There are so many brokenhearted people in our midst. Maybe you are one of them. We live in a world filled with sorrow, grief, depression, despair, brokenness, guilt, anxiety, anger, and strife. How many people truly know that God is for them and not against them? He knows our hearts even better than we do, and He wants to heal us and make us whole.
Have you ever experienced sharing your pain with someone, only to realize that they didn’t know what to do with it?
Jesus does not run away from people who are brokenhearted. He stays near to us.
Psalm 34:18, it says, “The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent” (AMP).
Another version says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (NKJV).
When I looked up the definition of “contrite” it said, “feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt”.
This adds something completely different from what I thought “crushed in spirit” meant. The Lord is not only close to the brokenhearted, but He saves those who are crushed with sorrow for their sin. He does not distance Himself; instead, He remains close to them.
Is shame something you struggle with?
This verse spoke to me so clearly, because many people who deal with shame feel as though God has turned His back on them due to what they have done. We can feel unworthy to approach the Lord about this, even if we have asked God to forgive us for anything we may have done. This verse confirms that God knows what’s in our hearts, and He is close to the brokenhearted.
If you have struggled with sin in any area in your life, repented and asked God to forgive you, then He forgave you! Jesus is your Healer, and He heals broken hearts. He is near you and hasn’t turned His back on you. He isn’t ashamed of you…He loves you. Sometimes it can be terrifying to even think about dealing with the pain hidden deeply in our hearts, but you need to know that the safest place your heart can be is with the Lord.
Maybe you struggle with shame due to something that happened to you against your will. The Lord saw what happened, and you are not to blame. He loves you and knows the depths of your heart. He doesn’t see you the way you see yourself. He sees someone who is beautiful and pure. He sees you as He created you to be, and this is your true identity.
He is the one who can be trusted with your heart.
Maybe you are entrenched in something you know is sinful, but you can’t find a way out. You know it is slowly killing you on the inside. Give your heart to the Lord. Until you hand this over to Him, it will continue to eat you alive. He sees what you are going through, and He loves you more than you know. Follow Him. Keep your eyes on Him. He will help you, show you the way out and set you free.
I have been on both sides of the fence. I have been entrenched in sin without knowing how to get out, and I have also had times of feeling intense guilt and shame long after I repented for certain sins in my past. Giving my heart to the Lord and following Him every step of the way is something that has literally changed me from the inside out. Jesus has not only saved my life, He has healed my heart and set me free.
He loves you so very much, and you can trust your heart with Him.
Have you been able to be transparent with God? My next post will be about how to practice transparency with Jesus, and why this is so important. In the mean time, I encourage you to meditate on Psalm 34:18. When we know He is truly with us when we are brokenhearted, it is so much easier to fully give our hearts to Him and be transparent with Him.
