The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted - Psalm 34:17-20

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

Dear Father,

With the perspective of the cross, I know that these promises must be viewed in light of the eternal. Certainly the martyrs were not delivered in the current age. But indeed they were delivered in three ways:  their delivery to your presence on their death, their resurrection unbroken on the day you make all things new and by the fact that their cause prevailed, even in their apparent defeat. The most important part of this promise is that you a near to human suffering. You do not observe from a safe distance, unconcerned by the human misery that exists in your creation. Because of the brokenness of your creation and the rebellious sin that  caused and continues to cause that brokenness, the majority of human kind is brokenhearted and suffering at any point in time. 

I pray that in their times of brokenheartedness, these children feel your closeness. That they sense that you are hurting with them with a plan for their redemption from their troubles. I pray that you work in those times to do things that will strengthen, not break their faith. In all things Lord work all things for their good and their ultimate benefit as the plans of the evil one are thwarted. 

Amen