Today, many are waking up to devastation and a deep gash in their hearts and spirits as it is the day after a horrid tragedy that took place in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. Here in Zebulon, GA, my community is also reeling from the tragic accident that claimed the life of a seventeen-year-old that took place just a few days prior to the shooting in Winder. Heavy sadness seems to be in the air. There are no words that can fully describe the hurt and loss that many are feeling in Georgia today and even around the world, as many are facing other tragic events. So, what comfort can be found in times like these? What strength can we lean on when our hearts are broken and our spirits are weak? “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18, NKJV). 

What a captivating and comforting verse of Scripture Psalm 34:18 is to believers. Understanding that God is near or close to those whose hearts are broken is a beautiful picture of a loving father who desires to comfort His children. What does it mean for us today that God is near? How can that assure me today when the very ground I am standing on shakes beneath my feet? Let me try to encourage you with a few things.

The Lord has always desired nothing more than to be right by your side. It is clearly seen from the beginning of time that God has always had a desire to walk alongside His most beloved creation, us. Scripture tells us that God walked with Adam in the “cool of the day” (Gen 3:8). The Bible indicates to us that God walking and talking with Adam was not an unusual interaction, but perhaps a daily or hourly occurrence. We get this picture of a loving Father who desired nothing more than to come down to the Garden of Eden and spend time with Adam. As a Father myself, I look forward every day to getting home from work to see my beautiful girls and my handsome son. No matter how tough of a day I may have had when I get home to my children, I cannot help but smile. God longed to be near to Adam, so every day, He walked with him.

When sin entered the world, the relationship that God once enjoyed with His most beloved creation was ripped away. God’s pride and joy could no longer stand in his presence because God was and is pure light and holiness. And holiness cannot stand with sin. So God, in the Old Testament, showed man how they could be close to Him once again through the shedding of the blood of animals. While this worked, it was not a perfect sacrifice. Therefore, in order for God to be restored to man and be near to man, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus. Jesus died on a cross, and shed His innocent blood, so God could be near the sons and daughters He completely loved. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV). Oh, how God desperately desires to be near to you and me. So much was and is that desire that God gave up His own perfect and sinless Son just so you and I could have a relationship here and now. And not only here and now, but for all eternity! Oh, how He loves you and me. He is close, near, to the brokenhearted because of the selfless sacrifice of Christ, His Son. Don’t you see how He desperately desires to be near to you? Don’t you understand how much He loves you so?

But then there is something about God’s care and attentiveness that is amplified when we are brokenhearted. That is why David wrote the words, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart…” Again, I can understand somewhat. When my kids get hurt physically or emotionally, and I see tears come streaming down their faces, it wreaks me. I grab them in my arms and hold them tight. I want them to know and feel that they are loved and safe in my arms. While I know I will not always be able to pick my kids up and hold them in my arms or on my lap, I will always want to run to their rescue if at all possible to help them when they are hurt. If you and I feel that way about our children, how much more does God feel toward us? While I know that sometimes, in order for us to grow and become who God desires us to be, we have to endure hard times, but nowhere in Scripture do I see that God delights in the struggles and hurts of His beloved. No, God is a Father. And when we hurt, He hurts. When we cry, He feels our emotions. And when we are brokenhearted, God pulls in close. 

When Lazarus died in John 11, Jesus was overcome with emotion. The Bible shares: “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (Jn. 11:33, NKJV). Then John wrote what would become the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept” (Jn. 11:35, NKJV). The God you and I serve understands our emotions because He feels as we feel. He weeps as we weep. At the tomb of Lazarus, He felt the loss of a loved one. He felt the emotion of Martha, Lazarus’s sister as tears ran down her face. And Jesus was close to the brokenhearted that day. 

I want to encourage you today. I know for many our hearts are so heavy. Yours may be heavy because of what has taken place here in Georgia or perhaps because of some reason no one else knows about. You have a heavenly Father who loves you so much, understands what you are feeling, and is close to you even now. He is holding your hand. He has his arms wrapped around you. He weeps with you. Greatest of all, He is our streanth when we are broken.

You may be reading this today and are totally lost and have no idea where to go from here. Beloved, turn and call on the God who comes near. Call on Jesus. Ask Him to save you. Ask Him to help you. Ask Him to give you strengh. When you call on Him, you will find grace, love, strength, and so much more. 

Now may “the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Nub. 6:24-26, NKJV).