rest in brokenness...

Brokenness...
I've heard a lot lately...
the heartbreaking kind...

In crying out to Him...
on behalf of the broken...
I find a place to rest...

His incredible love...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son..."

John 3:16 ESV

His grace...

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,

for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor, they fell down, with none to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Psalm 107:10-13 ESV

His power to work evil for good...

"... But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant if for good,

in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ..."

Genesis 50:20 NKJV

His plan and purpose for all...

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on 

all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods

and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should

seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

Yet he is actually not far from each one of us...

Acts 17:26-27 ESV

In interceding for the broken...
I find rest in Him...
trusting Him with those He loves...
more than I...
trusting Him to work good...
through His power to redeem...
trusting He knows what He's doing...
when I can't see...

Is there brokenness you need to trust Him with...?

Carry it to Him in prayer...
find a place...
to rest in brokenness...

where's the grace...?

I left church this week... saddened...
wondering... Where's the grace...?

A totally unexpected exhibition of gracelessness...
one often seen in and about in the world...
but when it happens within the church...
well... it stunned...
made me want to flee...

Still wrestling with the image of weeds among the wheat...
I long to pray... Weed out Your church...?
and then I remember... maybe that's not His prayer...

The church is a funny place...
not in a humorous way... but an odd way...

A group of broken people...
trying not to act broken...
some apparently clueless about their brokenness...

I started a book this week... where I read...

God does not work apart from sinful and flawed (forgiven, to be sure) men and women who are mostly without credentials.

---Eugene Peterson. Practice Resurrection

And I'm reminded... this is the medium in which God works...
the broken... the messy... the clueless...

So I pray for light... revelation of His grace...
receptive spirits... hearts... willing to accept conviction...
willing to repent...
willing to become fountains... sieves... of grace...

Father God... I'm so grateful for Your grace...

open the hearts of Your people... to receive Your grace...

share Your grace... so You may receive thanks and glory...

We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,

will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself

together with you. All of this is for your benefit.

And as God's grace reaches more and more people,

there will be great thanksgiving and God will receive

more and more glory.

2 Corinthians 4:14-15 NLT

eyes open to broken...

Worshiped today... with eyes open to broken...

A Communion Sunday... every member in turn... taking their place at the altar rail... receiving Him...

Sitting toward the back I watch... seeing broken lives... a broken Body...

Recognizing broken... and remembering the lesson learned... prayers for healing flowed... waiting my turn to go forward...

At the rail... kneeling... head bowed... I hear the one serving the one on my right...

The broken body of Christ given for you...

And then to me...

The gift of God given to you...

Then to the one on my left...

The broken body of Christ given for you...

He was broken... as a gift for us... that we might be healed...

Our broken... perhaps a grace... a gift... that we might know... our need for healing... know our need for Him...?

And then we sing... a hymn... whose verse affirms this thought...

I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have born my people's pain.

I have wept for love of them, 

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,

Give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak My word to them,

Whom shall I send?

Him broken... so we might be healed...

He breaks... so we might receive...

Grace...

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light

of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power is from God

and not from us.

2Corinthians 4:6-7

broken... a battle lesson...

I saw it... something broken...
something within my power to fix... right then...
but didn't...

I suppose I thought it would be someone else's problem...
or maybe... someone else would take care of that...
or I'd fix it later... when I actually needed to use it...
after all... I didn't break it...

Honestly... I don't know why I didn't fix it... right then...
in that moment... when I saw it broken...
before it could do any damage...

I really didn't think about the damage it might cause...

But... the broken I recognized... and passed over... did destroy...
at my hand... with my negligence...
at cost... to the new business...

In this week of battling... I receive a battle lesson...

Never ignore... pass over... look away from... anything broken... 

when it's in your power to fix... repair... or remove...

This doesn't just apply to the physical...
it goes for the spiritual... emotional... relational...

When you come across broken... and see it... recognize its potential to destroy...

When it falls within your realm of influence... or authority... take time... fix it... or at least try...

With hearts... souls... relationships... maybe it's a truth spoken in love... an encouragement... a word of wisdom shared... a prayer offered... a hug given...

I don't know exactly what this lesson looks like... when lived out... but I do know there's a lesson to be learned... one bigger than broken needles on embroidery machines... and irreparable holes in shirt cuffs...

My act of ignoring broken... cost more than just me...

And that's true of everything broken... and it's potential to destroy... whether you broke it or not...

So... don't be like me... when you recognize broken... (and there is plenty of broken in this world...) seek Him... His guidance... His direction... and take time... right then... to fix it... or bring it to the One who can...

That's what He came to do... fix... repair... redeem... and He never broke anything...

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me 

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn in Zion ---

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV

And as His followers... that's what we're called to do too... 

In Jesus's name...

brokenness...

Brokenness... I've seen more than a little the last day or so...

And I remember...

The Lord is near the brokenhearted 

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 ESV

He heals the brokenhearted 

and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 ESV

Jesus majors in broken... He says...

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of prison to those who are bound...

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

Brokenness longs for good news... and the Good News is good... when we embrace our brokenness...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ..."

---Jesus

Matthew 5:3-6 ESV

So is it possible... to receive that which breaks us... as a blessing...?

Can we believe He is the One who works all things for good in the lives of those who love Him...?

Do you love Him enough to trust Him... with the pain He allows...?

Are you willing... to walk with Him... through this world... remembering it is not your home...?

Can you trust Him... to provide the strength... to hold you together...?

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Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Psalm 84:5

Lord... in brokenness... I choose to trust You... Your plan... 

Your purpose... Your grace... mercy... and love... 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay,

so show that the surpassing power belongs to God

and not to us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV 

broken... a place for grace to flow...

Getting honest with ourselves does not make us unacceptable to God. It does not distance us from God, but draws us to Him --- as nothing else can --- and opens us anew to the flow of grace. While Jesus calls each of us to a more perfect life, we cannot achieve it on our own. To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace. It is only through grace that any of us could dare to hope that we could become more like Christ.

--- Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

I see a loved one... struggling with what he sees... when he comes into His presence... overwhelmed by the darkness revealed in His Light...

The initial response... run... hide... protect the heart with pride...

But the proper stance... is to stand in the Light... trust His forgiveness... and let grace flow through...

Praying for those who are broken... to trust Him... draw near... and let grace heal...

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God...

Ephesians 2:8