God is Nigh unto them with a Broken Heart.
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such that be of a contrite spirit.”
This is a promise from our God to Christians.
Often the broken heart thinks that God is far away….but not so. He is near.
This broken heart is found in all places. We are broken in heart by our sin and many failures to such a Good God.
We are broken in heart, often, when we are in troubles and afflictions.
We are broken in heart as we go through this weary world.
Isaiah 32:2 “And a man (and that man is Christ) shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a culvert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”
We are broken in heart by people’s cruelty, and circumstances which seem like repeat offenders.
But we have a promise: The Lord is near us. I don’t know about you, but the greatest joy of my life, has been His Presence.
I’ve know it since being born again, and though I have wavered (often), He has not. He has loved me (and let me tell you what a big chore that is!); and helped me.
Yes, I can say it has not been always the way I wanted. But I can also say, it has been what I needed.
My broken heart, (by loss, by hate, by hurt feelings, by money troubles, by other troubles) was not always miraculously healed, but always mended.
Ezekiel 34:16a “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which is broken, and will strengthen that which was sick:..”
And it has taught me to be more sensitive to other broken hearts.
“And saveth such that be of a contrite spirit.” When we are broken in heart by our sins, and contrite (or bruised) to remember that we have rebelled against our Loving Lord; then God is well pleased. For sin is the evil which crucified Christ.
Psalm 51:14, 17 “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
It brings God near to us, and opens the soul to God’s grace, and peace.
(Grace is the unmerited favor of power for our lives; Peace is peace with God, and peace with ourselves. Peace “surrounds” us)
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
Jeremiah 30:17a “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord;…”
Jesus quoted this promise when He was here on earth, (Isaiah 61:1)
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Christ Jesus was sent to do this very thing to all who would receive Him.
This was His work.
He has promised. He will give it. Ask for it. Look to Jesus, and He will heal your broken heart.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 