Ps 34:18: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” [NIV]
Psalm 34 is a song of David, written when David was not in the best of circumstances. He had fled King Saul who was trying to kill him, and ended up in Gath, a small town on the Philistine border. When the king in Gath learned who he was, he wanted David gone. Fearing harm, David pretended to be insane until they drove him away, finally ending up living in caves.
Yet despite the circumstances, Psalm 34 is an extremely positive song, beginning, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”
I have been thinking lately about how deep emotional wounds can go. They are often much harder to heal than physical wounds. Physical wounds, if the body is healthy, simply heal themselves. Emotional wounds need a lot of intentional work.
We must forgive, often repeatedly. We must want to be healed – not always an easy choice. We must work through the rejection, pain, and all the emotions that attach to our hearts … and while we are doing this, the enemy of our soul is whispering why we should not!
David understood that we are all brokenhearted, and because we are God draws close to us. David understood that there is salvation for those who are crushed in spirit by life’s unfairness. We can, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds, be healed of the sorrows and pains inflicted upon us. God’s promise is that we can be made whole.