Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit ~ Psalm 34:18


We do not shed our tears alone, or in the company of another, without our Lord God knowing our pain. He is with us as we grieve and mourn. We could hide away in a closet and the Lord would be there, crouched down beside us, holding us in his arms. We think of any number of people who at this moment who are broken-hearted, and we wonder how to comfort them, what should we say, or do, to help them. And what comfort can be offered to us in our moment when all seems lost, and we feel forsaken? Grief grips us, our broken heart tied in a knot within, and the world around us crashes. Yet, in the midst of this crushing moment, the Lord sends those who will comfort, those who will bring relief to our pain, and scripture tells us God catches our shed tears in a bottle. In these dark days of covid, I think, (and I am sure you do too) of those who have lost loved ones during this time, and I think too of those in Ukraine who are suffering. Pain exists in tragic events at different times for many people. Yet, our hope is in these words, that the Lord will save those who are crushed in spirit, and will bring relief to the broken-hearted. So many are helping hands in this world. They are not talked about, but they are there, coming to those who need the hands of Christ to reach out to them. We are those hands and feet, and we, through the love of the Lord, can bring aid to the broken, to those crushed in spirit, and through Christ can give life!  

Pastor Julia

image by pixabay

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments

Popular posts from this blog

Proverbs 18:2

Image
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t
Read more

Romans 8:26

Image
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans ~ Romans 8:26 Many days, many times, I have the words for prayer. It comes forth and flows fairly naturally as I converse with my Lord God. I hope in the God I worship to hear me, and to receive my words, as I pray in the name of Jesus and believe in Him, my intercessor. He is my Living Saviour, my High Priest, standing at the right hand of God the Father. But there are times when my pain has been so deep that my words will not come. There are times when my agony is so piercing that what words I may speak would not be enough. And so, in my deep, black moments, I come before my God and let my darkest emotions erupt in sounds that only He can understand. The Holy Spirit within me cries out in my stead, and He becomes my second intercessor. It is not that He is not there with me in all my prayers, but there are times wh
Read more

Isaiah 43:19

Image
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the
Read more