Brokenhearted

 Psalm 34:18 ESV

 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.


They often say that about one in four people suffer from mental illness health. Even if we don't as such, I'm sure we almost all get brokenhearted and crushed in spirit at some point in our lives. As Solomon says at one point, 'hope deferred makes the heart sick'.

Even if we don't have psychological problems, we all have external problems that cause broken hearts and crushed spirits. It could be bereavement or relationship breakdown. Maybe we have health or money worries.

This verse is very comforting. Broken hearts and crushed spirits may be pretty much inevitable. Yet we can know our all powerful and all loving God to be near us. 

If we're crushed in spirit, not even God's nearness might comfort us. Yet if we know that God will ultimately save us, we can have hope. We needn't despair.

'Dear Lord, please be near to us in our suffering, and may you ultimately deliver us. In Christ's name, amen'.

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