He’ll help you catch your breath

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. NIV

We get our hearts broken.

Mostly because, I think, we have dreams or plans that don’t work out the way we have envisioned them.

Yesterday, the pastor spoke on Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” NIV  He gave multiple examples of plans that he had made that did not work out as he had hoped.  He repeatedly said, “but the Lord” had different plans.

It strikes me that this condition is inevitable.  Human beings were created by God with the ability to dream, to plan, to envision the future … but, we have not been given the ability to control it.  Hence, our hearts get broken.  The boy asks another girl to the dance, the college acceptance letter doesn’t come, the fairy tale wedding doesn’t lead to happily ever after, someone dies too young.

Our hearts get broken.

God knows this is inevitable.  He created the heart with all its complexities.  And, He left this verse here for us to find: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  What a blessing that is!  When my heart is broken and my spirit is crushed and I feel I’ve been treated unfairly and when I’m worried sick about what will happen next … or won’t happen next, God is there.

The verse says more than that … He “saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  What an encouragement!

One of my dearest friends shared a quote with me recently from Charles Stanley.  I wrote it out on a piece of paper and placed it where I can see it easily each day … “Disappointment is inevitable, discouragement is a choice.”

Christ came to bind up the brokenhearted.  Having lived as a human, he knows the pain of betrayal, of losing a friend, of facing life-threatening circumstances.  Christ understands what it means to have a broken heart, and, through His loving example, He points the way home to our Holy Father.

The Message translates this verse, “If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;  if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.” MSG

That’s what I’ll think about today.