Topic: Brokenhearted? The Lord Is Close [RICK WARREN Devotional 28 April 2021]
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Brokenhearted? The Lord Is Close
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)We’ve all had our hearts broken in some way, maybe by disappointment, fear, shame, rejection, or ridicule. I say to you, as your friend, I’m sorry. I really am. I care about the hurt you have gone through, and God cares about it too. He hurts with you.
What was God doing when you were weeping? He was weeping too. In fact, it is in your pain that God is closest to you, whether or not you realize it.
The Bible says in Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (NIV). How does he do that? He saves you by giving you a heart transplant. It’s his specialty, in fact.
It’s as if God says, “For the heart that’s guilty, I’ll give you a heart that’s forgiven. For the heart that’s resentful, I’ll give you a heart that’s full of peace. For the heart that’s anxious, I’ll give you a heart that’s confident. For the heart that’s lonely, I’ll give you a heart full of love. The heart that has been bitter and angry? I’ll give you a heart that is forgiving, loving, and generous instead. Let me do a heart transplant in you. I will set you free.”
Why do you need freedom? Because, without Christ, you’re enslaved. You’re a slave to the expectations of other people. You’re a slave to past memories. You’re a slave to future fears. You’re a slave to current pressure. You’re a slave to the opinions of society, and on and on and on.
But all you have to do is open your heart to Jesus Christ and give him all of it. Like David in Psalm 119:32, you can say to God, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding” (NIV).
Your heart may have been broken, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Decide today to stop limiting God! He wants to do so much with your life—more than you can even imagine. Open your heart to God, and let him transplant your heart for his own.
- When have you felt closest to God? What were the circumstances surrounding those times?
- Have there been times when you haven’t felt God’s presence, even when you know he’s there? Why do you think that happened?
- In what ways have you been limiting God? What has been the effect?