I was visiting with someone in the last couple of weeks who is facing one of life’s most difficult times; the loss of a loved one.  As I sat with them they openly talked about their cares and concerns and their fears and their faith.  As they talked about how much they will miss their loved one, they also talked about how they are confident that God will be with them and help them through this difficult time.   One of the verses that was brought to my mind as we talked and prayed was Psalm 34:18:

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

David wrote this psalm during a time when he was on the run from King Saul and fearing for his life in the city of Gath.  David recognized that even in the depths of his fear, the Lord was still watching over him.  I love having that reminder from God’s word.  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  There will be times in our lives when we mourn, when we hurt, when we have many troubles.  In the midst of those times, we can place our trust in the Lord.  We can expect and trust our Lord to deliver us from our troubles.  Those are comforting thoughts.