Episode Details

Feeling brokenhearted, crushed in spirit, or painfully alone can make God feel distant—but Psalm 34:18 assures us the Lord is near in our deepest pain. This devotional points to God’s nearness in suffering, reminding us that He sees, understands, and saves those who feel shattered by life’s hardships.

Highlights

• Feeling alone often hurts more deeply than difficult circumstances themselves.

• David wrote Psalm 34 during a season of fear, humiliation, and desperation.

• Scripture describes “brokenhearted” and “crushed” as being shattered beyond repair—yet God draws near.

• David chose to seek God rather than bitterness or despair.

• God hears our cries and remains attentive to every moment of distress.

• Turning to God in pain brings comfort, clarity, and renewed hope.

• Praise and prayer can coexist with fear, sorrow, and uncertainty.

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Full Transcript Below:

Held By the One Who Sees and Understands Our Pain

By: Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18, NIV

When I look back on some of my most painful experiences, particularly during my homeless period in my late teens, it wasn’t my circumstances that caused the most grief. What hurt most was the fact that I felt alone. I now realize that wasn’t my reality; that the Lord saw me, loved me, and, as today’s verse assures, remained with me every dark moment of every distressing day. 

David, ancient Israel’s second king, wrote Psalm 34 during a time of crisis. In fear for his life, he hid in Philistine territory, the land of ancient Israel’s fiercest enemies, and in the very city from which Goliath, the warrior David beheaded, came. Learning of his presence, the king's servants said, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:11, NIV).

In other words, isn’t this the guy who killed many of our warriors? 

1 Samuel 21:13 states that, “David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath” (NIV, emphasis mine). This gains emphasis when one considers that, as a teen, he took on and defeated a large, heavily armed tyrant that had paralyzed the entire Israeli army. And yet, he felt afraid.

In desperation