The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

By: Dr. Greg Burtnett | Date: September 2026

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

Grief and loss are inevitable in this world.

Faced with loss we turn to many people and things. But painful ‘doors’ like the death of a loved-one must often be walked through alone. We all feel this, but do not recognize the solution to this problem. The solution is Jesus: His Name is, Immanuel, God-with-us.

When clouded by grief, we must trust the promise of God to be with us so that we are never alone. "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted." Because in this sin-sick world suffering and loss will always be with us, God came Himself. He takes part in our suffering so that we could walk through these ‘doors’ in life with Him. He died to take that suffering for us. “And saves the crushed in spirit."

He ‘saves’ us not in the sense that these problems don’t happen (obviously they do!) or ‘they really aren’t that bad’ (because they are!). He saves us in the sense that for those who trust His promises our sufferings are never meaningless. Of the many reasons God allows suffering (I don’t pretend to know them all!) one of them is so that we will want to draw near to God Whose Presence provides the only real comfort possible. He wants us to seek Him so that we can find Him and that He might give us what we truly need: Himself!

Go to the Psalms. In the psalms you will find every emotion dealt with by bringing it to God. You will find your own heart expanding because you see Him with you in all of them.

“Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

One of the worst aspects of grief (for me) is the unexpected fear that is part and parcel of the loss. For me this fear cannot be ‘nailed down’. It is a pervasive anxiety: things will not go well for me. I cannot call my loved one. I cannot enjoy their voice. I cannot hold them. And again, for those who know and trust the promises of God for them found in the Bible and bought by Jesus, His Presence “for I am with you” is the only thing that can satisfy.

A whole pile of money will not satisfy because it can be lost in an instant and no amount of money can insure against that loss. Pleasure will not insulate us against fear, all it will do is numb us for a moment, and we have all seen what happens to those who trust pleasure too much. Power will not cure our loss because we had no power to stop the loss in the first place.

No, only Presence. Only knowing that the God of the Bible is my God, that He will help me, that He will uphold me, that He is with me: only God’s Presence can quiet my anxious heart.

Go to the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and see Jesus meeting needs.

Read a chapter a day so that you know Jesus better. Because, as you know Him better, you will necessarily love Him and trust Him more.

Yellow Rose Comfort Box

The Yellow Rose Comfort Box is available as a way to share hope, comfort, and support during difficult seasons.

Learn more: yellowroseproject.org