Saturday: Jesus in the Middle of Your Crumble

Reading: Psalm 34:15–22  “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteousand his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hearsand delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants;none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

Devotional: Throughout Israel and Judah’s crumble—evil kings, compromise, child sacrifice, foreign invasion—God kept showing up. He warned, disciplined, promised, and ultimately pointed to Jesus, Immanuel: “God with us.” Your life may feel like it’s falling apart because of your own choices, someone else’s sin, or just living in a broken world. Yet this Psalm declares that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. The same Jesus who walked in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stands in your fire today. He doesn’t always remove the crisis immediately, but He enters it with you, hears your cries, and promises real deliverance—both now and forever. In the middle of your crumble, Jesus is not absent, angry, or indifferent. He is attentive, present, and redeeming. Take refuge in Him, and know that none who do will be condemned.

Reflection: Name your “crumble” honestly before God—where you feel broken, ashamed, overwhelmed, or stuck. Do you tend to see God as distant when things fall apart, or do you truly believe He is “near to the brokenhearted”? How might your response to stress, temptation, or fear change if you really believed that Jesus is standing right in the middle of this with you—not just watching, but actively working for your redemption?

Response:  Out loud, pray Psalm 34:18 over your life: “Lord, You are near to the brokenhearted and You save the crushed in spirit.” Then, in your own words, tell Jesus specifically where you feel broken or crushed. After you’ve shared, sit in silence for a few minutes, simply repeating: “Jesus, in the middle of my crumble, You are here.” Let His nearness calm your heart and re-center your trust.

Song of the Day:  Another In The Fire (Live) - Hillsong UNITED