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The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

It’s a bit counterintuitive.  There are places that we generally expect to find God.  There are times when we anticipate experiencing his presence in powerful ways.  When we stand in the presence of natural wonders like mountains, canyons, or waterfalls.  When we go to a concert featuring a Christian artist.  When we worship God with some of our favorite songs.  These are the times and places we expect to know God’s presence.  And we do!  But perhaps the most powerful experience of God’s presence isn’t found at the mountaintop, but in the valley.

There is a certain gravitational pull to the low points in our lives.  God’s grace runs downhill and pools in the lowest parts of our landscape.  In sorrow, in pain, in anger, or disappointment, we discover that God is present in a way and at a level that is not typically accessible to us.  On this side of heaven, this is the grace that we are offered: it is when we need God the most that we also experience him the most.  It’s ironic and consoling at the same time.  No one desires heartbreak or tragedy.  And yet it is more often there that God’s presence is the richest.  May this promise bring you comfort as you walk through the valleys.