“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, ESV)
“A man put up a sign in his yard that read: “Puppies for Sale.” Among those who came to inquire was a young boy. “Please, Mister,” he said, “I’d like to buy one of your puppies if they don’t cost too much.” “Well, son, they’re $25.” The boy looked crushed. “I’ve only got two dollars and five cents. Could I see them anyway?” “Of course. Maybe we can work something out,” said the man. The lad’s eyes danced at the sight of those five little balls of fur. “I heard that one has a bad leg,” he said. “Yes, I’m afraid she’ll be crippled for life.” “Well, that’s the puppy I want. Could I pay for her a little at a time?” The man responded, “But she’ll always have a limp.” Smiling bravely, the boy pulled up one pant leg, revealing a brace. “I don’t walk good either.” Then, looking at the puppy sympathetically, he continued, “I guess she’ll need a lot of love and help. I sure did. It’s not so easy being crippled.” “Here, take her,” said the man. “I know you’ll give her a good home. And just forget the money.”” (from “Our Daily Bread”)
I find it interesting that the boy was not “crushed” because he had a bad leg and needed to wear a leg brace. Instead, he was “crushed” because he couldn’t afford to buy the crippled puppy. One person may feel the weight of a sickness. Another person might reel at the discovery of a leaky roof. A young man might feel completely brokenhearted when the prettiest girl at school doesn’t care for him. A college student may feel utterly beaten down at the loss of the school’s football team during the playoffs. Some people are brokenhearted over little things. Some feel the crush of a burden that is life-threatening. Life is never all sunshine and roses. There are bad days. There are moments of hurt. There are times of pain.
1 John 4:8 tells us that a main character trait of God is love. God cares. When Jesus heard about Lazarus’ death, the scripture says that Jesus “wept” (John 11:35). God has a soft spot when it comes to us humans, especially the hurting. We were created in the image of God. We were created to be in relationship with God. That means that God has a special place in HIS heart for you. Do you realize how much you are loved? Do you realize how much God wants to comfort you when you are hurting?
Today’s scripture is a reminder that the Lord has a soft heart. Psalm 34:18 notes that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” The Lord is not averse to suffering. God is not afraid to approach the hurting, heal the afflicted, nor comfort the bereaved. Some human beings go out of their way to avoid suffering in pain. Not your God!
John grew up hating hospitals. He saw them as places of suffering and pain and sickness. He stayed as far away from the hospital in his hometown as possible. He was even offered a job at the hospital, a good paying one, but declined.
When John turned twenty-five, he was told that his grandmother was dying. His mother called him on the phone, begging him to meet the rest of the family at the hospital. They were all going to take turns by her bedside. John was his grandmother’s favorite. He practically grew up at her house. He stopped by her house every day after school. He helped do work around the house. He was like another son. But, when John was notified of his grandmother’s dying at the hospital, John refused to go to the hospital. All the other family members were there. John never came.
Some people have a fear of being at a hospital, around dying people, or in places of suffering. I know people who would never visit Auschwitz or listen to a story of a survivor from 9/11. They don’t like to be reminded of pain and suffering. When a person is suffering or in pain, they walk away.
Lena was a softie. She loved people. She loved animals. When she was a teenager, she wanted to be a medical doctor. Then, she wanted to be a social worker. For a while, she thought about being a veterinarian. What Lena knew for sure was that she wanted to help in whatever way possible.
Despite this love for people and animals, Lena had one serious personal hangup. She couldn’t stand to see a suffering dog or cat or person. If a friend told her that someone was dying, she would avoid the whole situation. She wouldn’t even talk about it! If an animal was hit by a car, she would call for help, but she would absolutely not stand by to help the injured animal or the stunned driver.
One beautiful day in July 2018, Lena took her kayak to the lake. She loved getting out in nature and seeing the wonderful life around her. As she pushed the kayak away from the shore and started rowing, she was so excited to be back on the water!
One hour into her jaunt, Lena noticed a burlap bag by the edge of the lake. It was moving! As she drew closer to the anomaly, she heard crying. Overcome with fear, Lena paddled away thinking that the bag probably held puppies who were tossed into the river. Who knows how many dead or dying puppies were in there! She couldn’t stand to open the bag, so she began to paddle away furiously.
Then, in that moment, Lena grew ill. She couldn’t stand the suffering cries. She couldn’t stand the thought of a life that could be saved from drowning because of her stupid fears. She turned the kayak around, heading back to the scene with the burlap bag. Hard as it was, she opened the burlap bag. Indeed, half of the six puppies were dead. Drowned. Two were crying loudly. One was barely moving. She hurriedly buried the three dead and brought the other three back to the dock. She took the three puppies to an animal hospital nearby and paid for their care. She also was referred to a local animal shelter to give the puppies a fighting chance at a new home. It was the most difficult week of Lena’s life to that point. But she had done it. She had rescued those three pups. She knew that leaving them at the water’s edge that day would have been unforgiveable and unforgettable. It would have haunted her dreams for the rest of her life.
Some people find a way to help and love those who are hurt, in pain, or dying. Some people find a way to care for the grieving or offer a shoulder to the crying. Could you set aside your biases and fears and help one in need?
Today’s scripture is not just a reminder that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted crushed in spirit. The Lord has a heart for them. God wants to help. If you want to follow God’s ways, you need to develop that soft heart, increase your love, and make it a point to reach out to those in need. Like Lena, you may have to set aside some fear in order to reach out. It is all a part of God’s will.
Don’t be surprised if God places a hurting soul near you. God has hopes you will help. God has a plan for you to reach out. It’s in God’s character to “be near” to those who are hurting. Is it also in your character to do the same?
I find it interesting that the boy was not “crushed” because he had a bad leg and needed to wear a leg brace. Instead, he was “crushed” because he couldn’t afford to buy the crippled puppy. One person may feel the weight of a sickness. Another person might reel at the discovery of a leaky roof. A young man might feel completely brokenhearted when the prettiest girl at school doesn’t care for him. A college student may feel utterly beaten down at the loss of the school’s football team during the playoffs. Some people are brokenhearted over little things. Some feel the crush of a burden that is life-threatening. Life is never all sunshine and roses. There are bad days. There are moments of hurt. There are times of pain.
1 John 4:8 tells us that a main character trait of God is love. God cares. When Jesus heard about Lazarus’ death, the scripture says that Jesus “wept” (John 11:35). God has a soft spot when it comes to us humans, especially the hurting. We were created in the image of God. We were created to be in relationship with God. That means that God has a special place in HIS heart for you. Do you realize how much you are loved? Do you realize how much God wants to comfort you when you are hurting?
Today’s scripture is a reminder that the Lord has a soft heart. Psalm 34:18 notes that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” The Lord is not averse to suffering. God is not afraid to approach the hurting, heal the afflicted, nor comfort the bereaved. Some human beings go out of their way to avoid suffering in pain. Not your God!
John grew up hating hospitals. He saw them as places of suffering and pain and sickness. He stayed as far away from the hospital in his hometown as possible. He was even offered a job at the hospital, a good paying one, but declined.
When John turned twenty-five, he was told that his grandmother was dying. His mother called him on the phone, begging him to meet the rest of the family at the hospital. They were all going to take turns by her bedside. John was his grandmother’s favorite. He practically grew up at her house. He stopped by her house every day after school. He helped do work around the house. He was like another son. But, when John was notified of his grandmother’s dying at the hospital, John refused to go to the hospital. All the other family members were there. John never came.
Some people have a fear of being at a hospital, around dying people, or in places of suffering. I know people who would never visit Auschwitz or listen to a story of a survivor from 9/11. They don’t like to be reminded of pain and suffering. When a person is suffering or in pain, they walk away.
Lena was a softie. She loved people. She loved animals. When she was a teenager, she wanted to be a medical doctor. Then, she wanted to be a social worker. For a while, she thought about being a veterinarian. What Lena knew for sure was that she wanted to help in whatever way possible.
Despite this love for people and animals, Lena had one serious personal hangup. She couldn’t stand to see a suffering dog or cat or person. If a friend told her that someone was dying, she would avoid the whole situation. She wouldn’t even talk about it! If an animal was hit by a car, she would call for help, but she would absolutely not stand by to help the injured animal or the stunned driver.
One beautiful day in July 2018, Lena took her kayak to the lake. She loved getting out in nature and seeing the wonderful life around her. As she pushed the kayak away from the shore and started rowing, she was so excited to be back on the water!
One hour into her jaunt, Lena noticed a burlap bag by the edge of the lake. It was moving! As she drew closer to the anomaly, she heard crying. Overcome with fear, Lena paddled away thinking that the bag probably held puppies who were tossed into the river. Who knows how many dead or dying puppies were in there! She couldn’t stand to open the bag, so she began to paddle away furiously.
Then, in that moment, Lena grew ill. She couldn’t stand the suffering cries. She couldn’t stand the thought of a life that could be saved from drowning because of her stupid fears. She turned the kayak around, heading back to the scene with the burlap bag. Hard as it was, she opened the burlap bag. Indeed, half of the six puppies were dead. Drowned. Two were crying loudly. One was barely moving. She hurriedly buried the three dead and brought the other three back to the dock. She took the three puppies to an animal hospital nearby and paid for their care. She also was referred to a local animal shelter to give the puppies a fighting chance at a new home. It was the most difficult week of Lena’s life to that point. But she had done it. She had rescued those three pups. She knew that leaving them at the water’s edge that day would have been unforgiveable and unforgettable. It would have haunted her dreams for the rest of her life.
Some people find a way to help and love those who are hurt, in pain, or dying. Some people find a way to care for the grieving or offer a shoulder to the crying. Could you set aside your biases and fears and help one in need?
Today’s scripture is not just a reminder that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted crushed in spirit. The Lord has a heart for them. God wants to help. If you want to follow God’s ways, you need to develop that soft heart, increase your love, and make it a point to reach out to those in need. Like Lena, you may have to set aside some fear in order to reach out. It is all a part of God’s will.
Don’t be surprised if God places a hurting soul near you. God has hopes you will help. God has a plan for you to reach out. It’s in God’s character to “be near” to those who are hurting. Is it also in your character to do the same?