ENCOURAGEMENT-16 (Psalm 34:18)

WHEN OUR HEART IS BROKEN AND OUR SPIRIT IS CRUSHED, GOD CARES!

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 know the pain you are feeling, more than likely they
would struggle with finding a way to encourage you, and to
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 toward 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’; a time when 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 worship a God who loves and
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 concern
and 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 should 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 the 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.

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
believer with special talents and spiritual gifts, that He has
designed specifically for us.

When we discover the path forward He has created for each
of us individually, we can be assured that He will give us a
new purpose for living, and it will be fulfilling, rewarding,
and will help ease the pain and heartache we are experiencing.

God’s grace may be difficult for us to wrap our minds around.
Most have grown up understanding that we need to ‘earn’
everything we get, so it can be difficult to grasp that God ‘gives’
us what we need for every situation. It is His unmerited grace
that proves His love for us. And, of course, the greatest gift He
has given us is His Son, and the salvation He made available to
us through His sacrifice for our sins.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and 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 to
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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