Maybe you or someone you know needs this today.

I find myself often sharing this verse with others, “The Lord is near the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18.

It reminds me of a couple scenes out of the movie Seabiscuit… the part where the injured horse is about to be put down, and a stable hand yells, “Stop. I’ll save you a bullet. I’ll take him.” Cut to the scene when the horse owner asks the stable hand if the horse will ever race again. “No not that one.” He then asks the compassionate stable hand, “Why? Why are you bothering with him then?” The stable hand responds, “Because I can. Just because someone’s banged up a bit doesn’t mean he isn’t worth anything.” Wow, that’s Kingdom talk”

Banged up people. Banged up leaders. Banged up families. Betrayal. Failure. Depression. Feeling Alone. Addictions. Tough Circumstances. Impossible Health Hurts. Broke. Wrong Choices. Self-destructiveness. It’s easy to wonder if there’s any hope. Just like with the horse… more than a few reach for the shotgun.

When people are banged up it’s easy for some to just want to put banged up people down. Write them off. But just because someone is banged up doesn’t mean he or she isn’t worth anything! A horse may have to get out of the race for a time but it’s good for something. Ask Seabiscuit. You never know.
The same is true with banged up people. They may drop out of the race for a time, but their best days can be ahead. I see this all the time. It’s called REDEMPTION. It’s called GRACE. It’s called a SECOND CHANCE.

I think this was the spirit of Jesus when he started his ministry with these words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Remember, Jesus isn’t the religious guy. He is the life-giving guy. Lean into Him.

Dr. Michael Sprague is the Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission and President of Grace Adventures. Michael does life with his wonderful wife Donna and resides in Mandeville, LA. His motto is “Bet the Farm on God.” You can find more information about Michael here.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Freely Photos