that hospital room with me, and He would help me pick up the pieces of my broken heart as our family began to grieve the loss of our family members.

Many years later, in 2019 we found out that a good friend was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor at 20 years old. This young man had served the Lord his whole life, played piano for the worship team, and had lived a healthy life. This did not seem fair or make any sense, but I turned to the Lord and began to remember how it felt to have God close to me as my heart was breaking. I asked the Lord to show my friend how close He is to the brokenhearted. I told the Lord that I wanted my friend to know Him rightly, with a good understanding that it is not the Lord that causes pain and suffering, but it is the Lord who brings salvation and comfort. We serve a God who is acquainted with our suffering and has been tempted in every way. That day I wrote a song called “You” with the lyrics “You, you are close to the broken heart. You wipe my tears with your scars, you come close and show who you are.” That song was refreshing for our team and helped us to remember how close the Lord was in that moment. That young man is now cancer-free after surviving brain surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The Lord was with him in every detail.

You may find yourself in a similar situation where your heart is broken and your tears soak your pillow, as David said in Psalm 6:6. Remember that the Lord is acquainted with your suffering and he is your deliverer, savior, and he is close to the brokenhearted. Come close to the Lord and let him pick up the pieces of your heart and heal you in every area. Watch how God can take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for your good.