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Brokenness: A Prelude to Revival, by Robin Smith
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are
crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
There is an element of our Christian walk that has received little
press, little attention and little teaching -- brokenness. It is
unpleasant to think about and even more difficult to talk about. Yet,
brokenness is so valued by God, that He repeatedly mentions it in His
Word. Some of the best promises to be found in Scripture are
intertwined with brokenness.
God loves brokenness and its accompanying humility. It draws Him near
to us, and us to him, like a magnet and metal.
For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose
name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with
those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit
of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah
57:15 NRSV)
Brokenness beckons His attention and moves His hand. He becomes
actively involved in the lives of the brokenhearted. He comes to bind
up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). He gives them His Kingdom...for He can
trust them with it (Matthew 5:3).
So, what is crushing in on you? What is causing your heart to hurt?
What trial are you currently walking through? What is commanding your
attention and causing you injury? Are you tempted to be discouraged...
downcast... frustrated... weary?
Stop and think a moment. Instead of looking up from a human perspective
and asking why, ask God to show you His perspective. You know it tends
to be divinely opposite ours. He looks at things so much differently
than we do. That is why He wants to give us fresh vision, fresh sight,
and fresh insight using His Word. He speaks to us, and to our hearts,
through that Word.
He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3
NLT)
Remember this: He is near to the brokenhearted. It may not feel like
it. You may not sense it. But God's Word is more true than your
feelings and human senses. His Word is truer than your circumstances
and situations.
Your trials can be a loving tool in the hands of the
Great Restorer to draw you close to Him, so He can bind up your wounds,
heal you, and revive you. Your brokenness, held before the Lord, is a
heartfelt invitation to God that ensures His nearness and His active
hand in your daily life. Then His ministry will be magnified through
you.
"My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your
weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)
* That is why Gideon needed only 300 men to rout an army of
thousands.
* That is why Moses, with his hands outstretched to the Lord in the
presence of His enemies, was able to cause the defeat of that enemy
and the parting of an entire sea.
* That is why a small boy named David was able to kill a lion, a bear
and a giant.
* That is why David's three mighty men were able to penetrate the
camp of the enemy.
* That is why Joseph was elevated from the depths of a prison to the
rank of second in command in Egypt.
* That is why Jehoshophat needed only a handful of worshippers to
defeat an army of 100,000 men.
* And that is why Jesus needed only 12 men to turn the world right
side up.
Remember what Isaiah wrote concerning Jesus? Remember the prophetic
identification of Jesus, God's great servant?
He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their faces,
He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He
Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried, yet we ourselves esteemed
Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:3-4)
One of the hardest aspects of your heart breaking is the
misunderstanding of friends and family, of brothers and sisters whom
you serve. If you find yourself hurting, misunderstood, discouraged,
despised, and grieving, don't give up. Instead,... be encouraged, you
are walking the path of the Savior. Be assured... He is near, closer
than you think. Be expecting... He is coming soon to bind up your
wounds, to heal you and to revive you. His ministry will be magnified
through you.
Be broken, but open to God.
O Jesus, when I realize the hurts, discouragement and grief that You
endured in Your mission to redeem me, I am overwhelmed. You were
familiar with much grief. Lord, I know that Your heart still breaks
over the hardness of man's heart toward You. I ask You, Lord, to break
my heart with what breaks Yours. I bring the pieces of my brokenness
and wounded heart to You. I ask that You come and bind up my wounds.
Cleanse my hands; cleanse my heart. And make me wholly devoted to You.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
For Reflection:
Psalm 34:19 -- the Lord rescues the righteous from each and every
trouble.
Psalm 147:3 -- God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 51:16-17 -- the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
Isa. 61:1 and Luke 4:17-21 -- Jesus was sent to bind up the
brokenhearted.
Matthew 5:3 -- The brokenhearted are blessed. God's Kingdom belongs to
them.
2 Corinthians 1:4 -- when we receive comfort from God, we are to
comfort others.
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(c) 2002 Robin Smith <robins@oakhillscofc.org>. Used by
permission.
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Old Jim Checking In
A minister passing through his church
In the middle of the day.
Decided to pause by the altar
And see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened.
A man came down the aisle.
The minister frowned as he saw
The man hadnt shaved in a while.
His shirt was kinda shabby
And his coat was worn and frayed.
The man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed,
Each noon time came this chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the ministers suspicions grew,
With robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
What are you doing here?
The old man said he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.
I stay only moments, see,
Because the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kinda what I say:
I just came again to tell you, Lord,
How happy Ive been.
Since we found each others friendship
And you took away my sin.
Dont know much of how to pray, but I
Think about you everyday.
So Jesus, this is old Jim checking in
Today.
The minister feeling foolish,
Told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime.
Time to go Jim smiled, said
Thanks. He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
Hed never done it before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
And met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed in his heart,
He repeated old Jims prayer.
I just came again to tell you Lord,
How happy Ive been.
Since we found each others friendship
And you took away my sin.
I dont know much of how to pray, but I
Think about you everyday.
So Jesus, this is me checking in today.
Past noon one day the minister noticed
That old Jim hadnt come in.
As more days passed without Jim,
He began to worry some.
At the factory he asked about him,
Learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried
But hed given them a thrill.
The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious
Changed people were his reward.
The head nurse couldnt understand
Why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor did he have.
The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurses concern:
No friends came to show they cared,
He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up
And with a winsome smile said;
The nurse is wrong, she couldnt know
That in here all the while
Every day at noon, Hes here,
A dear friend of mine, you see.
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:
I just came again to tell you Jim,
How happy I have been.
Since we found this friendship
And I took away your sin.
Always love to hear you pray,
I think about you each day.
And so Jim, This is Jesus checking in with
You today.
May God hold you in his hands
And the angels watch over you.
Author Unknown.
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THE MAN WITH THE OLD SHOES
My alarm went off
It was Sunday again.
I was sleepy and tired;
It was my one day to sleep in.
But the guilt I would feel
The rest of the day
Would have been too much,
So I'd go. I'd pray.
I showered and shaved,
I adjusted my suit and tie,
I got there and sat
In a pew just in time ! me.
Bowing my head in prayer >Before I closed my eyes,
I saw the shoe of the man next to me
Was touching my own. I sighed.
With plenty of room on either side,
I thought, "Why must our soles touch?"
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine,
But it didn't bother him much.
A prayer began: "Our Father" someone said,
I thought, "This man with the shoes has no pride.
They're dusty, worn, scratched end to end,
Even worse, there are holes on the side!"
"Thank You for blessings," the prayer went on.
The shoe man said a quiet "Amen."
I tried to focus on the prayer,
But my thoughts were on his shoes again.
Aren't we supposed to look our best
When walking through that door?
"Well, this certainly isn't it," I thought,
Glancing toward the floor.
Then the prayer was ended
And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud,
Sounding proud as he sang.
His voice lifted the rafters,
His hands were raised high,
The Lord could surely hear
The shoe man's voice from the sky.
It was time for the offering
And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man reached
Into his pockets so deep.
I tried to see what was pulled out,
What the shoe man put in,
Then I heard a soft "clink"
as when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me
To tears, and that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man,
For tears fell from his eyes.
At the end of the service,
As is the custom here,
We must greet new visitors
And show them all good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow
And wanted to meet shoe man,
So after the closing prayer,
I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark,
And his hair was truly a mess
But I thanked him for coming,
For being our guest.
He said, "My names' Charlie,
I'm glad to meet you, my friend."
here were tears in his eyes
But he had a large, wide grin.
"Let me explain," he said,
Wiping tears from his eyes.
"I've been coming here for months,
And you're the first to say, 'Hi'.
I know that my appearance
Is not like all the rest,
But I really do try
To always look my best.
I always clean and polish my shoes
Before my very long walk,
But by the time I get here,
They're dirty and dusty, like chalk."
My heart filled with pain and
I swallowed to hide my tears
As he continued to apologize
For daring to sit so near.
He said, "When I get here,
I know I must look a sight.
But I thought if I could touch you,
Then maybe our souls would unite."
I was silent for a moment
Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison.
I spoke from my heart, not my head;
"Oh, you've touched me," I said,
"And taught me, in part,
That the best of any man
Is what is found in his heart."
The rest, I thought,
This shoe man will never know. . .
Like just how thankful I really am
That his dirty old shoe touched my soul...
You might be best friends one year,
pretty good friends the next year,
don't talk that often the next year,
or don't talk at all the year after that.
So, I just wanted to say,
even if I never get to talk to you
again in my life,
you are special to me and you have made a
difference in my life. I respect you, and truly cherish you.
Send this to all your friends,
no matter how often you talk,
or how close you are,
and send it to the person who sent it to you
Let old friends know you haven't forgotten them,
and tell new friends you never will.
Remember, everyone needs a friend;
someday you might feel like you have no friends
at all. Just remember this e-mail and take comfort
in knowing somebody out there cares about you
and always will.
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