Hurting Hearts and Struggling Souls - Part 7

During emotional struggles, sometimes great encouragement is found simply in knowing that someone else cares. Various psalms reveal that God cares very much about the hearts of men; His character is filled with love and compassion. "He restores my soul" (23:3). The verse doesn't identify how God restores the soul, but the context is that of gently and carefully meeting every need. As God supplies and guides, one of His concerns is the need of the soul.

"You will strengthen their heart" (10:17). These people needed their hearts strengthened because of vicious attacks by blatantly ungodly men. God responded in part due to His seeing the injustice and in part in response to the prayers of those weak  men who cried out to Him. God has a natural compassion for those who are helpless.

"You have known the troubles of my soul" (31:7). The psalmist says he will rejoice and be glad for two reasons - because God saw his affliction and because God knew his soul's troubles. The knowledge that God knew and cared was enough to bring comfort and joy.

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (34:18). God has special compassion for those who are hurting. The passage lists people to whom God has responded: a fearful man, a poor (afflicted) man, those in want (physical needs, food), those in affliction, those who take refuge in Him, the righteous, and His servants. A few of those simply identify His followers, but most of them refer to people in need, even desperate need. The brokenhearted and spirit-crushed are the very people that catch God's eye, the people to whom He shows compassion and care, the people to whom He is near and for whom He acts.

A similar passage states, "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God is His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity" (68:5-6). These verses give insight into the kinds of people for whom God especially cares by mentioning four very needy groups: the fatherless, the widows, the lonely, and the prisoners. These people have physical needs, but their needs definitely extend deeper into the realm of heart and soul. God looks at these hurting people with compassion and acts on their behalf, providing what they most need. To the fatherless, He becomes their father, providing love, stability, guidance, and belonging. To the widows, He becomes their judge, an ever-present advocate who alleviates their feelings of helplessness and relieves their fears by making sure they are provided for and treated fairly. To the lonely, He gives a home, a place of acceptance, belonging, love, and care. For the prisoners, He rescues from poverty, dependence, deprivation, isolation, and bondage; He brings them to a place where they can prosper, meet their own needs, and have freedom. God cares about the deepest needs of the most vulnerable people, and He acts to meet those needs with His tender love. Only those who reject Him are left in their self-imposed desperation. "Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land" (68:6), but God meets the heart needs of those who love and follow Him.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (147:3). The psalmist speaks of broken and wounded hearts, those that have experienced great sorrow and pain, perhaps feeling beyond recovery. The reason for healing isn't overtly stated, but by implication is God's care. Those who are hurting are important to God, and His loving heart wants to help. The psalm begins, "It is good to sing praises to our God" (147:1); it then records a list of amazing reasons why God deserves praise. He does things of such global significance as building up Jerusalem, gathering outcasts from exile, and bringing down the wicked. He keeps track of every star, provides rain, makes grass grow, provides food for every creature, sends snow and frost and ice, creates powerful cold, and melts the snow. In the midst of all those amazing and important divine acts, God stops to care about those whose hearts are breaking. In the grand scheme, those individual hearts may seem insignificant, but they are important enough to God that He steps in and heals those who are hurting.

"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (90:14). God's lovingkindness is capable of producing joy and gladness and of prompting singing. God's lovingkindness is prolifically taught in Scripture; the two greatest characteristics are that it is everlasting and that it is very exalted. God's special demonstrations of lovingkindness bring joy, and purposefully thinking about His lovingkindness can bring gladness at times when it is not directly seen.

God's consolations to the soul are very special. The word is used five times in Scripture. Once it is defined as gently spoken words, designed to bring comfort (Job 15:11). Job said it would be consolation if his friends would listen to him in his trial and let him talk without attacking him (Job 21:2).  Isaiah 66:11 uses the word to describe a baby taking comfort from his mother's breasts as he nurses. In Jeremiah 16:7, it is a drink offered during the bereavement for someone's parents.  Psalm 94:19 states, "Your consolations delight my soul." In a time of multiplied anxious thoughts, they quiet and delight. God's consolations take a situation that is sad or unpleasant and distract away from that negativity. They give comfort as the unpleasant is forgotten, replaced by something pleasant and light. Considering all five verses, God's consolations come in times of sorrow, trial, disquiet, and grief. They are gentle, reassuring, considerate, compassionate, solicitous, intimate, nourishing, deliberate, and supportive. A loving and caring God gives these consolations at times when they are particularly needed for the purpose of calming the soul and drawing the focus away from the trouble.