“I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.” Psalm 31:12
God wants what’s best for you…He wants to do something great in and with and through your life.
Someone once said, “Before God can use a man greatly, He must wound him deeply.”
“Before you can bless, you must bleed; before you can help, you must first hurt.”
Oswald Chambers was right when he said, “If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.”
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” II Corinthians 4:17
There is a clear pattern in the Bible that teaches us that brokenness precedes greatness:
1. Before Abraham became the father of many nations, he and Sarah were childless.
2. Before Jacob could be blessed, he was wounded by angel in a wrestling match.
3. Before Joseph ruled Egypt, he was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and falsely imprisoned.
4. Before Job’s estate was doubled, he lost everything he had, including his family, his fortune, and his future.
5. Before Moses became the great deliverer, he lost his position, his possessions, and his popularity.
6. Before Joshua conquered the Promised Land, he went through the wilderness.
7. Before Samson crushed the Philistines, he was blinded, bound, and mocked.
8. Before David became king, he was renounced by his family, ridiculed by his foes, and rejected by his friends.
9. Before Daniel could be used mightily, he had to spend the night in the lion’s den.
10. Before Hosea became a powerful spokesman for God, his wife betrayed him and returned to prostitution.
11. Before Peter preached 3,000 souls into the kingdom, he denied his Savior three times and went out and wept bitterly.
12. Before Paul brought the gospel to the Gentiles, he was blinded on the Damascus road.
Watchman Nee said, “Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he is.”
Oswald Chambers commented, "When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship—when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us."
Sometimes God sees that our life is a mess and He breaks us so that He can remake us.
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18:4
The songwriter expressed the proper attitude we should have during the times when we are broken:
Have Thine own way, Lord.
Have Thine own way.
Thou art the Potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
After Thy will.
While I am waiting,
Yielded and still.
God wants what’s best for you…He wants to do something great in and with and through your life.
Someone once said, “Before God can use a man greatly, He must wound him deeply.”
“Before you can bless, you must bleed; before you can help, you must first hurt.”
Oswald Chambers was right when he said, “If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.”
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” II Corinthians 4:17
There is a clear pattern in the Bible that teaches us that brokenness precedes greatness:
1. Before Abraham became the father of many nations, he and Sarah were childless.
2. Before Jacob could be blessed, he was wounded by angel in a wrestling match.
3. Before Joseph ruled Egypt, he was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and falsely imprisoned.
4. Before Job’s estate was doubled, he lost everything he had, including his family, his fortune, and his future.
5. Before Moses became the great deliverer, he lost his position, his possessions, and his popularity.
6. Before Joshua conquered the Promised Land, he went through the wilderness.
7. Before Samson crushed the Philistines, he was blinded, bound, and mocked.
8. Before David became king, he was renounced by his family, ridiculed by his foes, and rejected by his friends.
9. Before Daniel could be used mightily, he had to spend the night in the lion’s den.
10. Before Hosea became a powerful spokesman for God, his wife betrayed him and returned to prostitution.
11. Before Peter preached 3,000 souls into the kingdom, he denied his Savior three times and went out and wept bitterly.
12. Before Paul brought the gospel to the Gentiles, he was blinded on the Damascus road.
Watchman Nee said, “Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he is.”
Oswald Chambers commented, "When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship—when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us."
Sometimes God sees that our life is a mess and He breaks us so that He can remake us.
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18:4
The songwriter expressed the proper attitude we should have during the times when we are broken:
Have Thine own way, Lord.
Have Thine own way.
Thou art the Potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
After Thy will.
While I am waiting,
Yielded and still.
The Potter is able to mend the broken vessel and use it for His own purposes and pleasure!
The following is a poem written by Joan Clifton Costner:
It’s titled, “The Broken Harp”.
In the corner, of the basement,
Stood a cobweb covered harp.
Broken now and so forsaken,
There it stood back in the dark.
No one, in the little village,
Could repair the harp again.
And, you’d never guess the music ~
Or the places it had been.
Came a ragged man a beggin’
For a place out of the cold,
He was bent and slightly limpin’.
He was lookin’ frail and old.
So, the houseman gave permission.
He could sleep upon the floor
Of the basement, where was kept
The harp - with melody no more.
Soon, the house was filled with music!
’Twas as sweet as angels bring.
And, the household came a-runnin’,
Just to see the vibrant strings!
Dusted now, it stood in beauty.
Every web was cleared away.
And, the ragged man was singing
Very softly as he played.
In his song, he told the story
How he’d made that harp, when new.
Since he’d made its first beginning,
Fixing wasn’t hard to do.
Dear friend, if you are needing
Just a touch from God above,
Just remember Who has made you.
He can "fix" you with His love.
He can fill the empty corners
Of your heart with song anew.
He can take each day and make
A special melody for you!
He can fix the broken pieces,
Better even than before,
And open wide the storehouse
Of His blessing evermore!
Although not a BONE of our Lord was broken, when the Lord was crucified and bore our sins in His body, the Bible describes His body as being broken:
It’s titled, “The Broken Harp”.
In the corner, of the basement,
Stood a cobweb covered harp.
Broken now and so forsaken,
There it stood back in the dark.
No one, in the little village,
Could repair the harp again.
And, you’d never guess the music ~
Or the places it had been.
Came a ragged man a beggin’
For a place out of the cold,
He was bent and slightly limpin’.
He was lookin’ frail and old.
So, the houseman gave permission.
He could sleep upon the floor
Of the basement, where was kept
The harp - with melody no more.
Soon, the house was filled with music!
’Twas as sweet as angels bring.
And, the household came a-runnin’,
Just to see the vibrant strings!
Dusted now, it stood in beauty.
Every web was cleared away.
And, the ragged man was singing
Very softly as he played.
In his song, he told the story
How he’d made that harp, when new.
Since he’d made its first beginning,
Fixing wasn’t hard to do.
Dear friend, if you are needing
Just a touch from God above,
Just remember Who has made you.
He can "fix" you with His love.
He can fill the empty corners
Of your heart with song anew.
He can take each day and make
A special melody for you!
He can fix the broken pieces,
Better even than before,
And open wide the storehouse
Of His blessing evermore!
Although not a BONE of our Lord was broken, when the Lord was crucified and bore our sins in His body, the Bible describes His body as being broken:
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24
Our Lord was broken, but through His brokenness, the greatest blessing of them all –salvation, was made available for you and me.
My friend, you may be broken today. I’m not denying that. What I am denying is that you’re being hope, beyond usefulness to God, or beyond value in His kingdom. It’s not you or me who does the mending … it’s Him. You just need to allow Him to heal and mold you anyway He sees fit. May God bless you!
2 comments:
I love this!
Brokeness-- what a way to want to be to get closer to Him. I know this concept is true, but does one realise how hard it is to want/need to be broken and appreciate being that way? I usually think my brokeness is never broken enough to get close enough. That's a dumb way to think, but it makes sense. You have to be continuously broken because we are pots that have zero perfection. Once the pot is perfectly made the mold is broken because only one can be perfect. Just a thought.....Shari G
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