"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
(Psalm 34:18)
Presence is one of the characteristics of God that empowers our daily living. From the Pentateuch to John's Revelation, the promise of God's word is consistent...I will never leave you nor forsake you. When your heart is broken, loneliness magnifies the pain...presence breeds comfort. This truth is not only experienced in the stories of scripture, but also in the physical presence of others who walk with us and stand beside us in our brokenness. Paul challenged the Christians in Corinth to be the comforting presence of Christ to one another. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (II Corinthians 1:3-4) Knowing the comforting presence of God in the midst of our brokenness empowers us to share Christ's comfort by being present with others in their brokenness.
I have watched the power of this presence again and again over the years in the Christian communities I have served. Broken people, surrounded by those who have been wounded themselves, find comfort as the presence of Christ envelops them through the embrace of Christian brothers and sisters. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, making himself known through the presence of the Christian community. To be present in the name of Christ when others are hurting is to offer the comforting presence of God, and in doing so, to being salvation to those who are crushed in spirit. That is the work of the cross...the cross that you and I are called to take up daily as we follow Christ.
Prayer: May the comfort of your presence, O Christ, empower us to be present to others in their brokenness. Amen.
Jim Abernathy
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