From the Desk of Jeff King

Yeshua is near

American Christianity craves affluence, not affliction. We don't like our sermons salted with too much gloom. But that's what we find in Psalm 34:18-19 – "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

The Hebrew word for "affliction," ra', implies adversity, distress, grief or harm. It is a harsh word, but the psalmist tempers it with this promise: the LORD is near. The word "near" in Hebrew, qarowb (kaw-robe), can describe a close or intimate relationship, including a next of kin or kinsman. Biblically, a kinsman was a male relative who paid a ransom price to release a destitute family member from debt or bondage. It is a picture of the intimacy we have in Messiah Yeshua, our kinsman redeemer. The LORD purchased us with His own life and adopted us when we were spiritual orphans, without hope and a future.

The words "broken" and "contrite" have almost identical meanings in Hebrew: crush, destroy and shatter. None of us are exempt from suffering. Sometimes the pain is so raw we wonder how we will endure another day. The good news is that God saves and delivers the righteous (tsaddik, meaning just, lawful, or follower of the Lawful One, God Himself) from ALL their afflictions. Not once or twice, but every time. He gives us strength to endure hardships hour by hour or day by day, if necessary. The world does not operate this way. Wounded people often are ignored, exploited and denied compassion, but not with Adonai. The Hebrew word for "save" in our verse is yasha', from which we get Yeshua, the name that represents the LORD'S nature and calling – salvation. Our adversity does not catch God by surprise. He is near – closer than we think or feel – to offer relief and restoration to those who trust in Him.