I insist that the effective preaching of Jesus Christ, rightly understood, will produce Christian experience in Christian believers. Moreover, if preaching does not produce spiritual experience and maturing in the believer, that preaching is not being faithful to the Christ revealed in the Scriptures. Let me say it again another way: the Christ of the Bible is not rightly known until there is an experience of Him within the believer, for our Savior and Lord offers Himself to human experience. When Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden," it is an invitation to a spiritual experience. He is saying, "Will you consent to come" Have you added determination to your consent" Then come; come now!" Yes, our Lord gives Himself to us in experience. David says in Psalms 34: "0 taste and see that the Lord is good." I think David said exactly what he meant. Surely the Holy Spirit was saying through David: "You have taste buds in your soul for tasting, for experiencing spiritual things. Taste and experience that God is good!"

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

FAITH AND EXPERIENCE

"He keepeth all His bones; not one of them is broken." Psalms 34:20 This promise by the context is referred to the much afflicted righteous man: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." He may suffer skin wounds and flesh wounds, but no great harm shall be done; "not a bone of him shall be broken." This is great comfort to a tried child of God, and comfort which I dare accept; for up to this hour I have suffered no real damage from my many afflictions. I have neither lost faith, nor hope, nor love. Nay so far from losing these bones of character, they have gained in strength and energy. I have more knowledge, more experience, more patience, more stability than I had before the trials came. Not even my joy has been destroyed. Many a bruise have I had by sickness, bereavement, depression, slander, and opposition; but the bruise has healed, and there has been no compound fracture of a bone, not even a simple one. The reason is not far to seek. If we trust in the LORD, He keeps all our bones; and if He keeps them, we may be sure that not one of them is broken. Come, my heart, do not sorrow. Thou art smarting, but there are no bones broken. Endure hardness and bid defiance to fear.

Another classic from the pen of C.H. Spurgeon that will challenge and inspire you on your daily path to Heaven.

Charles Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook

Afflictions, But No Broken Bones

The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;is close&nbsp;to the brokenhearted &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 NIV
Here again, the parallelism tells us something.
He is nigh to save. His presence is salvation. Their misery is not nearer to them than their deliverer. To their broken heart, the whole universe seems broken; to their desolate spirit, all creation seems desolate. Crushed beneath a sense of unworthiness, forlornness, helplessness, they dare not lift up their eyes to heaven, and they know that it is useless to lift them to anything less than heaven. Irremediable sorrow seems their portion.
But the Lord hasteneth to the place where they sit solitary. He does not announce his coming by angelic precursors; he does not descend on a bright cloud; no visible glory, no audible sound attests his presence. But the eye of the broken-hearted sinner falls upon the eighteenth verse of the thirty-fourth Psalm, and beholds there the intimation of God's presence. The earthquake of the heart has opened a way for faith; and faith has opened a way for God.
Formerly this word would have seemed like an engaging falsehood, a poetical fiction; nothing less than a hand of flame tracing the announcement in letters of fire upon the wall would have induced the recognition of such a truth. But faith lets God be true; and places him also among those whose words are to be believed. And if the Lord is nigh, then is all good nigh.
When the Lord was with the first disciples, lacked they any thing? All our lost treasures are found again in him. All our bankrupt powers are found perfected in him. In his presence is fulness of joy.

A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.

Bowen's Daily Meditations

The Lord Is Close to The Brokenhearted

The Bible does not mock the anguish-bitten soul by telling it that the Christian cannot experience unhappiness or disappointment; or by telling it that it has no business to be wretched. The followers of the righteous Jesus are told distinctly that there are afflictions for them; and that these afflictions are many. So in drawing up an inventory of what belongs to them, they may put down many afflictions. These are a part of their property. We see that it is not a disreputable thing to suffer. We are in good company. The righteous man is infinitely more blessed in his afflictions than the unrighteous man is in his exemption. The den of lions may be a better place than the royal couch. The afflictions of the righteous are those that he encounters in the attempt to walk righteously. Some come upon him from his unsubmissive nature struggling against the new principle that seeks to control it. Many from the wickedness of men, who do their utmost that he may not continue in a path that they' abhor. Many from the lukewarmness and want of sympathy of his brethren. Some from the suggestions of the adversary, seeking to undermine his faith. Others again from the strange procedure of God, very different from what he had erringly anticipated. He thought that God would never let him be cast into a pit or sold to Ishmaelites. He thought that God would move with the speed of lightning to his rescue. He thought that God would call to him out of the clouds, " I have heard thy prayer," Some afflictions come upon him from wounded affections. Some from the disappearance of loved ones. Happy for us if we are able to feel in all our afflictions that they are the afflictions of the righteous. Not brought upon us by our own folly - by the neglect of divine guidance - by the contravention of providence. All the afflictions of the righteous open out into something glorious. The prisoner is not merely delivered, but he finds an angel waiting for him at the door. And with every deliverance comes a specific blessing. One angel is named faith; another, love; another, joy; another, long-suffering; another, gentleness; another, goodness; another, meekness; another, temperance; another, peace. Each of these graces says, " We have come out of great tribulation.''

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." - Psalms 34:19. 

The Lord your God … went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day. § As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him. § The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. § Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. § For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. § We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. § With us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles. The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 He … preserves the way of His saints. 

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. If you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. § The Lord is near to all who call upon Him … in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord … and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. § On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. § The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

 His mercy is on those who fear Him. 

It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Job spoke, and said:.. “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures?” § Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour”? § In all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Evening Daily Light

 Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 

18 <poetry>The <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> is close to the brokenhearted <indent>and saves those who are crushed in spirit.</indent></poetry> 19 <poetry>The righteous person may have many troubles, <indent>but the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> delivers him from them all; </indent> </poetry> 20 <poetry>he protects all his bones, <indent>not one of them will be broken. </indent></poetry>

The <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> is close<cr>1</cr> to the brokenhearted<cr>2</cr> <indent>and saves those who are crushed in spirit.</indent><pb/>

Psalm 34:18

The righteous person may have many troubles,<cr>1</cr> <indent>but the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> delivers him from them all;<cr>2</cr> </indent>

Psalm 34:19

he protects all his bones, <indent>not one of them will be broken.<cr>1</cr> </indent><pb/>

Psalm 34:20

 18 The Lord is close   to the brokenhearted   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  19 The righteous person may have many troubles,   but the Lord delivers him from them all;    20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.   

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

Psalm 34:18-20

<poetry>The <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> is close to the brokenhearted <indent>and saves those who are crushed in spirit.</indent></poetry> <poetry>The righteous person may have many troubles, <indent>but the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap> delivers him from them all; </indent> </poetry> <poetry>he protects all his bones, <indent>not one of them will be broken. </indent></poetry>

 The Lord is close   to the brokenhearted   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  The righteous person may have many troubles,   but the Lord delivers him from them all;    he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.   

Bible Verse of the Day

March 24, 2026

Psalm 34:18-20 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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