Crushed in spirit

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34: 17-18)

Yesterday, I wrote about saying yes to receiving a new revelation from God, and He did not hesitate in His response. The verse He gave me to study was today’s verse. I’ve heard it many times and used it in the Grief Share program. I fully understand and have experienced His closeness to the brokenhearted. But the part He wanted to open my understanding to was that He saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Being brokenhearted and crushed in spirit are two very different things. In the bible passage, God is close to those who are brokenhearted, meaning He is near, giving comfort, peace, and hope. But He saves those who are crushed in spirit. The definition of saves is to deliver someone or something from harm, danger, or destruction. The definition I found for “crushed in spirit” is the inner turbulence from a bitter mindset rooted in a self-centered heart.

A crushed spirit in Proverbs 18 refers to the spirit that is losing or has lost the passion, desire, and energy to press into and deal with life. The crushed spirit has become broken, in large part due to the never-ending pursuit of the “one thing” in life that can bring happiness and hope. This spirit is not grounded in the fear of the Lord and, therefore, is always at the mercy of the circumstances of life. A crushed spirit is led by their emotions rather than by the fear of the Lord, which is a profound reverence, awe, and submission to God’s holiness. (Pastor Lee Lewis)

My revelation was that I have a crushed spirit that needs saving.

All those days of frustration because life wasn’t going my way (my will), or feeling burned out because my soul was trying to survive on things that were never meant to satisfy (performance & achievement), and wanting to run away or even scream (emotional living), have taken their toll. This showed me that the depression and exhaustion I’ve been experiencing are a result of my own selfish desires for perfection that are not being met.

I needed to be saved from myself. I needed grounding in the fear of the Lord. I needed to put God first and respect His authority over my life.

Having a fear of the Lord means having a reverence for Him that greatly impacts the way I live my life. It’s about seeing Him as the fountain of life that fills my spirit with everything it will ever need to navigate life and the circumstances that surround it. It leads to a teachable spirit, making me receptive to God’s instructions rather than relying on my own understanding, and it respects God and obeys his commandments.

Jesus saves those who are crushed in spirit. He draws near, intimately near, to the hurting and provides a path to healing, rescue, and restoration. I want all of that! And the way to receive it is to spend time with Jesus. To know Him more and to fully submit to His will. In doing that, I will be changed, humbled, taught, loved, and transformed by Him. I will be renewed.