MOURNING
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 (NLT)
Such a short verse, but so impactful. Perhaps you’ve not realized the full depth of the grace in this verse yet. And I say yet because even if you’ve never suffered heartbreak, grief or loss, the time is coming when you will. At some point in your life, you will hit a breaking point. Anguish and sorrow can come crashing down upon you like a waterfall out of nowhere. For some, it’s the loss of a loved one. For others, it’s having something beloved unexpectedly taken from you, like a job, home or pet. For others, it’s wrestling with bouts of depression. Whatever the circumstance, the good news is still the same: God is with you.
The term Emmanuel is one often reserved for the Christmas season. It means God with us, and I think we are wrong to confine this wonderful term (and songs containing it) to December. God is with us all the time, not just when we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus. When everything in your personal life seems to be going wrong—God is right there. When things are chaotic in our world—God is not absent. From 9/11 to wars to economic collapse to pandemics—God is not caught off guard. He’s not distant and removed. He is right there with us and for us.
Where do you take your grief? Your sorrow? Your broken heart? For many, refuge is found in an online community. We post and pour our hearts out on a keyboard for friends and followers to behold. But do we take it to God? Other times, we disassociate and distract, looking for comfort in sports, substances or romance. What if instead of running to these things, we ran to God?
Whatever you’ve been through or may be going through right now, God is right there. It may feel like He is distant, but He never moves. It’s us who drift away from Him or, at times, deliberately walk away. I implore and beseech you to turn back to Him. He sees your troubles, knows you intimately, and loves you desperately.
APPLICATION: How can you remind yourself that God is with you? Is it posting Scripture somewhere prominent, like your bathroom mirror or steering wheel? Is it setting daily prayer reminders? Is it asking an accountability partner to check in with you regularly? Consider what step God might be leading you to take.
PRAYER: Gracious God, You are Emmanuel even when I don’t feel that way. Help me to bring my broken heart and grief to You. Be my refuge and shelter. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?