Near to the Broken

Psalm 34:18 (KJV)

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Nigh. Near. Close. That is where God positions Himself when a heart breaks — not at a respectful distance, waiting for you to recover.

This is the opposite of what grief tells you. Grief says you have been abandoned, that if God were near you would feel Him, and that the silence proves something. But feeling and nearness are not the same thing. A father sitting on the floor beside a crying child is close whether or not the child can see him through the tears.

Notice too that this verse makes no demands. It does not say the LORD is nigh unto them that hold it together, or them that keep serving through it. Broken and contrite is the whole qualification.

So do not clean yourself up before you come today. Bring the broken thing as it is. You will be bringing it to Someone who is already sitting closer than you thought.