Encouragement

Crushed in Spirit

by Mary Elder-Criss 
03/07/23
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Crushed In Spirit

© Mary Elder Criss

 You turn graves into gardens.

"Once, while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:21)

 You trade beauty for ashes.

“And provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3)

 Crushed

Adjective

1. 1. Deformed, pulverized, or forced inwards by compression.


2. 2. Feeling overwhelmingly disappointed or embarrassed.

In most junkyards, unusable vehicles get crushed by a compactor. These machines can flatten the automobile using an enormous descending hydraulic plate until it is compressed from several directions and resembles a large cube.

After being sufficiently pancaked, the vehicle is transported to a recycling center and remade into something new.

”The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”-Psalm 34:18

When sadness and depression settle into your heart, mind, and soul, it is difficult to shake those feelings off. When your heart breaks, it feels as if it will never heal. Unfortunately, some expect you to shake these feelings off like drops of water on a dog's coat.

But what if your broken heart is because you just recently lost a loved one unexpectedly, or your lifelong mate suddenly decided that they wanted to pursue a new future without you in it? No matter how much goodwill you may receive from caring individuals, that sort of depression and brokenness won't leave your side because someone baked you a Bundt cake or sent a Hallmark card.

There is precious little another human, no matter how close they are to the broken individual, can do to help heal someone else’s pain. Only in Jesus can this sort of comfort be found. There are numerous cases of men and women of the Bible who suffered sadness or a broken spirit.

• Moses asked God to take his life. (Numbers 11:10-15)


• Job cursed the day of his birth (Job 3: 1-26)


• Jonah was angry with God and wanted to die (Jonah 4:3-9)


• Hannah grieved because her womb remained closed for many years (1 Samuel 1:1-16)


• Tamara, after her brother raped her, lived a desolate life (2 Samuel 13: 1-21)


• Naomi was filled with bitterness and pain after experiencing multiple hardships (Ruth 1:1-20)


• Hagar sobbed in the desert as her son was about to die (Genesis 21:15-16)

Although all these people struggled with despair for multiple reasons, they all trusted in the one true God they loved, who helped each one out.

God rescued them from their brokenness, healed them, provided for their needs, and recycled their brokenness into wholeness.

Just as the crushed cars were able to be made into something new, God longs to take your hurt and pain and transform it into something beautiful once more.

If allowed, He will restore every area of your life that needs healing by allowing his Spirit and His word to comfort you. Accept the aid that others offer you along the way. Although God can comfort you alone, and His solace is incomparable, He still uses other humans to encourage you in your journey.

Despite being lost in the valley of despair, brighter days are ahead, and work to perform for the Kingdom. His rod and His staff will comfort you, and He will pour out His blessings so much that your cup will run over. (Psalm 23)

He will not leave you helpless, alone, afraid, broken, and lost in the dark places. Place your hope in the Lord and walk by faith despite feelings that tempt you to walk only by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

For we know that this earth is just a temporal place, and there is another resting place and happiness found in a future state in what God has prepared for those who love him. This future will not be composed of poor cottages of clay in which our souls now dwell. Our body is like dust and is a heavy burden under the calamities of life. Yet, just as those recycled cars become something new, God will transform us into heavenly ones that will no longer suffer pain or sorrow or from a broken heart or crushed spirit.

Let the complete restoration occur, and know He will turn your mourning into dancing. He is close in spirit and has your ultimate healing in mind.

You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. –Psalm 30:11-12