Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
I've always loved this verse! It came up in my devotional this week, and I've just been reminded how precious and close my Savior is.
Many people are convinced that when they are brokenhearted, when they grieve deeply over their losses, God is displeased. God is seen as a person who expects us to be happy even in the face of trauma and loss. He is someone who asks us to "snap out of it" and "cheer up." As a result, we anticipate rejection rather than compassion.
How surprising it is to hear that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted! He does not expect cheerfulness. He does not reject us. He is compassionate and responsive. He is close-not far away.
In some families, expressing difficult emotions may have been met with rejection. It is this kind of emotional distance that we now expect from God. It is not always easy to trust God to be close to us when we are brokenhearted. And it is not always easy to allow ourselves the vulnerability of such closeness. But God is eager to heal us, to restore us and to save us when our spirits are crushed. How awesome!!!
I've always loved this verse! It came up in my devotional this week, and I've just been reminded how precious and close my Savior is.
Many people are convinced that when they are brokenhearted, when they grieve deeply over their losses, God is displeased. God is seen as a person who expects us to be happy even in the face of trauma and loss. He is someone who asks us to "snap out of it" and "cheer up." As a result, we anticipate rejection rather than compassion.
How surprising it is to hear that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted! He does not expect cheerfulness. He does not reject us. He is compassionate and responsive. He is close-not far away.
In some families, expressing difficult emotions may have been met with rejection. It is this kind of emotional distance that we now expect from God. It is not always easy to trust God to be close to us when we are brokenhearted. And it is not always easy to allow ourselves the vulnerability of such closeness. But God is eager to heal us, to restore us and to save us when our spirits are crushed. How awesome!!!
1 comment:
Awesome, indeed!
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