BIBLE PASSAGE:
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:18)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever felt you were so deep in a valley that you
would never get out? Did you feel like the spirit of your
life had been sucked out of you, and you were left feeling
empty and terribly alone.
You were tired, weary, and so brokenhearted that you felt you
were losing your will to fight through it. You might be going
through one of those times right now, and if so, then you know
and understand the pain of it all.
It is a feeling of hopelessness and despair that others may not
fully understand, because they cannot see the pain deep in your
heart, your soul, and your overall being. Even if they could, more
than likely they would struggle with finding a way to encourage
you, and lift your spirits.
Singer B.J. Thomas had a song with this phrase in it,
“Down isn’t so bad, when it gets you to looking up”
It’s a great phrase that makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
When we are on the bottom, the only place we can look is up.
And that can be a good thing because it means we are looking
to the Lord for His help.
Sometimes we have to live through a valley of grief, before we
can climb the heights of spiritual glory. There are times when
we have to come to the end of ‘self’, before we can begin to
recover from our pain.
It can be a time when we ‘get it’; we realize that our own abilities,
our own goodness, and our own morality is insufficient in the sight
of God.
During times like this, it is good for us to remember that God
is sufficient for what we need to rise out of the valley we are in.
This is why it is so important for us to spend time in the Bible
every day, so that we can know Him better and appreciate His
love for us.
The scriptures tell us that when we are at our lowest, we are
not alone – God is there, and He is close to us. We may not
see Him or ‘feel’ His presence, but He is there. Why? Because
He wants to rescue us when we have had our spirit crushed.
Isn’t it awesome to know that we have a God who understands
us when no one else does? A heavenly Father who can encourage
us and give us directions for recovering from our despair.
God can turn mourning into joy, sadness into happiness, and
hopelessness into hope. We worship and serve a God who loves
us more than anyone else, and has more compassion than we
could ever imagine. Why wouldn’t we turn to Him when we are
in the depths of distress?
ACTION:
If you are not going through a valley of despair right
now, you may have one to go through in the future.
We should prepare for difficult times now, by reading
God’s Word and developing a close fellowship with Him.
When times are hard, we will have a natural desire to go to
our Heavenly Father to receive His sufficiency for our needs.
Although we struggle with our heartache, we know that we
can find comfort in knowing that our Lord is nearby, that
He understands our pain, and that He wants to lift our spirits
and encourage us to climb out of our valley and live again.
It might sound simple, but only someone who has been through,
or is going through a valley, knows the challenges and difficulties
involved. They also know the value of God’s presence in their lives.
How does God help us in our times of despair? None of us can
speak for Him, but we do know that He has blessed each person
who belongs to Him with special talents and spiritual gifts, that
He has designed specifically for them.
When we discover the path forward (which He has also
designed for us), we can be assured that He will give us a
new purpose for living that is fulfilling, rewarding, and
will help ease the pain and heartache we are experiencing.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and Your concern
for me. There are times when nobody else understands me, but
You do! There are some who say that You do not exist. Lord I
know that You do exist and I ask You to help me establish a
daily habit of spending time with You by praying and reading
the Bible. Whenever my life is in despair, remind me that You
are close and that You care about the way I am feeling. Thank
You for loving me at all times and for Your desire to rescue me
from my damaged spirit. I know that I cannot do anything of
lasting value if I am apart from You. Help me to no longer
depend on myself, but to give the reins of my life to You. Help
me to clearly see and understand the pathway You have for me
going forward. Teach me to use all that You have given me for
serving You. Show me how to love and encourage others who
are hurting and are in a valley of pain and despair.”
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