Psalms 34:17-22: a reflection

17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. 21Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22The LORD redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.

In a psalm of trust, David speaks a tender word about where God is to be found in our worst moments. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, he says, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. God is not distant from the brokenhearted, aloof from those crushed in spirit; he is near to them, close precisely in their brokenness, and saves the crushed. When the heart is broken, when the spirit is crushed, God is not far off but near; his nearness is especially to those in that state, and his saving hand reaches to the crushed. The broken heart is not where God withdraws, but where he draws near.

Notice where God is near: to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. We might expect God to be near in our strength, our joy, our success; but David says the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves the crushed in spirit. God's nearness is especially to those who are broken, crushed, at the end of themselves. He does not withdraw from the brokenhearted, leaving them to their pain; he draws near to them, close in their very brokenness, and saves them. The crushed spirit is not abandoned by God, but is precisely where he is near. God's nearness reaches most tenderly to those most broken; the broken heart is where he draws close.

That is worth resting in, for God is near to us when our hearts are broken and our spirits crushed. When we are brokenhearted, crushed in spirit, at the end of ourselves, we can feel that God is far off, that he has withdrawn, that our brokenness has left us alone; but David says the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. God draws near precisely in our brokenness; his nearness reaches most tenderly to those most crushed. When your heart is broken and your spirit crushed, do not think God is far off; he is near to the brokenhearted, close in your very brokenness, and saves the crushed. Take comfort that God is near to you when your heart is broken and your spirit crushed, close in your very brokenness and reaching to save you, as the psalm says the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit; for God does not withdraw from the broken, but draws near to them, and the crushed heart is where his nearness reaches most tenderly.

Lord, in a psalm of trust, David speaks a tender word about where you are to be found in our worst moments. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, he says, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. You are not distant from the brokenhearted, aloof from those crushed in spirit; you are near to them, close precisely in their brokenness, and save the crushed. When the heart is broken, when the spirit is crushed, you are not far off but near. The broken heart is not where you withdraw, but where you draw near. Show me where you are near: to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. I might expect you to be near in my strength, my joy, my success; but David says you are near to those who have a broken heart, and save the crushed in spirit. Your nearness is especially to those who are broken, crushed, at the end of themselves. You do not withdraw from the brokenhearted; you draw near to them, close in their very brokenness, and save them. The crushed spirit is not abandoned by you, but is precisely where you are near. Let me rest in that, for you are near to me when my heart is broken and my spirit crushed. When I am brokenhearted, crushed in spirit, at the end of myself, I can feel that you are far off, that my brokenness has left me alone; but David says you are near to the brokenhearted. You draw near precisely in my brokenness. When my heart is broken and my spirit crushed, keep me from thinking you are far off; you are near to the brokenhearted, Lord, close in my very brokenness, and save the crushed. Help me take comfort that you are near to me when my heart is broken, reaching to save me.