“The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34: 18
From our earliest childhood days
onward, we learn that life is just plain painful at times. Our
favorite toys break, our knees get scraped, people tease and let us
down. As we grow older, it's clear that life does not get much easier
– in fact, the wounds can pile up and just get uglier.
Herein lies the choice: when faced with
the unavoidable heartbreaks, the spirit-crushing struggle of sin
(ours and others), and just the unavoidable stress of circumstances
this side of heaven, do you turn to God or run from
Him?
When we choose the latter, frantically clinging to other people
or false comforters (those idols we sometimes unknowingly think will
save us from life's pain: social media, food, shopping, approval,
false religions, alcohol, beauty, entertainment...), we will without
question find ourselves in a perpetual cycle of discontent and, worst
of all, disconnection with our Savior.
However, when we choose to allow life's
pain to push us closer to God (which is, after all, one of the
ultimate purposes of pain), we will, without fail, find our loving
Father ready to sweep in and catch us up in His tender arms,
comforting us with His promised peace that passes all understanding.
I have seen this played out over and over again in my own life -
never have I known Christ's nearness more than in my darkest moments.
If you are struggling on some front
today (and really, aren't we all in one way or another?), run to
Jesus and lay it all down at His feet. Do not turn to your right or
to your left, but steadily look into His beautiful eyes and trust
that He will give you all the grace you need. If you have placed your
faith in Christ, you are His little child and He loves you even in
the midst of your pain and sin. As you rest in His strong arms and
saturate your mind with His Word, let Him carry and fill you with His
peace and strength, knowing that He will work ALL things together for
your good and His glory.
Let's thank God that we have a Savior
who is near to, not far from, the brokenhearted. He desires to be
close to you, just as you are right now – let that fact alone
comfort you today.
"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!" - Isaiah 30: 18-22
