Brokenness (1)
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit...' Psalm 51:17 NIV
For a plant to rise from the soil the seed must be broken. For a baby chick to experience larger life, the shell must be broken. Even a thoroughbred horse must be broken; it must learn to respond to the tug of the reins and the sound of the trainer's voice. Get the idea? The world around us might not see value in broken things but so often with God brokenness is just one step away from beauty.
When we hear the word 'brokenness' we normally think it means 'no good anymore' or 'useless' but that's not it at all. And neither is it a reference to experiencing some sort of personal tragedy. Many people suffer tragedy without drawing closer to God or even acknowledging Him. No, spiritual brokenness is the process through which God strips away our self-centredness so that the character of Jesus can shine through us. At the end of the day the issue with brokenness is not so much our circumstances, but our response. When God blocks every exit we try to take and then eventually we come to see that He alone is our answer, we make a life changing discovery. 'And what's that?' you ask. Simple: when God is all you have; God is all you need! Bottom line: God's power is released through those who have given up trying to do it in their own strength!
SoulFood: Num 27-29, Mark 7:14-23, Ps 44:1-8, Pr 11:9
Brokenness (2)
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit...' Psalm 51:17 NIV
Sometimes God lets us hit the bottom in order to find out that He's the rock at the base of everything. Gideon was ready to face an army of 135 000 troops with just 32 000 men, then 22 000 of them left him before the battlefield was even in sight. Do the maths. Gideon's thinking, 'We're mincemeat!' Then God turns up the pressure another notch, saying: 'The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, "...My own power has delivered me."'(Judges 7:2 NAS) He ends up winning the battle with just 300 men! Do you see what's going on there-the first battle to be fought was a battle of ego! Why do you think the Lord's Prayer ends with: '...Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory...'? (Matthew 6:13 NAS) To remind us that any power we have comes only from God! And who should the glory for our success go to? Straight to God! How long does this arrangement last? Forever!
Brokenness doesn't mean being a wimp, suffering from an inferiority complex or having a case of low self-esteem. No, it's just that sometimes God has to take you down before He can raise you up. People who have been through God's breaking process don't find it hard to pray, 'Jesus, whatever will make You famous-I'm up for it!' Can you pray that prayer today?
SoulFood: Num 30:1-32:24, Mark 7:24-37, Ps 44: 9-16, Pr 11:10-11
