The Broken

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.

 The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:17-19

I received the updated curriculum for the next session of Grief Share the other day and as I was reviewing it I came across this statement: “What you allow in your heart, when it is so broken and exposed, will shape the years to come.”

The timing of the quote was perfect. I was dealing with different kinds of heartbreak. It was Brock’s birthday and I was missing him and thinking of him, and I had recently experienced a heart breaking event in a very special relationship. In both situations, I was crying out to God for peace, understanding, and strength to keep moving forward.

The enemy wanted to have a field day with my emotions and if I let him, I would have been shaping the years to come in a way that would be less than God’s best for me. I had a choice to make. I could become bitter, unforgiving, and resentful or I could choose to trust God’s will, forgive and pray for the person who hurt me.

The message in my Life Application Study Bible for this verse said, “Until He inhabits the deepest, bleeding corners of your heart, you won’t know this (this being that God is close to the brokenhearted) but Jesus is everything He’s ever claimed to be and can do everything He’s ever claimed to do. God is saying, “I’ve got this. I’ve got you. I’m here. You’re never alone. My plan is still ongoing and I’m with you.”

His Word, which is also His promise, is that He will save those who are crushed in spirit. When I chose to take Him at His Word, my whole spirit changed. I was able to trade the cares of this world for the peace of God. The causes for my heart break didn’t go away, but I had a much better perspective on how to deal with them and knowing that I as not alone, that the God of the Universe was right there with me, gave me the confidence that I could face it one day at a time.