Close To The Brokenhearted
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
Recently I was hurt and honestly, felt quite crushed, by the actions of someone in my life. The details aren’t important, but what is important is that what I experienced left me feeling like a pop can that had been stepped on, absolutely crushed. I’m sure you can relate.
In this life there are moments, days or even seasons that can leave us feeling broken, in pain, dejected or crushed. Whether you’ve been rejected by a friend, abandoned by family, left out by the crowd, sold out by someone you trusted or even insulted by a stranger, there are many encounters in life that can simply crush us.
A Promise In Scripture
If you’re in that place right now, then I want to remind you of a promise in scripture that was brought to my mind in the aftermath of my recent experience. The promise is found in the book of Psalms, chapter 34, verse 18 which says:
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Psalm 34:18 NLT
This is such an incredible promise because often when we are wounded, we are left feeling rather alone, unloved or abandoned. But this verse tells us that when we feel that way, God doesn’t retreat, instead He moves in closer. Where other people might step away or move on or ignore us, God draws near. He refuses to leave us alone in our hurt and even better, He provides a rescue to us in that place. No matter who we are, where we are or what has happened to us, God is with us and He will not forsake us.
Over and over throughout the Bible from the book of Joshua to Deuteronomy to Hebrews, we are told God is with us and He will never leave or forsake us. That's a promise directly from scripture.
Run To God Instead Of Away From Him
That said, when we are hurt or betrayed or feeling crushed, instead of running away from God, you and I need to learn to turn towards Him. Bringing Him our broken selves and allowing Him to heal us. In the same chapter of Scripture that tells us that God is close to the brokenhearted and He rescues those whose spirits are crushed, we are also told:
"The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. Psalm 34:15 NLT
Isn’t that a beautiful truth? Right here and right now, God has His ears open to listen to your cries for help. Meaning no matter what is going on, you have someone who not only loves you, but also listens to you. Like the new parent who wakes every time their child whimpers, God is attentive to our cries for help and doesn’t dismiss them or us for even a second. We have a safe place to turn to with our pain and in our brokenness, knowing He listens, He heals and He rescues.
God's Healing Hand
So turn to Him. If you’re anything like me you can be stubborn at times and wanting to deal with your pain alone, but I’ve learned over the years that trying to face pain and brokenness alone is choosing to increase the pain and it is counterproductive to healing. The very same God who created us is also the very same God who is more than capable of healing us. Even in those instances when the other party wounds us without ever making amends with us. Because God’s healing in our lives is complete. He takes our crushed souls and restores them into something truly beautiful in a way only He can do. This restoration is His healing hand at work in our lives and His healing is not held back in the least when we are lacking an apology from the person who caused the wound. So don’t wait on them or run from Him. Instead turn to your Maker and your Heavenly Father with your pain and watch as He turns a crushed spirit into a beautifully restored soul.
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