The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him.”
Face it, life isn’t always easy. Things don’t always turn out the way we want them to. On Monday, we talked about faith and college basketball; about how much faith it takes for a bunch of young kids to go up against a nationally ranked team and expect to win. Of course, there’s a difference between that kind of faith and the faith that we have in God. Obviously, half the teams who play basketball on any given day are going to lose. There can be only one winner in a game. It takes more than faith to win a basketball game.
On the other hand, our faith in God can never be wrong. If we follow the teachings of Christ and His Church, we will go to heaven. All of His faithful followers will win. There’s no limit on the number of us who can get in. Seating is unlimited. If I go to heaven, I’m not taking a place away from someone else. If we do what He told us to do, we can’t lose.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,and from all their distress he rescues them.
Sometimes, it seems as if we can’t win, especially if we’re focused on the things of this world and not the things of the next. I spoke to my son, Patrick, yesterday. He had applied for an internship this summer in Oklahoma. He’s a meteorology major at the University of Missouri and is very interested in severe weather. An internship in Oklahoma would have put him right in the middle of Tornado Alley. He was really hoping they would accept his application.
Unfortunately, they turned him down. He was very disappointed. I wouldn’t be much of a father if I told him, “It’s ok, son. You didn’t get the thing that you wanted, but cheer up. You’re going to heaven.” He might never talk to me again. When you’re 21, heaven seems a long, long way away.
But I did tell him that everything happens for a reason. He wasn’t meant to spend the summer in Oklahoma. I don’t know why. I believe that something better will come along. He has applied to other programs. All of them are closer to home. Maybe that’s why this one didn’t work out. Only God knows what the future holds, and He’s not telling. Patrick firmly believes that He is a child of God. He may not broadcast it, but he knows it. He’s disappointed, but still very hopeful.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.He watches over all his bones;not one of them shall be broken."
Most of us are considerably older than 21. It seems that the older you get, the more you think about your final destination. As we struggle with the troubles of this life, we’re more aware that they aren’t all that important compared to the life to come. Isn’t that what Lent is all about. It’s a time to reflect on our earthly lives and how well we’re prepared to enter the next life. God has made it very clear what we need to do.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him.”
Bold type is from today's Responsorial Psalm
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him.”
Face it, life isn’t always easy. Things don’t always turn out the way we want them to. On Monday, we talked about faith and college basketball; about how much faith it takes for a bunch of young kids to go up against a nationally ranked team and expect to win. Of course, there’s a difference between that kind of faith and the faith that we have in God. Obviously, half the teams who play basketball on any given day are going to lose. There can be only one winner in a game. It takes more than faith to win a basketball game.
On the other hand, our faith in God can never be wrong. If we follow the teachings of Christ and His Church, we will go to heaven. All of His faithful followers will win. There’s no limit on the number of us who can get in. Seating is unlimited. If I go to heaven, I’m not taking a place away from someone else. If we do what He told us to do, we can’t lose.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,and from all their distress he rescues them.
Sometimes, it seems as if we can’t win, especially if we’re focused on the things of this world and not the things of the next. I spoke to my son, Patrick, yesterday. He had applied for an internship this summer in Oklahoma. He’s a meteorology major at the University of Missouri and is very interested in severe weather. An internship in Oklahoma would have put him right in the middle of Tornado Alley. He was really hoping they would accept his application.
Unfortunately, they turned him down. He was very disappointed. I wouldn’t be much of a father if I told him, “It’s ok, son. You didn’t get the thing that you wanted, but cheer up. You’re going to heaven.” He might never talk to me again. When you’re 21, heaven seems a long, long way away.
But I did tell him that everything happens for a reason. He wasn’t meant to spend the summer in Oklahoma. I don’t know why. I believe that something better will come along. He has applied to other programs. All of them are closer to home. Maybe that’s why this one didn’t work out. Only God knows what the future holds, and He’s not telling. Patrick firmly believes that He is a child of God. He may not broadcast it, but he knows it. He’s disappointed, but still very hopeful.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.He watches over all his bones;not one of them shall be broken."
Most of us are considerably older than 21. It seems that the older you get, the more you think about your final destination. As we struggle with the troubles of this life, we’re more aware that they aren’t all that important compared to the life to come. Isn’t that what Lent is all about. It’s a time to reflect on our earthly lives and how well we’re prepared to enter the next life. God has made it very clear what we need to do.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the Lord delivers him.”
Bold type is from today's Responsorial Psalm
posted by Mike at 3:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home