“If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.”

Psalm 34:18 MSG.

Sometimes life hurts. It can be devastating at times. You’ll get the news, and you’ll feel as if you’ve been kicked in the gut. It’s so painful, so unexpected that it knocks you down.

You may find yourself wailing and sobbing on the floor, asking, “Why?” until one word finds its way through your tears to your broken heart:

Trust.

Things might not make any sense right now, but you’ve got to trust that God is still God and will bring good out of this.

Only God can do such a thing.

The enemy wants this news, this diagnosis, this devastation to crush your heart and keep you pinned to the floor in agony.

But the Holy Spirit wraps you up on the inside in a place of peace that makes no sense to the world – it’s the place where you can cling to God and catch your breath.

God is with you, dear soul. He hasn’t left you to handle this on your own. He promised He would never leave you, so He certainly wouldn’t leave you now when you need Him the most. He’s closer than you realize, drawing you closer and pulling you into His arms. He’s the only One who can heal a shattered heart.

Remember, Satan is a liar. He is out to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan is the enemy in all of this – not another person, a situation, a group of people, and certainly not God.

God is for you and wants you to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, so He can spend eternity with you, lavishing His love on you. Don’t let the enemy twist that truth.

And don’t think for a minute that your pain is not painful to God. Jesus cried when Martha and Mary were knocked down, brought down in grief.

Remember, God is the One who brings hope when things seem hopeless and impossible.

God is the One who can rescue you from this pain. It may not be the rescue you’re expecting or wanting, but He is faithful to bring it. And until He does, He will carry you through the days when you wonder how you’re going to get out of bed.

And one day, you’ll see how God was able and faithful to bring something good from this devastating time when your heart was shattered. It may not make sense to you now, and you may not be able to see it. But one day it will make perfect sense, and you will see it clearly.

One day you’ll be able to see how the enemy was out to destroy you, but God stepped in and sent an army of His angels to stand guard around you while you were knocked down.

You’ll be able to understand how God Himself lifted you up and gave you the strength to keep going.

And one day, the pain of this world will fade from your eyes as you step into Heaven to rejoice with all of those who’ve gone before you into eternity – a glorious place where even the very memory of this pain will be replaced with reunions that will overwhelm you with shouts of joy and a new level of laughter that will touch the depths of your soul.

And you’ll find yourself, not knocked down, but perhaps face down in complete adoration as you thank your Heavenly Father for bringing you peace and healing through it all.

The peace and healing that began the very moment you cried out to Him.