Brokenness is not a topic we like. It makes us feel powerless when our sources of protection fail. However, when that happens, we also receive a gift—the true understanding of ourselves and, better still, of the God who loves us.

Proverbs 18:24 says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” And in Hebrews we hear God say, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you” (Prov. 13:5). Rather than leave, God abides. The Greek word menó is often translated as “abide,” but it can also be rendered “remain” or “stay”—and that is what God does. Others may walk out. We may even give up on ourselves, but He remains, waiting patiently alongside us. Always.

Perhaps that’s why Henry Francis Lyte’s hymn “Abide With Me” still resonates. The first stanza reads, “When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.” Whether you’re broken or in the process of healing, make these words your prayer today.