The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. -Psalm 34:18
This world is full of broken people and that means that often our closest relationships cause us the most pain. By necessity, deep relationships require us to make ourselves vulnerable in a way that can leave us deeply wounded. Perhaps your heart breaks because you just can’t get on the same page with your partner. Perhaps your heart breaks for the rebellious child you just can’t seem to reach. Perhaps your heart breaks from the wounds you still carry from your parents. Each of will face moments in our lives when we are deeply hurt by those we most want to love.
King David knew this reality as well. His most beloved son Absolom led an armed rebellion against his rule and forced him from his from his throne. In the brief civil-war that followed David regained his throne but lost his son in the battle. At that moment, I can’t imagine the heart-pain that David must have experienced. Perhaps, processing his grief and regret, David remembered this song which he had written years earlier and found comfort in it.
David reminds us, from the deep well his own painful experiences, that when we are hurting, the Lord is there. I love the way David describes his experience of God’s presence in this verse. It is not simply that God is present (which would be comforting enough), but he is near. In that nearness is an implied intimacy and care in which we find the hope and healing our hearts need. It is in that nearness that we find that God is the answer for every hurt and every shock and every disappointment we face.
When we recognize that it is in our most broken places that the Lord draws nearest to us, we can have hope for wholeness. Feeling God’s presence isn’t a quick-fix by any means. We will still have to fully process our sadness and our grief. But by focusing our attention on his caring nearness we can endure our pain and begin to heal.
Being Present with God
Perhaps, you’re in that place of brokenness right now and you feel like you’re holding the shattered pieces of your broken heart. Make some time to be present with God. Draw your attention to his nearness to you at this very moment. Allow him to sit with you…to share your experience…to hold you. Ask him to help you remain aware of his constant nearness and care. Thank him for his loving compassion for all those with broken hearts. Thank him for the way he has made you aware of his presence during this time.
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