When your spirit feels crushed, remember to turn to God. He is always with us and sees our pain. He grieves alongside us and is ready to heal and restore our spirits. God has already sent His Son to suffer for us on the cross—not only to bridge the gap between Him and us and to reconcile us to Him, but also because He understands our brokenness. We live in a fractured world, and we often feel broken when we distance ourselves from God.
Remember Jesus’ words from John 16:33: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Remember when your hope is lost, and your faith is shaken
Remember when you wonder if you’re gonna make it
There’s a hand stretched out
Through your deepest doubt
We can’t pretend to see the ending or what’s coming up ahead
To know the story of tomorrow
But we can stay close to the One who knows
We can trust our God
He knows what He’s doing
Though it might hurt now
We won’t be ruined
…
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
…
We surrender to His leading.
He wants nothing more than to have us close
Our faith is sealed
Our hope is real
Come what may
We’re not afraid
We can trust our God
Always, always
…
Love & the Outcome
In the fall of 2014, my fiancé, who is now my husband, was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer. I had noticed something was off with his digestive health. When he described his symptoms, I urged him to see a doctor. His family doctor quickly referred him for a colonoscopy. Within eight weeks, we received the devastating news that he had a stage 2 tumour in his colon/rectum, roughly the size of a grapefruit. When we confirmed the diagnosis, we held each other tightly and cried. Treatment was unavoidable. My husband blamed himself, and I felt helpless; however, once we gathered ourselves, I said, “No matter how silly or out of place it sounds, I am ready to marry you today. I know God is with us, and He will see us through this.”
The next few weeks were a blur, but with God’s presence, we not only managed to stay strong, but He also orchestrated opportunities and miracles for emotional and spiritual healing. This included reconciliation and closure in relationships from my husband’s past. To God be the glory.
When we returned from our honeymoon, my husband began chemotherapy. He was able to participate in a clinical trial, which meant he wouldn’t need radiation and would receive treatment every other week instead of going to the Cancer Centre daily. Some days were harder than others, but he never complained. We felt assured that God was with us.
There were many times when I couldn’t accompany my husband to treatment, but I wanted him to know that I was there in spirit. I gave him lapel pins that depicted a heart-shaped nail as a reminder that God was with him. He could hold on to hope, knowing that God was always by his side. He handed out over a hundred pins, which had a ripple effect on others’ lives. This gave him a sense of purpose—a way to share his faith in God and to demonstrate God’s unconditional love and compassion.
My husband’s attitude and gratitude bear the image of Jesus. He has been cancer-free for a decade, and whenever struggles come his way, he chooses to remember that God is with him, and his faith is strengthened.
In the NLT translation, the Book of Proverbs uses the words “crushed” and “spirit” four times to illustrate what can crush our spirit. Our spirit can be crushed by grief and loss, hardships and the words we hear or speak. Thankfully, we can counter this by acknowledging that God is always with us.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that the Lord saves the crushed spirit. In the context of verses 17-22, it tells us that God hears us, rescues us, is close to us, protects us, and redeems us. Anyone who takes refuge in Him will not be condemned.
17) The Lord hears his people when they call Him for help and rescues them from all their troubles. 18) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 19) The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. 20) For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! 21) Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22) But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
We often find ourselves yearning to escape our troubles—whether it’s the pain of grief and loss, sorrow and failure, criticism, or the daily frustrations that wear us down. However, God promises to be close to the brokenhearted, offering us our source of power, courage, and wisdom to help us navigate through our challenges. At times, He may completely deliver us from our problems. When difficulties arise, it’s important not to grow frustrated with God. Instead, we should acknowledge our need for His help and express gratitude for His presence by our side.
In this season of Becoming Heartstrong, I have chosen to obey God’s direction and take on only one thing at a time. I am learning to discern His plans, sure for my life, but mostly in the present moments, I’m recognizing that God is with me!
