The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Sunday
November 30, 2008
Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the
Lord.
Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good?
Then
watch your tongue!
Keep your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil
and do good.
Work hard at living in peace with others.
The eyes of the
Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for
help.
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
he will
erase their memory from the earth.
The Lord hears his people when they call
to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is
close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous face many troubles,
but the Lord rescues them from each
and every one.
For the Lord protects them from harm –
even one of their
bones will be broken!
Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and
those who hate the righteous will be punished.
But the Lord will redeem
those who serve him.
Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned.
Psalm 34:11-22
Bless his heart, King David had some children who needed to listen to him. So do many of us; I know I have one. Oh, how we hunger to have our children really fear the Lord, to trust Him as their Savior, and live a life that pleases Him!
Having a house with two hurting children is something else. Both of them are wounded and brokenhearted. Well, little Callie is not quite as bad as her brother; she is open and full of love and grace. Yet, everyone else is hurt and needy – including Roger and myself. So, can you imagine how feelings fly around here from time to time?
I'll never forget a couple of years ago when we really had a house full; someone borrowed clothes from someone else "without asking" and it was like a return to the ice age for almost a week. Then we had a family pow-wow and got everything out in the open. It always helps to sit down and talk about these things. Brokenhearted people need attention and attendance to their needs – even the smallest ones. They need to know that their hurts and needs matter.
All of our needs matter to God. If that is true, and I believe it is, then we need to make sure they matter to us. We too need to make sure that we are near the brokenhearted.
Father, I thank You and praise You for being near the brokenhearted. I pray that today You will be very near to Jessica; You know today is her birthday. As I write this I'm not even sure where she will be on this day, so I don't know if I will get to see her or talk to her. However, I praise You for the way You care for those who love You, and watch over those who have strayed from You. Show us how we can be a blessing to them in Your name. You will receive the glory! Oh, and Father, be near to me on this day as well, only You know how I will be hurting.
