It’s good to be back!  Like many of you, summer can be a little hectic for me and my family, been out of town some, spent a week at Camp Wesley Pine, and had a busy, busy summer at St. Matthew’s.  All that seems to be winding down soon, and I plan on getting back to these daily reflections.  So, without further ado, let’s look at one of today’s passages from Psalm 34: 18-20:

18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
19Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.
20He will keep safe all his bones; *
not one of them shall be broken.

One of the things that I have noticed in our world recently is almost a hardening of hearts.  We’ve turned judgmental towards each other in so many ways.  And I think that can be a dangerous thing because we can forget the humanity of other people.

And we can forget our own brokenness.

The Psalmist today reminds us that God is near the brokenhearted.  He is near those whose spirits are crushed.  He will deliver them.  He will keep them safe.

He will protect.  He will save.

Jesus put it like this in Matthew 5:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Today, if you are brokenhearted, if you are weighed-down, if you feel alone, afraid, forgotten, forsaken, remember this, please remember this.

God loves you.  He really does.  He loves you.  Please don’t ever forget that.

And for those of us today that have forgotten our brokenness, it’s always good to remember that we all stand in need of grace.  Me, you, all of us.  None of us are perfect.  All of us are lacking in places in our lives.

All of us need grace.  Don’t forget that.  None of us are as strong as we think we are.

May all of us remember grace today.

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