During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Devotional
There are some verses in Scripture that seem to sit quietly until the day you need them. Psalm 34:18 is one of those verses. It doesn’t sound triumphant or loud. It is gentle and can be deeply personal. David knew what it was to be brokenhearted, to feel crushed and small, and yet he speaks with certainty: God is close in those moments.
I remember walking with a family through the loss of a child. Their home that was often filled with sounds of laughter and joy felt heavy with grief, and there weren’t any words that could fix the pain. Truly their spirits were crushed, and words could not heal. What I noticed, though, was how God’s nearness showed up in small ways administered by the people of God: the casserole left at the door, the small treasures purchased for preschool-age siblings, the prayers whispered when no one knew what to say, the Scripture verses that rose to the surface like lifelines. This verse was not abstract for them. It was the assurance that even in heartbreak, they were not abandoned. Even when we don’t feel the nearness of God, He is close.
This verse is a promise. God does not wait until we are strong to draw near. He meets us right in the middle of our weakness. He doesn’t dismiss our heartbreak but enters into it with us, carrying the weight we cannot carry alone.
For Reflection
- Where in your life right now do you feel brokenhearted or crushed in spirit?
- Can you name a time when God’s presence felt especially near in a season of grief?
- How might you be a reminder of God’s nearness to someone who is hurting today?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being close when we are brokenhearted and for carrying us when we cannot carry ourselves. Draw near to us in our pain and give us the grace to notice Your quiet presence. Make us instruments of Your comfort, so that others might also know Your saving love. Amen.
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