The Y I've been going to most recently has a fish bowl on the main desk with many little strips of paper in it. I asked what it was for and they told me the papers were Bible verses for people to draw out to be a little bright spot on their day.
I've been going to the Y on Wednesday afternoons for a water exercise class, time in the steam room and sauna, and some quiet time in the reading room. This past Wednesday I drew out a verse and thought it would be interesting to do that occasionally and meditate on whatever verse the Lord brought my way.
The verse was Psalm 34:8, the LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be a contrite spirit.
This verse reminds us of the "with-ness" of God, a term my pastor "happened" to speak on just a few days before. Notice the emphasis of two particular times we feel the presence of the Lord keenly: when we are broken hearted and when we have a contrite spirit. While broken and contrite can be similar, I think there could be two meanings.
Sometimes, a broken heart comes from circumstances out of our control (to a degree.) There are events that happen that just break our heart...earthquakes, wars, tragic deaths, serious illness, financial and relationship disintegration, etc. A contrite heart seems to come from inside...a feeling of wanting to repent, a feeling of remorse for pain we have caused.
This verse shows us God's grace. The sin in this world keeps us from being able to live lives totally free of suffering. But God is still willing to be with us through it. We--EVERY one of us--contribute to the sin in the world. But He is willing to save and comfort our repentant hearts. Basically He is always near...and we will feel His presence even more when we have a humble, receptive spirit in pain that we are receiving, or that we have caused. That's the God who is WITH us. Emmanuel.
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I've been going to the Y on Wednesday afternoons for a water exercise class, time in the steam room and sauna, and some quiet time in the reading room. This past Wednesday I drew out a verse and thought it would be interesting to do that occasionally and meditate on whatever verse the Lord brought my way.
The verse was Psalm 34:8, the LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be a contrite spirit.
This verse reminds us of the "with-ness" of God, a term my pastor "happened" to speak on just a few days before. Notice the emphasis of two particular times we feel the presence of the Lord keenly: when we are broken hearted and when we have a contrite spirit. While broken and contrite can be similar, I think there could be two meanings.
Sometimes, a broken heart comes from circumstances out of our control (to a degree.) There are events that happen that just break our heart...earthquakes, wars, tragic deaths, serious illness, financial and relationship disintegration, etc. A contrite heart seems to come from inside...a feeling of wanting to repent, a feeling of remorse for pain we have caused.
This verse shows us God's grace. The sin in this world keeps us from being able to live lives totally free of suffering. But God is still willing to be with us through it. We--EVERY one of us--contribute to the sin in the world. But He is willing to save and comfort our repentant hearts. Basically He is always near...and we will feel His presence even more when we have a humble, receptive spirit in pain that we are receiving, or that we have caused. That's the God who is WITH us. Emmanuel.
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