Broken.

Broken hearts, broken relationships, broken down cars… this world is full of brokenness.  We throw away broken toys and computers.  My iPod is currently giving me a sad face icon and telling me there’s a fatal hardware issue.  I keep hoping one day it will simply fix itself and work again, but every time I try to turn it on, it’s still broken.  Left in its current state, I’m confident that it will remain broken forever.  I’m confident of this because my iPod is helpless to fix itself.

You and I are the same way.  We are helpless to fix our brokenness.  And often in our Christian life, God works in many ways that break us.  He uses persecution, financial hardship, sickness, loneliness and many other trials to break us of our self-sufficiency, pride, arrogance, unbelief and selfishness.  He brings trials into our lives to break us of our self-dependence and to conform us to the likeness of Jesus.

Thankfully, God does not leave us broken.  He breaks us of these things to restore us and create us as a vessel He can use for His glory.  He disciplines us as a loving Father, who longs to see us grow and change.  And He promises that this process of discipline and breaking is for the end result of producing fruit.

God gives promises to the broken:

• He promises not to reject their prayer.  “The sacrifices of god are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, o God, you not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
• He promises to save them.  “The LORD is near to the broken hearted; and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18)
• He promises joy and gladness as we repent of our sins and look to Him as our hope.  “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8)