Moses and the Torah

I had a hard time falling asleep last night. It was nearly 3:00 in the morning. Anyone could have just fallen right into a deep sleep at this hour. This was what I assumed too initially, but somehow I stayed awake for the whole night. The last time I checked on the clock by my bedside was 4:45am.

What flashed across my mind for the last couple sleepless hours were simply my reflections on what I had learned from my seminary education in the recent three years.

It’s just so weird that the thoughts I had went like I was answering my own questions the whole night or morning.

I remembered telling myself that even if Moses didn’t actually write the Pentateuch, he was still the right person to be considered for its authorship. Isn’t he? Can we suggest anyone else other than giving Moses the credit?

I am convinced the present form of Pentateuch was not written by Moses per se. It was highly probable that it came to its present form in c.700 BC but that still can’t actually prove that Moses didn’t have anything to do with the early writing of the Torah. My guess is even if Moses didn’t actually pen the Torah himself, he would still be an important source for the oral tradition.

The source criticism of how the Torah (JEPD) came together is interesting. I’d keep this in view until I am able to read the entire OT in Hebrew proficiently, otherwise, whatever information I get remains as information instead of knowledge.

What causes the downfall?

About a month ago I read about Blockbuster filed for chapter 11 (bankruptcy), and today the Crystal Cathedral suffered the same fate. The former a home entertainment giant and the latter a mega church, though two different industries, the cause of their downfall is the same, failing to respond to cultural change (not market demand).

This should alert those who are involving in church planting or planning. What is church and what should be the 21st century church?

Contextualization of the Lord's Supper

A missionary in our class shared yesterday how the Indians contextualize the Lord's Supper. As coconut is commonly used in nearly all Hindus religious occasions, so the converted Hindus use coconut as sacrament element in the Eucharist (Holy Communion).

Instead of breaking bread, they break the coconut. They drink the coconut water and eat its flesh in remembrance of the Lord's suffering for the world. This, perhaps, is one of its kinds of contextualization - read into the text for its original meaning vs. bring its meaning into the context.

Hebrews 10:35-36

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (New Living Translation)

What is right for me, Lord?

After selecting the right college or university, the next thing was selecting the right major. Some students might not have any problem in deciding what major or degree to pursue, others however took some time to pick a major. This happened to our elder daughter Hannah two years ago. Initially she decided to be a CPA but changed her mind later after few dental visits. She said she finally found out what she wants to do. After committing herself to do dentistry, she miraculously felt at peace, she said.

This time Ariel was in the same situation. Choosing a right major in college was too overwhelming for her. She had many sleepless nights. Each time when she confronted with the question of which major to declare, she would not know what to decide on.

Ariel enjoys drawing and is the most artistic member in the family. She likes designing and at the same time she excels in physics and calculus. Her dream is to become an architect but after much prayer and talks with a number of persons about her future career in architecture, she never received any positive affirmation. Many people suggested engineering instead.

I went over some research with Ariel and encouraged her to talk to few more people in the field of architecture and engineering and prayed fervently together with her seeking God’s divine guidance on this matter. Although, till now, we still don’t have a very clear answer from God as what exactly will be best for her, one thing we know for sure was architecture is not for her. We are thankful anyway for the American university system which permits freshman to enroll undeclared – without declaring a major.

Our second campus visit: University of California, Irvine

UC Irvine has a very large campus but one could hardly get lost during the tour. The university's buildings (undergraduate schools) were built in a circle around a park situated in the center of the campus. If you were lost, just go round the campus and you'd find your way out.

This is the Aldrich Park - the nucleus of the main campus surrounded by all the undergraduate buildings

Part of the view of one of the campus housings

We're very happy with the tour. Our tour guides were really cool, especially the one who led us to see the student housing. We spent nearly an entire afternoon there. I actually hoped that Ariel would satisfy with this university after all UC Irvine provides her with what she needs financially.

But Ariel being Ariel, she'd not simply settle for something which she wasn't really sure. She insisted that I should take her to visit another two universities in Northern California in her spring break before she made a decision. Honestly, I don't mind spending two or three days going up north with her, but the sad thing was I didn't have spring break. I guess spring break is only for schools run on semesters system. My seminary runs on quarters system. Weeks before the public schools had their spring break, we had already enjoyed ours. On the contrary, it was time for me to prepare for my mid-terms. So, how? Lord? She better prayed hard for herself and me.

"Spying" the promised land - our daughters' college

Unlike my daughters, I did not have the opportunity or privilege to tour a few universities before deciding which university would provide me with the best experience for the next four years of education and enlightenment.

In America, most people believe that choosing the right college is the first and most important step toward a good university education. So whenever possible, most concerned parents will no doubt jump at the opportunity of a campus visit. Some might even go out of their way to reschedule their busy appointments and business just so they can make it to the university’s open house tours.

Although reputation and prestige is one of the key factors of a student’s choice in selecting a college, it is not necessarily the decisive factor. Majors, degrees, locations, and campus size matter as well. Some say selecting a college is just like buying a car. If you are a true car lover and know about cars, you don’t just buy for the sake of brand name, you get what you really like.

While all these factors make sense to many of us, our daughters have another main concern before making their decision—whether they could receive financial help from the universities they applied to.

We truly thank God for His love and faithfulness in keeping His promises. Not only have both of our daughters been accepted into their choice of university, they were also awarded with scholarships and financial aids to cover their education needs.

Below are some pictures of the campuses that I visited with my daughters. Our first campus tour was to CSU Northridge: this is the first university which offered Ariel in-state tuition in early March.

 

 

To be honest, I actually like the campus and the people here. The campus and dorms are better than what I expected. People are friendly. Prospective students are warmly welcomed by both student-staff and advisors.

Is God reliable?

Going to college did not come easy for me. I worked for few years to save some money before I made that venture. Actually the amount of money I had with me then was not sufficient for college. I took the risk by faith trusting that my “new found” God would help me to get through it.

I was a young believer then. I had the faith to move mountains but I didn’t know how to ascertain God’s will. I believed with all my heart that if it’s the will of God to bless me to study overseas, then there would be nothing but success.

The problem I had at that time was how to know if it was indeed God’s will? I asked my colleague, who is a faithful Christian, this question and he simply told me if nobody objected my plan of going overseas to study, I should be quite sure it was a blessing from God. “God speaks through people,” he said.

I listened to my colleague and trusted in God without a doubt and there I was, after a few years of hardship and endurance, not only had I finished my degree with two majors faster than most students, but I was also blessed with two lovely daughters.

Now my daughters have grown up and they are ready to enter college this coming fall. All these years I thought I could be their provider so that they don’t have to go to college with the same experience I had before. I wanted to make their lives easier but God apparently had a different plan for us. It seems like God desires us to depend on Him rather than on our bank account.

I am a good financial planner and you don’t need to be a good mathematician either to calculate how much money is needed for two persons (excluding myself) to go to college. Whenever I thought about this matter, I was reluctant to comply with God’s will. I was not ready to give up my job. I told God to wait; I had responsibilities to fulfill. Look God, you don’t understand. I don’t mind going through the same experience like before, depending on you for provision, but who will take care of them?

I didn’t hear God said, “I will.” He just let me reasoned with Him and let me recalled all my past experiences with Him. I believed the Holy Spirit had guided me all along in my decision making process. He helped me to eventually see God’s purpose in my life—again I didn’t hear He said, “I will.” However, He led me to see God’s purpose. Since then, I knew I couldn’t continue with what I was doing anymore for God, my heavenly Father, wants me to walk in accordance with His will.

I don’t know right now what the future will hold for me but if God pursues you, you better don’t be like Jonah thinking that you can escape. God, as we see in the Bible, sometimes sends a pursuer to go after the one He calls till the person surrenders to Him. The pursuer can be in any form; it need not necessary be a big fish, sometimes it is that little whisper that will get your attention. It all depends on how long you want to play hide and seek with Him.

Scripture to ponder: Matthew 7:9-11
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Time to take inventory

For nearly nearly half a year, I had posted just one entry on my blog! “I must be too busy for the last six months,” I thought to myself. Was I? Well, as I reflected on my past journey for the first half of the year 2010, I don’t think that was entirely true.

Yes, I was very busied with my Hebrew in the winter quarter when I had an intensive class together with a NT theology, and a long side with these I had to be an intern and a community coordinator but still I was not super busy to the point that I didn’t have any time to jot something down.

I guessed what kept me from posting any entry in the blog was I spent too little time lately with God in reading His Word. I always believe that studying Scripture (with motive) for the sake of passing exams or teaching the Bible in the Sunday school out of duty will not help me draw closer to God at all. Yes, I might gain a little more knowledge about Him for what I had done, but that would not motivate me to share or talk about His work.

If I am not close with God, how can I share with others about Him?

I hope this summer I can spend a little more time in devotion before I get too tied up again with many other things in a new academic year. Amen.

It's total obedience

I can’t remember what causes me to think in the past that Jesus was very willing to die for us. Is it because of my understanding of him as our savior and thus he is destined to die for our sin? How selfish was my thought then and how shallow my understanding of God’s salvation.

Last week, when I was reading the passage where Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, I noticed that the narrative in the synoptic gospels was contrary to what I thought.

In Mark 14:33, Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled. He told his disciples Peter, James and John that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He prayed to the Father to take “this cup” from him. Apparently, Jesus’ will was not to die in the manner as he predicted. Instead, he asked the Father to spare him. He knew the Father is able to do everything. Nonetheless, one thing Jesus never wished for was to go against his Father’s will.

Jesus is sinless. Going against the Father would be sinning against God. Jesus is obedient to the Father even though it means death.

Death on the cross is a horrible death. Its punishment is to torture and shame the political prisoners to deter those who intended to rebel against Rome. It was instituted to bring shame, pain, and fear onto the traitors who failed their mission. Crucifixion in public crushed the rebel’s spirit of being the hero. It was a powerful symbol of death brought by Rome to defeat those who rebelled against the empire.

Jesus did not defend himself for all the charges brought again him but that did not mean he volunteered to die on the cross. Crucifixion was not what Jesus wanted and he actually prayed three times to have the cup removed from him.

Mark 14:39 says, “once more he went away and prayed the same thing.” What did Jesus pray? If you don’t think Jesus said the same thing as in v. 36 “Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (NIV), you can look up Matt 26:42. Although it is a bit different here, still he meant the same.

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” In addition, Matthew stressed Jesus prayed the third time, saying the same thing in v. 44.

Have you ever prayed the same thing my friends? I did. Most of the time I pray to the Father to do my will but Jesus is just the opposite. He prayed that the Father’s will be done even though it meant death to him on the cross. It is about obedience isn’t it? Obedience comes out of submission rather than willingness. Jesus was never willing to die. If it is of willingness, I don’t think he would have prayed three times in one night. If Jesus were willing, he would have said, “Yes, Father. I will.” We know that Jesus didn’t say that. Instead, He left us a greater lesson to learn from him and that is – OBEDIENCE!

When God called me to leave everything back home, I was never willing. I know the Father’s will is always good for us. He never fails to keep his promise and neither will He ever hold back his blessings for his children, but I found it hard to let go of what I have. I struggled with God for a while until my pastor told me, “Brother, it is about obedience, about submission, about trust…”

Yes, it is not about whether I am willing to obey but whether am I obedient to Him. Amen.

Merry Christmas and have a blessed New Year!

Wishing you all have a wonderful time in the season.

Merry Christmas and may the peace of God be with you all and forevermore!!

Enjoy the Hawaiian Christmas song!

The coming of a King

I gave a talk at my daughter's school Christian club last Friday before the Thanksgiving holidays. Although this wasn't my first time speaking before a crowd, it was my first experience to speak before a group of American teenagers in High School.

I was pretty nervous about this engagement. The first reason was I didn't know any of the students in the Christian club except Ariel. I am the kind of person usually need to know my 'audience' well beforehand in order for me to feel comfortable what to talk about. Secondly, I don't belong to the category of gifted speaker who can talk on and on without looking at his note. The key for me to deliver a good message is hard work and lots of prayers. Someone recently told me about a fundamental truth: "If it is not a gift, then it is a discipline." This speaks a lot about me. So, even if it is just a twenty-minute of preaching, it takes me a great amount of time to prepare for it.

Initially, I'd thought of turning down the invitation to speak at Ariel's school for I am swamped with many course assignments. Currently, I am also doing my ministry internship at a local church. However, knowing that God had placed something in my heart to share with the kids, I felt a little guilty and disobedient if I just pushed it away out of convenient.

Besides, I had my biggest fear too in this case. The church that I am now doing my internship is a Chinese Baptist church, but the group of people I spoke to last week was virtually non-Asian. Ariel is one of a handful of Asian students in her present school and perhaps the only one in the club. I was pretty worried that the group of students might not accept me easily for I speak with a foreign accent. I am truly proud of Ariel that despite being one of the minorities in school, she still shines in her studies. I finally made it to the talk was mainly spurred by a Bible verse in 1 John 4:6 which reads whoever knows God listens to His people, so my concern actually was pointless. I should focus on what God can do with His message rather than what people can do with me. Amen.

I shared with the students a passage on Matthew 2:1-2, hopefully in the coming Christmas season they may choose to emulate the Magi in responding to the news about the coming of a King and not as Herod did. Often time it is easy for us to know Herod as a bad guy who ordered all babies to be killed in Judea for fear that the arrival of a new King would take away his throne. But what about us? How do we respond to the coming of a King? Aren't we also behaving like king Herod - rejecting Jesus to reign as King in our life?

Merry Christmas!!

Immaculate Heart Retreat House

Few photos I took with my cell phone during my second retreat at a Catholic convent situated mid way on a hill in one of Los Angeles’ up-scale residential neighborhoods.

 I spent a long hour at this chapel (below) in my first visit.

 

 

 

Every time when I passed by the pool to look for a quiet corner for solitude, I was tempted to dive into the water for a swim instead.

I fasted for my first retreat here. Despite the nice dinning place, the second time I brought with me only this simple lunch to last me through seven long hours up here.

 

I've left my God back home

This year I have a number of opportunities to retreat, twice in August and twice in October. The two retreats I had in August were accompanied by family. One was a church camp and the other one was seminary’s community coordinators get together camp.

The two retreats in October however were to do it alone with other seminarians of a spiritual formation class. My experience in these two latter retreats was amazing, especially the one in my first EPC (extended personal communion with God).

I went to the retreat with many questions ready for God. I wanted to take this opportunity to ask Him about many things He promised but had not been happening here in my life.

I felt my life (socially and spiritually) back home was a whole lot more challenging and fulfilling as compared to where I am living now. There is nothing much for me to do here in Southern California.

We don’t have any relative lives here, nor do we have any real close friend to talk to. My spiritual life has been like in a desert for awhile as dry as the California’s weather. Many churches here are dying. It took us about a year to finally settle down at a church in Alhambra. We don't want to consider mega church, as it's too big for us to get to know anyone, and smaller church is usually too small. We need an intergeneration church with ministries for children, youth, and adult. Often time, this turns out just like looking for a needle in a haystack. One usually finds a church either with adults and young children but with no youth, or a church mostly with youths but without the adult and children.

Church services are usually pretty short in mainline churches. Before you get anything (or before the pew get warm), the entire Sunday service is over. I have been grumbling about this ‘lukewarm kind of service” to my wife for quite some time. What is the use of seminary education - staying up late most nights reading an inexhaustible list of books and working on seemingly endless assignments and at the end none of which is preached in church. How can one go deeper into God’s word in such a mini service? How to get people interested in knowing God?

In seminary, it’s hard (for me) to feel God’s presence as readings and assignments usually preoccupied most of our being and mind and in church if I still don’t experience Him, where is my God? This question is exactly the same one when I asked Him in my first EPC during the retreat.

To my amazement, God spoke that day. He assured me again – “I did not leave you and I did not abandon you.” – I am the one who has left my God back home. This whole conversation took place in the first person pronounce “I”, whether it was the part God had spoken, or the part I responded in my mind.

To confirm I really 'heard' what it was just said, I re-paraphrased His saying to what sound like in Scripture. I asked God did you say, "I’ve never forsaken you nor abandoned you.” Immediately, I was being corrected. God’s voice resonated again in my heart “I did not leave you and I did not abandon you.” At that moment, I stopped…..and wept…..I knew God has never left me. I was the one who left God back home!

Let's pray the St Patrick's prayer

May Christ the prince of peace dwell in you and empower you:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ all around me, please consecrate me.

Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising, Christ in my walking, Christ in the ocean, Christ on the Mountain, Christ in the air please fill me.

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me, please bless me! Amen.

(adapt from St Patrick's breastplate prayer)

If we're the body why....???

I found this song--If We're the Body by Casting Crowns--speaks to me a lot about our prejudice against people whom we do not know when I was preparing the study on James 2;1-13 for this coming Sunday School lesson.

I seriously agreed we all ought to think about why......



It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

CHORUS

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

Chorus (2x)
If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

About predestination and election

About the doctrine of predestination, I’m still more inclining towards Arminianism. When I read about the debate between Jacobus Arminius and his colleague, Francis Gomarus, a firm believer in predestination in the strictest sense, I tend to find it hard to believe that God makes salvation available only to those He chose beforehand. It’s hard to face the fact that Jesus’ atonement is limited to some or he died only for the elects.

The five doctrines or the hallmark of orthodox Calvinism came out from the Synod of Dort (1618-19) maybe easily remembered by the word “TULIP.” No, it’s not about the spring flower; it’s about some theological aspects of Calvinism, which some people find it hard to identify with.

T= total depravity
U= unconditional election
L= limited atonement
I= irresistible grace
P= perseverance of the saints

Jesus said no one can come to Him unless the Father who sent Him drew that person (John 6:44), it argues well for the predestination of the elects. Sin, by definition, is our rebellious attitude against a holy God, so how can we a sinner turns to God if it is not by His saving grace? In essence, the followers of Calvinism are saying salvation is all in all and through all God’s grace – the sovereign will of God to predestine who would be saved.

Of course, not many people, including non-Calvinists would deny the sovereignty of God. According to the understanding of Arminius, God’s predestination of who would be saved is not about election for it means God rejecting others, but it relates more to His divine foreknowledge of who would respond to Christ’s unlimited offer of salvation.

If my interpretation is correct, it means when you are saved, it’s because God already knows you will respond to His invitation of salvation, and thus God predestines you to be saved beforehand. The ‘good’ thing in such case is we are being given an opportunity to participate in God’s redemption work. Nonetheless, such idea is exactly the primary reason that Calvinism against. Salvation belongs to the Lord, how can we have any part in it?

Honestly, I don’t have any answer as to who (Calvinists or Arminians) are more accurately reflecting the theological truth of God’s predestination. I simply believe that our God is faithful and just, and He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness if we confess our sins. Since God is faithful and just, He will forgive us our sins not only on certain days but everyday, and will purify not only my sins but your sins as well. Amen.

Hear the Word of God:
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1&2)

The Book of Revelation

I know many people like Revelation, including my professor who has the class to do an exegesis of several passages of the text. Personally, I don't really like the Book of Revelation very much. I find that it is kind of hard for me to relate the meaning of the text with our everyday living.

Though every book in the Bible is canonical and authoritative and should be given the same weight and attention, most of us in some way have developed our own canon within the canon - a tendency for loving certain books more than the others.

I am no exception to the above nature as well. I often find myself quoting more frequently from the gospel of John and the Johannine epistles in the NT. In the Old Testament, I like Exodus and Deuteronomy the most.

I recalled one of my pastors (who is really good at preaching and interpreting Daniel & Revelation) said many years ago that Revelation was written by the same author of the gospel of John. But, I am now pretty convinced they were two different authors. The literary style and the language used in both the books truly did not resemble each other. These two books of course are of different genre, and thus they should not be expected to look similar; however, they are simply too far apart! If you read John's Gospel and the epistle of first, second, and third John, you'll agree with me quickly they were all written by the same author, but different from the one wrote Revelation.

The big question here is, if Revelation was not written by Apostle John, who was the one on the island of Patmos (Rev 1:9) ? What happened to Apostle John? If Revelation was written by Apostle John, then who wrote the gospel of John and the epistles? Who was "the disciple whom Jesus loved" described in John 13:23? Unfortunately, no one seems to have an answer ready for this series of question. Most theologians, nowadays, instead of confirming one or the other, they generally say there is a lack of evidence to even pinpoint the books in questioned were written by Apostle John. Perhaps, the safest way to say it is they were both come from the Johannine community, and it is possible that Apostle John could have asked someone to write on his behalf.

I know any answer offered here would fail to satisfy one's desire to know the fact. But the truth is, there is no concrete information available for us to make any claim. The best thing is to leave the matter to individual interpretation. What we must know and believe is, in my opinion, there was an apostle by the name of John in Scripture rather than so much of a deal now as who wrote the scripture. Amen.

Greek again

I thought I've done with Greek after three quarters of labor. I didn't know that I need to go even deeper into it in my current exegetical class.

I don't say I 'hate' Greek, it's just that when you have other classes to attend and many others things to do at the same time, Greek doesn't come as a pleasant thing to study. Under such circumstances, I always feel that I have not given enough attention for it. If there's no other assignment and nothing else to worry about, I really don't mind learning another biblical language.

But again, to be frank, how many of us pickup a language simply because of interest? Isn't it we all do so out of practical reason rather than learning it just for fun? So, let's go Greek!

Sermon on the Mount - a picture of eschaton

In my own reading of the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7) many times before it's never occurred to me that this particular passage could be viewed as a picture of eschaton (about end-time.)

I, like most people, generally assume Jesus’ discourse on the Mount is a radical call to his followers for entering the kingdom of God. It’s a sermon on radical discipleship. Its message was beyond the comprehension of its hearers. It went against all norms and worldly teachings.

Jesus began his discourse with “You’ve heard that it was said…..But I tell you.…” in almost every first sentence of the paragraph. All the stuff he spoke about in his discourse is not even easy for “faithful” Christians to follow suit. When common people (non-believers) read of such extreme instruction like “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (5:44),” they would think it is a senseless world.

However, to the Anabaptists, not only they won’t think of the world is senseless, they see it as a kingdom about to come, which motivates many of them to live and act out in anticipation of the coming. They see that the Sermon is not just about how to be a better individual Christian. It is a picture of how a church (the faith community) is to look. To them,

“It is an inauguration manifesto of how the world is supposed to look with Christ ushered in God’s kingdom. “

“It is about Jesus’ invitation to all people to become citizens of a new kingdom, a messianic community, where God is creating a new world.”

“The Sermon is eschatological, it concerns with the end of things – the final direction toward which God is moving the world.”

Anabaptists’ theology believes that when the people have that picture and know where God is directing them, then the church would know where it supposes to head its way. The rationale–we can only act within a world which we can see. If you see the picture depicted in the Sermon on the Mount, and it is the picture of the future, now you will have to start to live out that picture.

So do you see that picture?

Psalm 34:17-18

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (New Living Translation)