The Paradox of the Broken Heart: Why Praising God Changes Everything
When your heart is broken and your spirit is thoroughly crushed, the natural human instinct is to retreat. We pull away from people, we isolate ourselves, and we turn deeply inward, focusing on the weight of our own pain. In those dark moments, it feels entirely like we are completely alone.
But scripture reveals that our feelings lie to us about proximity. Exactly when we feel the most abandoned is the precise moment God draws closest.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
An Act of Will, Not Emotion
The breakthrough happens when we stop waiting for our feelings to change before we change our focus. True spiritual warfare in times of grief doesn’t begin in your emotions; it begins in your choices.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” — Psalm 34:1
Notice the phrasing here. It says I will—that is an act of the will, a deliberate decision. It also specifies that His praise shall be in your mouth, not just quietly tucked away in your heart.
When you are spiraling inward, looking at your feelings will never fix your feelings. You cannot think your way out of a crushed spirit, but you can speak your way into a shift in perspective.
What You Speak, You Feel
There is a direct connection between the words that cross your lips and the state of your mind. If you talk trash, focus on the negative, and continually vocalize your despair, you will feel like trash.
When you choose to open your mouth and actively thank God that He is near—even when you can’t feel Him—and thank Him that He promises to save you, the atmosphere changes. Praise is the pivot point. By choosing to bless the Lord at all times, you break the cycle of isolation and align your speech with His truth rather than your temporary pain.
Become familiar with Psalm 34, the whole thing is encouraging.
Eugene Peterson applies years of experience and pastoral training to capture the essence of Psalm 91 in the Message Bible and it has been very encouraging today — take a moment to absorb it.
Patrikin - Kinship through The Father 