God is Not Only Watching Us From a Distance

Scripture — Psalm 34:18 (NRSV)

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Devotion

Over two decades ago, the song “From a Distance” streaked to the top of the charts. Bette Midler’s moving version of this song not only sold in the millions, but also won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991. The lyrics celebrated a peaceful world as seen from far away: “From a distance, we all have enough, and no one is in need. And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease, no hungry mouths to feed.” The chorus introduced God into this idyllic existence: “God is watching us. God is watching us. God is watching us from a distance.”

I liked the sound of this song, but its lyrics never worked for me. Why was it encouraging to know that God was watching us from far away? Wouldn’t it be better if God were close at hand? Don’t we want God to see where the world needs healing and justice? In fact, wouldn’t it be even better still if God actually entered our world to help bring an end to violence, war, hunger, and suffering?

According to Psalm 34:18, God is not watching us from a distance, at least not when we are hurting. Rather, the psalm affirms: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” But, we might wonder, isn’t God always close at hand? Isn’t God always with us? So why is it necessary to say that God is close to the brokenhearted?

One reason is that when our hearts are broken, when we are weighed down with discouragement and sadness, it can seem as if God is far, far away. I remember times in my life when I wondered if my prayers were simply bouncing off the ceiling, going nowhere beyond my room, heard by nobody else but me. I had no sense of God’s presence. And, in those times, my life didn’t provide much obvious evidence of divine grace. More than ever, I needed the reassurance of Scripture, the promise of God’s presence and care. I needed to know that God was with me even when I didn’t feel as if this were true, and even when I doubted that God was with me.

But God isn’t close to the brokenhearted only in the sense of being nearby. God is also emotionally close to those who hurt. God’s own heart is moved by our suffering. The God whom we know in Jesus is a God who feels our pain even as God also brings comfort. God is close to the brokenhearted in the sense that God’s own heart is open to ours and is broken along with ours. Thus, when we are overwhelmed by grief or despair, we are comforted by the fact that God is not watching us from a distance, but is present with us to join us in our pain and to comfort us.

The fact that God is not just watching from a distance also reminds us that we are to draw near to those who are hurting. In this world, we are the body of Christ. Through our hands, God will feed the hungry and heal the sick. With our arms, God will embrace the suffering. Thus, the fact that God is close to the brokenhearted encourages us to be with those who hurt, opening our hearts to share God’s presence and love with them.

In the season of Lent, we allow ourselves to become more aware of how our hearts are broken. We also pay closer attention to the pain experienced by others. As we become more aware of the suffering in our lives and our world, we rejoice in the fact that God is close to us. In Christ, God is Immanuel, God with us. Through the Spirit, God dwells in us. God is not just watching us from a distance. Rather, God is closer than we can possibly imagine. God is with us when we hurt and God is with us when we rejoice.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: What Is It Like to Feel God’s Touch?.