When heartbreak hits and the tears just won’t stop, it can feel like God is far away. But in today’s devotional, we’re reminded of a profound truth: God draws closer in our sorrow, not further.

After attending a funeral, the author expected her grieving friend to be falling apart—but instead, she found a woman sustained by prayer, clinging to God’s strength hour by hour. That’s the power of God’s presence in grief. That’s the promise of Psalm 34:18:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit.”

Whether you're facing loss, loneliness, or just the ache of unspoken pain, this verse is your reminder—you are never alone.

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Full Transcript Below:

Draw Close to God

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Standing in line at a funeral home, waiting to give condolences to a family who had just lost a loved one to a tragic loss, I admired all the pictures of the deceased and well wishes from people ahead of me. Many family members had come to express their sentiments as well. About 20 minutes later, we were able to reach my friend. 

Although she attended church for a long time, she sometimes had questions and doubts (as we all do) about God and his ways. When I got to the line and saw her there, I expected her to be a mess. I expected her to express her doubts and questions about God.

However, she said the opposite. As we hugged, she told me she had been praying and asking God for supernatural help to sustain her through the long days and weeks. She told me that was the first day she had not cried and could stand firm as each hour passed. She and her family remembered their loved one on their special day. They chose to use it as a day of great remembrance and to take comfort in believing that he was in heaven and having all his questions answered. 

A few days later, I sent her the above verse to comfort her as she continued to move on from their loss. Like my friend, the above verse is often used for people going through difficult trials or tragic losses. It reminds us of God's great love for his people. 

God never allows us to walk alone. He is always with us, even during unspeakable loss and tragedy. When we feel he has forgotten us, and we can't understand why we are going through such times of trial, this verse can be of great comfort to all of us. It serves as a great reminder that God is with us every step of the way. 

He is with us when we are in bed crying into our tear-stained pillows. He is with us when we shake hands and hug loved ones who have come to pay their respects. He is also with us when we celebrate family during the holidays when we miss our loved ones the most. It is as if Jesus is there, sitting in the empty chair, with us in our time of trial. 

If you are going through a difficult time right now, ask yourself: do I feel God is close to or distant from me? Your answer reveals more about your view of God than you realize. When we are going through a difficult time, it is tempting to push God away, believing the enemy’s lie that God does not care about our true well-being, rather than accepting the truth of God's promises, as stated in his word. As the above verse reminds us, he is with us always. 

He knows our spirits when they are strong and when they are weak. God promises to get vengeance on those who hurt his people. He is the one who gets the ultimate revenge. But we must be patient and wait for his timing. God is the one who knows the bigger picture of our situation. 

We only see a finite piece of a much larger puzzle. We are only given one puzzle piece at a time. However, it's difficult to see the bigger picture. We must trust that God is the ultimate creator of the puzzle, the only one who can make all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. 

Draw close to God. Do not allow a time of trial to be a time where you drift away from God. If you find yourself resisting the urge to read the word, hiding your big emotions from God, or distracting yourself from being alone with him, chances are you are trying to push him away rather than come close. But Jesus is waiting for us. He is close to us and walks with us every step of the way. We must take his hand and allow him to lead us as we walk through our time of trial. 

Father, let us draw near to you in times of trial. Let us know that you are closest to us during our most profound grief. Remind us that you are there, extending your hand, waiting for us to take it. Help us to let you lead us with your comforting words and steadfast actions. Amen. 

Intersecting Faith and Life

When you are facing a tough time, do you turn towards God or drift away from Him? Why?

Further Reading

Proverbs 3:5-6

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