Brokenness

BROKENNESS

Where does your mind go when you hear the word ‘brokenness’?
Does it go to a time and place when you knew beyond a doubt
that you could no longer do life on your own?
Do you recall that you needed God;
needed His strength, His wisdom, His comfort –
in order to go on?

To be broken means to be crushed, in pieces, hurt...
We don’t like to think about this, do we?

Do you recall David’s lament in Psalm 31:12?
I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.

How about Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 23:9?
My heart within me is broken
Because of the prophets;

Or Solomon’s words in Proverbs 17:22?
A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Or in Proverbs 18:14?
The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?

As I read these words I can almost feel their pain, their hurt, their “brokenness” – primarily because I’ve “been there” at one time or another!
As we all have!

Here are some examples of an unbroken spirit:
· Rebellion
· Pride & Arrogance
· Anger
· Dishonesty
· Bitterness & Resentment
· Sarcasm
· Selfishness
· Anxiety

Now, here are examples of just the opposite – a broken spirit:
· Submission
· Humility
· Reconciliation & Peace
· Honesty
· Forgiveness
· Gentleness
· Unselfishness & Holiness
· Rest & Quietness

Which ‘spirit’ would you like to have?
Me? ... give me the broken spirit any day...
I have lived in ‘unbrokenness’ -
(and it seems I slip back there at times too!)
I don’t wish to go back to those “awful” feelings and attitudes!

God heals!
Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah!

Meditate on these Scriptures:

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3

HE is the only ONE who can heal our broken hearts and spirits!
The only ONE who can save us and set us free!
THANK YOU, JESUS!

Think about this for a moment:
God uses broken things –
The ground must be broken in order to plant and for crops to grow;
The seed itself must be broken open in order to sprout!
The birds must break the seeds open to get the necessary nutrients;
Grain must be beaten and processed in order to be prepared for bread making;
and the bread must be broken to give us nourishment!
Have you ever heard the expression “the sky opened up
and the rain came down”?
Think of that – the sky, the clouds, must be broken for rain to fall!
What are some other examples that you can think of?

Have you ever “broken” an object and said it was too shattered or broken
to be fixed?
The morning I’m writing this I dropped one of my favorite mugs-
and it shattered!
There was no fixing that one!

Well, KNOW this, Dear One!!!!!!
YOU will NEVER be so broken that you can’t be fixed!
Thank You, Jesus!

We serve an awesome God and He is in the business of healing
the brokenness in our lives!
However, we must turn our lives over to Him for that process to start!
And that, my dear friend, is a choice we make!

We choose to stay unbroken, or to be broken....
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying –
“This circumstance will either make you bitter or make you better.”
It’s very true –
Anything that happens to us will do one or the other!
When we allow ourselves to come to a place of brokenness and surrender to God, He can then begin the process of reshaping us, of healing us,
of making us more like Him!

The choice we make will determine the impact we will have for HIM in this world!
Others will either receive a saving knowledge of Christ or they will not!
All because of how we allow God to use our “brokenness’.

Here’s a poem I wrote many years ago in my “brokenness”-

I feel Your Presence, LORD.
I KNOW You’re with me.
I sense the work You’re doing in my life;
the lessons You’re trying to teach me;
the path you want me to take.

Lord, I’ve been so broken,
in such a pit.
And yet, through it all,
you’ve been there with me.
Praise You, Lord!

Lord, continue to carry me;
Allow you’re Holy Spirit to cleanse and renew me;
Make my faith stronger because of this brokenness.
Praise You, Lord!

Today I claim Romans 8:28 –
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Father God,
I pray today for anyone reading this devotional.
I ask You to touch their hearts –
may they KNOW that You will heal them;
May they KNOW that You will turn their brokenness into a thing of beauty!
May they KNOW they can call on You wherever, whenever!
May they KNOW that YOU will comfort and give strength!
May they TRUST You with their hearts and their souls!
Father God, I ask for Your Hand to be upon each one!
Praise You and Thank You!
In Jesus Precious Name I pray,
Amen!

In His Love,
Ruthie