The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18
Our world seems chaotic at times. We have been reminded even more lately that so many things are out of our control. Sometimes it feels like monsoons after monsoons fall on us, and we are overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. Let me assure you, my friend, that while so many things are out of our control, we have a God who is in complete control, every second of every day. Psalm 34 reminds of this truth.
David writes about God's protection and provision in Psalm 34. In this Psalm, he praises God for answering his prayers, for protecting him, and for saving him. David praises God for being a refuge for him and saving him from all of his troubles. In verse 18, David declares, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." If God is a rescuer and a refuge, it stands to reason that He is in control. He is the Creator of the earth and is in complete control. Because of this, we can conclude that He is the best person to handle all of our trials. He will take care of us. He will take care of you in your trials and be with you when you are brokenhearted.
Many times, when we go through a storm, we blame God for all that has happened. Instead of inviting God into the storm, we sometimes push Him away. The truth is, however, that God didn't bring suffering into our world to drive us further from Him, but to draw us closer. He wanted us from the very beginning to acknowledge that we couldn't do life without Him. That is one of the reasons why David acknowledged that He was close to the brokenhearted.
Maybe today what you need is a reminder that God is in control over any monsoon that comes in your life. He has complete power and control over your life and over the storm that you are facing. You can trust Him and turn to Him with any monsoon that comes over your life.
My friend, whatever you are facing, whatever trial you are experiencing, rest assured that God is the One who you can turn to for help. Right now, pull out your notebook and write about the confidence you have knowing that God is in control. Start journaling with this prompt: "Because God is in control in my suffering…" As you right about God's great control over your life, take comfort in the fact that He is there in your suffering, and you can lean on Him.
Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
“Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
Who determined its dimensions
and stretched out the surveying line?
What supports its foundations,
and who laid its cornerstone
as the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,
and as I clothed it with clouds
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’
“Have you ever commanded the morning to appear
and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,
to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?
As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.
The light disturbs the wicked
and stops the arm that is raised in violence.
“Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?
Do you know where the gates of death are located?
Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?
Do you realize the extent of the earth?
Tell me about it if you know!
“Where does light come from,
and where does darkness go?
Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?
But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!
“Have you visited the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of hail?
(I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war.)
Where is the path to the source of light?
Where is the home of the east wind?
“Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?
Who laid out the path for the lightning?
Who makes the rain fall on barren land,
in a desert where no one lives?
Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground
and make the tender grass spring up?
“Does the rain have a father?
Who gives birth to the dew?
Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,
and the surface of the water freezes.
“Can you direct the movement of the stars—
binding the cluster of the Pleiades
or loosening the cords of Orion?
Can you direct the constellations through the seasons
or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?
“Can you shout to the clouds
and make it rain?
Can you make lightning appear
and cause it to strike as you direct?
Who gives intuition to the heart
and instinct to the mind?
Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?
Who can tilt the water jars of heaven
when the parched ground is dry
and the soil has hardened into clods?
“Can you stalk prey for a lioness
and satisfy the young lions’ appetites
as they lie in their dens
or crouch in the thicket?
Who provides food for the ravens
when their young cry out to God
and wander about in hunger?
