The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted

Transcript

0:37

Welcome back to Beyond Sunday, and thanks for joining me for day 12 of anchored in God's promises. Whether today finds you encouraged or hurting, hopeful or uncertain, I want you to know you're not alone. These moments we spend in scripture aren't just about knowledge. They're about anchoring our souls and something strong, steady, and true, and today's verse speaks directly to those places of deep pain and loss. It's Psalm 34 18. It's one of my favorite verses, says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It's one thing to know that God is everywhere, but this verse tells us something more. He's especially near to those whose hearts are breaking. That means when you're grieving, anxious, rejected, or even overwhelmed, you're not abandoned. You're not overlooked. In fact, that's when God leans in closer. There's a tenderness in this verse. A God who doesn't just watch our pain from afar but enters into it with us. He doesn't wait for us to pull it together before he shows up. He meets us in the heartbreak. That kind of closeness is hard to describe, but for anyone who has walked through the valley of grief or sorrow and still sensed God's peace, you know what this verse means? This verse uses two strong images. First, brokenhearted when life has cracked, opened and spilled out. Second crushed in spirit. When your strength is gone and your hope feels distant, maybe you're there today. Maybe life didn't go the way you hoped. A relationship ended, a dream died. The silence from God feels louder than ever. Let me say this gently, but clearly, God is not repelled by your brokenness. He is drawn to it. The world may tell you to smile, fake it and move on. But God says, I see you. I'm with you, and I haven't left you. Now the second half of the verse gives us the promise and saves those who are crushed in spirit. That word saves doesn't just mean rescue from sin. It also means the liver preserve, heal and defend. God saves the crushed not just by fixing the circumstances, but often by sustaining us through it. He gives us strength to the weak peace and the panic and hope in the fog. Sometimes his saving comes through a word in season. A friend's unexpected encouragement or the quiet realization that you're still standing, still breathing, still trusting, even though you thought you couldn't. That too is saving. A man in our church once lost his wife unexpectedly, and in the months that followed, he told me, I didn't feel strong. I just felt carried. He couldn't explain it, but every time he sat quietly with God or whispered a prayer in the car or opened the Psalms through his tears. He felt a presence, not loud, not flashy, just near. That's this verse in action. God doesn't always rescue us from the pain, but he always rescues us from being alone in it. If your heart is heavy today, here's the challenge. Don't hide your pain. Don't minimize it. Don't even numb it. Bring it to the one who promises to be close. Write out a prayer, even if it's messy, even if it's one sentence, just say, God, here's my heart. It's broken, but I trust you're near. And if you're not brokenhearted today, ask God to show you someone who is so you can be their reminder that they're not forgotten. Let's pray. God, thank you for not turning away when our hearts are breaking. Thank you for drawing near when we feel lost, wounded, or crushed. You're not just a God of celebration, but a God who sits with us in sorrow. Be near today. Be real and be enough. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for spending a few moments with me here on Beyond Sunday. If today's promise brought you comfort, pass it on. Just copy that verse and send it to someone. Remind them that they are not alone. Someone else may be waiting for the reminder that God is close. I'll meet you right back here tomorrow for day 13 of Anchored in God's promises.