Read: Psalm 34:11-22
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (v. 18 NIV)
Sometimes it’s just wretched to be a human being. Bodies ache, hearts break, dreams die, and we lose the people we love. Friends forget us and family members disappoint us. We feel lonely, isolated, confused, and lost as we struggle to understand our suffering. And we wonder, “Where is God in the midst of all of these things?”
God is close by us. He is so close. Psalm 34, written by David after his deliverance from the king of Gath, is a song of both praise and instruction. David has learned that God makes a distinction between the wicked and the righteous. His face is against those who do evil, but his eyes see the righteous, his ears hear their cry, and he “delivers them out of all their troubles” (v. 17). More than that—God understands the emotional toll that affliction brings to his people. “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (v. 18). He cares about our sorrow, and he’s with us to deliver us from emotional as well as physical pain.
Have you ever been brokenhearted? Have you felt crushed in spirit? Perhaps that’s your experience in this moment. In this series, we’ll look at biblical accounts of people who found that the Lord was near when all seemed lost. Together we’ll learn more about the God who is close to the brokenhearted.
As you pray, remember that God is near to his people and close to you.
Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian school teacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.
