‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.’ 

(Psalm 34:18 NLT) 

You may have heard it said that God loves you. Or perhaps you haven’t. Either way, this foundational truth remains. He is in love with you.  

However, when you hear this statement over and over again, and become familiar with it, it can feel like there is no longer any weight in the words. They can come to mean nothing.  

The most powerful experience we can have as human beings is to experience love. It overcomes a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) and reconciles even the hardest of hearts back to God.  

Today I would love to address those of you who are feeling brokenhearted and even crushed in spirit.  

The love of the Father towards you is close and unconditional.  

Right now, you may not necessarily feel overwhelmed with His love because of the pain that you may be in but please know that, when God sees His children in turmoil and distress, His instinct is to run towards them. 

One of the most painful experiences we can endure as human beings is abuse. We are wired to love and be loved. So, when this natural need to give and receive love is violated, we feel robbed, like something has been taken from us. 

Abuse, in its many ugly forms, leaves deep emotional scars and can make you feel so unloved and broken. I do not want to diminish the effects of abuse. They can sometimes feel too heavy to bear.  

But I want to reassure you that God sees you in your pain and He is close to you. 

His love for you at this time is not distant or indifferent – it is personal and intimate. 

I want to remind you that God is close to the broken hearted and He saves those who are crushed in Spirit. He simply wants to ‘be with’ you in your brokenness. His presence alone can bring healing and restoration in every wounded part and place of our lives.  

Write down any feelings of hurt or abandonment that may arise from this sense of being safe in God’s love and surrender them to Him in prayer… 

Father God,  

You have seen the abuse that I have suffered in my lifetime. You saw each day that was not aligned with your best for me.  

Lord, please help me heal. Please send help and support so I don’t need to feel so alone in this anymore. I invite you to lead me, guide me and restore me in every way by the power and presence of your Spirit at work in my life.  

For every moment that I endured abuse, I ask for a Divine Exchange – trading all of my sorrow, sadness, brokenness and woundedness for your gentle love, healing, freedom and restoration.  

May you rewrite my story, this time from a place of security and safety. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.