Psalm 34:15-18
The eyes of the Lord watch over the righteous. His ears listen to their cry. The face of the Lord is set against those who do evil, to cut off memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears. From all their distress he delivers them. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You know how challenging this life can get for us, everything that can cause us pain and trouble. That close friend or family member that turns against us, health challenges, or even the inward demons some face in the battles with depression, anxiety, or addictions. We each have unique troubles, so we reach out to you, and you listen; as David wrote in this Psalm, you hear our prayers for help with everything we need. For those who have evil intentions against your faithful, you will cut the evil ones off. Those things are in your hands, and you will take care of all this in your due time. David writes, “the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears.” You hear us!
It is through faith in our Savior we have been restored to you. Jesus came to this earth to suffer and die for all our sins; in his resurrection, we have the assurance he paid for all our sins. Jesus remains close to those who trust in him. When we realize the ramifications of our sins, that they eternally condemned us, we also understand the need we had for a Savior to restore us to your love. This restoration is what Jesus had done on the cross, paying the penalty for all our sins with his precious holy blood. We are no longer condemned because he has healed the brokenhearted and saved our spirits. Lord, thank you for not only saving us but also for the words of comfort to assure us you are always beside us no matter what this life throws at us.
Please provide each of us an opportunity to share the good news of how Jesus died and rose to heal everyone’s sinful suffering. He is close to them to comfort them in all they are going through, you hear their cries, and you have already delivered them. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God is close to you in all your troubles; he knows what you are going through; he is waiting for you to bring those challenges to him.