“Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” (Mark 14:27)
Jesus was all too well acquainted with broken hearts. After all, In Heaven, He watched along with His Heavenly Father as mankind chose by their own volition to disobey, disregard and even disavow their Creator.
When He came down to earth in the form of a man, He would experience countless disappointments. He would feel the deep wounds to the heart from those He loved, and from those He had selected to be His apostles! Betrayal … denial … and ultimately death on a Cross while those He died for jeered and celebrated His death!
David, 2nd king of Israel, knew the pain and the challenges of having his own heart broken by an unruly and disobedient son. But he also was acquainted with how much he had broken the Lord’s heart with his series of sins that would lead to far-reaching consequences! Yet, he could exclaim, “He is near …”
Yes, David knew firsthand what each of us must deal with as we make our journey through this life. Read his words slowly, carefully and reflectively: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, ESV)
I understand the dark place of a crushed spirit … crushed by betrayal, revenge, even resentment and even some semblance of hatred! Do you? But not only is a crushed spirit, a broken heart, the result of this kind of behavior, it can be from any of the earthly challenges we face while living life under the sun. But God says, “He is near …”
A broken heart can be the result of watching a loved one slip off into a world where they don’t recognize their loved ones and friends. The distress, the pain of a loved one withering away before your eyes can be almost too much to carry. But God says “He is near …”
A broken heart, a crushed spirit can arrive on the scene when we least expect it and when it does, the pain, the sorrow, the disappointment, the heartache seem to be almost unbearable! It might a family member who has left the Lord, a leader in the church who has made choices that are far-reaching in their consequences and in the collateral damage inflicted upon God’s people. But God says, “He is near …”
I’ve been in the room when a loved one passes from this world and it is gut-wrenching to say the least! I’ve hurried with loved ones to the hospital only to discover their family member has already passed! No opportunity to say “Goodbye” or “I love you sweetheart” or “Thank you for loving me.” But God says, “He is near …”
Just as surely as the Lord restored sight to the blind, the ability to walk to the lame, cast out demons from the possessed … and even raised the dead back to life … just as certain is the truth that the Lord, my Lord and hopefully yours, will not leave us alone to suffer our pain. No … the truth is “He is near …”
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15, NKJV)
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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