Perfectly Broken..... Streams in the Desert

 

Perfectly Broken 

Streams in the Desert

When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw. (Job 41:25)

 

God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob’s natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses’ rod that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.

 

It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.

 

It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.

 

It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains. And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.

 

Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory. “The lame take the prey,” Isaiah tells us.

 

O break my heart; but break it as a field 

Is by the plough up-broken for the corn;

O break it as the buds, by green leaf seated, 

Are, to unloose the golden blossom, torn;

Love would I offer unto Love’s great Master,

Set free the odor, break the alabaster.

 

O break my heart; break it victorious God, 

That life’s eternal well may flash abroad;

O let it break as when the captive trees, 

Breaking cold bonds, regain their liberties;

And as thought’s sacred grove to life is springing,

Be joys, like birds, their hope, Thy victory singing.
—Thomas Toke Bunch

 God's Call to Repentance

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 15:11-24

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother asked to receive his inheritance early so he might live as he chose. Once the father gave him his share, he made many unwise choices that led to hunger and destitution. What happened next illustrates the principles of godly repentance.

After squandering all his money, the young man found work feeding pigs, a bottom-of-the-barrel kind of job. One day he came to his senses and recognized his terrible plight. His repentance began with an awareness of his wrong choices and the fact that his bad situation was due to them.

Knowing that his difficulties came from his sinful behavior, the prodigal grieved over his mistakes and acknowledged that he had sinned against the Lord (v. 18). He declared he was no longer worthy to be his father's son. Godly sorrow and confession led the young man to leave that place and go home. His repentance was made complete when he turned away from his old ways and returned to his father. The Lord likewise calls us to repent and return to Him.

What a welcome the prodigal son received. Upon seeing him, the father was filled with compassion and ran to embrace him. Forgiveness and acceptance were extended to the son. Both are blessings that God freely offers to whoever asks Him.

The prodigal son did not clean himself up before returning home. He simply left his old life, turned toward home, and trusted in his father's mercy. The heavenly Father calls us to repent and offers us forgiveness when we turn away from our self-centered ways and move toward godliness (1 John 1:9).

The Evidence of a Life of Forgiveness..... LYSA TERKEURST

 The Evidence of a Life of Forgiveness

LYSA TERKEURST

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18 (ESV) 

There’s some interesting context around today’s key verse that’s worth considering and unpacking.

Paul didn’t write what became the book of Romans while on a peaceful vacation with peaceful people and peaceful circumstances. He wrote this instruction in the midst of people opposing him and situations filled with hardship.

One of the reasons he wrote his letter to the Romans is that peace would not have been easy for them. It would have felt as unnatural to them as it does for us in the midst of constant hardships, never-ending opposition and relational differences.

I relate to this so much. It seems I wake up each day with a new set of issues. Maybe today it isn’t a big, heartbreaking, life-changing event that’s eroding your peace. Maybe it’s an ongoing frustration or disappointment with a family member. Or a misunderstanding with a friend. Or even a rude comment someone left on your social media. Conflicts seem to never end.

Yet, Paul is reminding everyone who will read these verses that peace is possible.

The Greeks thought of peace as the absence of hostility. But Paul taught that peace is the atmosphere we can bring into hostility. This peace is a wholeness we have because of our relationship with God.

In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV).

The peace referred to here is “to keep or maintain peace.” Peace is a gift that God gives believers, and that gift is evidence to the world that we are different because of our union with Christ. Our union with Christ makes this peace possible.

But it’s our demonstration of this peace, especially in the midst of hardships, that makes it recognizable as particularly rare and odd.

To live peaceably with all seems like such a ridiculous impossibility. And yet, when the impossible is made possible because of Jesus in us, there’s no greater testimony that can be shared.

This kind of peace is rich evidence of the reality of Jesus. There is nothing more powerful to bring into a situation than the Prince of Peace Himself. (Isaiah 9:6) At just the utterance of the name of Jesus, peace is there.

And don’t miss the context of all of this. Paul doesn’t say, “As far as it depends on other people bringing peace.” Nor does he say, “As long as the conflicts end in a peaceful way.” No, he says, “So far as it depends on you.”

In other words, peace in my life isn’t being prevented by other people’s choices. It’s made possible by my choices.

And that’s when I admit I just want to lay down on the floor and loudly declare, “But I am not Jesus!” Ugh.

Friends, this truly is possible. But only if we surrender our offenses daily, keep our hearts swept clean of bitterness and remain humble even when we are hurt.

So, while this teaching can feel challenging, it’s also eye-opening and empowering. I always thought peace was possible when there was an absence of chaos. But chaos comes and goes as it pleases in this sin-soaked world. I can’t control the chaos. But I can control my choices.

Now I’m realizing the antithesis of peace isn’t chaos. It’s selfishness. And the very best way for me to uninvite selfishness is in the humility of forgiveness.

Peace is the evidence of a life of forgiveness.

It’s not that the people all around you are peaceful, or that all of your relationships are perfectly peaceful all the time. Rather, it’s having a deep-down knowing that you’ve released yourself from the binding effects and constricting force of unforgiveness and the constraining feelings of unfairness.

You’ve traded all that drama for an upgrade: peace.

Living in the comfort of peace is so much better than living in the constraints of unforgiveness.

This makes such a difference in my life. It’s part of my process of cooperating with God. Overcoming evil with good. Living at peace so long as it depends on me.

Leaving room for God to work on the one I need to forgive. Praying for the mercy of God. Seeking the face of God. Knowing the goodness of God. Living in the presence of God.

And in that, I’m seeing the beauty of God.

Jesus, today I pray You would show me how to be a peacemaker. As the Prince of Peace, steady my heart to surrender control of situations over to You. Help me untangle any feelings of unresolved hurt in my heart so I can truly walk in the beauty of forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 12:14, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (NIV)

What Will Your Legacy Be?..... by Debbie Holloway

 What Will Your Legacy Be?

by Debbie Holloway

One of the most spiritually provocative songs I’ve ever heard is called War Sweater by the band Wakey!Wakey!.

“New York is dangerous, littered with thieves
 We’ve no morals here, we just do as we please…”

…sings the narrator in the opening lines. He continues:

“But I don’t want to go home where they all stare at me
 ‘Cause I’m tattooed and fired up and drunk and obscene.”

I’m sure many of us can picture a similar “wayward” family member or friend. But why exactly does this narrator feel so uncomfortable with this scrutiny? He explains in the following chorus:

“You wear your religion like a War Sweater
You ask for the truth, but you know you could do so much better
And you sat on your fences, and you’ve screamed “no retreat!”
 …So what will your legacy be?”

Every time the singer repeats that phrase, “what will your legacy be?” I get knots in my stomach. Because I know my actions and my words will create whatever legacy I leave behind. Reputations are not created by beliefs – rather they come about by observed behavior. No one will remember me simply for getting all my doctrine right or wrong.

They will remember, though, if I wear my religion like a War Sweater. If I thrash my faith about like a flag and scream in the faces of unbelievers. Sadly, many Christians have created such legacies for themselves. Emperor Constantine created the legacy of Christianity’s ties to the government. The Crusaders connected Christianity with war. Even today there are self-professing Christians who stand on street corners and picket funerals, wearing their religion like a War Sweater.

But my faith, my religion, informs me of something better. My religion tells me to do what the Word says, not merely listen to it (James 1:22). My religion does not allow me to sit on a pedestal and judge; it says to to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). My religion tells me (Psalms 149:4) that salvation cannot come through pride. My religion does not stand for violently demanding all people bow to my standards; rather, it tells me that, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18).

So take a look at the words you speak, at the people you mock, at the bumper stickers adorning your car.

Are you wearing your religion like a War Sweater?

What will your legacy be?

Intersecting Faith and Life: When confronted with a hard situation today, see how you can leave a legacy of Christ’s love.

Further reading
Matthew 5:9
John 16:33
2 Corinthians 2:11

Could a God Who Allows Suffering Truly Be Good?..... By Chris Russell

 Could a God Who Allows Suffering Truly Be Good?

By Chris Russell

Today’s passage gives us a beautiful glimpse at God’s amazing plan, which was set into place before the universe began. Joseph had to go through incredible heartache as a result of the horrible sins that his brothers committed toward him. They hated him with a perfect hatred. They sold him into slavery, and they hoped to never see him again. It appeared that there was no hope that Joseph would ever again be happy again.

But God was able to take an event even as terrible as this and use it for something beautiful. Through Joseph’s slavery, God was able to rescue the entire family of Jacob and turn them into the great nation of Israel. Wow! What a plan!

There is no such thing as random pain. God has a divine purpose for everything, and He can often accomplish things through suffering that He would not be able to accomplish in any other way.

Because God is omniscient (He knows everything),  He truly sees the big picture. He truly knows what’s best for us. He knows what will bring the ultimate good for mankind.  And He allows suffering at times to bring about that ultimate good –- in mankind in general, and in your life in particular.

As a parent, I occasionally have to do the same thing with my kids. My daughter may not understand why we would have to take her to the doctor to get a shot, but that medical treatment would be for her ultimate good. I can see the big picture in a way that she does not always fully understand… yet. At some point she will… perhaps.

One thing in this life about which you can be sure is that God loves you dearly. And the suffering that you experience is somehow related to His love for you. And this can only be understood fully as it is seen from His eternal, “out-of-this-world” vantage point.

TODAY’S BIG IDEA:  “Suffering can be an extension of God’s goodness when it is viewed from the perspective of God and eternity.”

A Prayer against Depression..... By John Barnett

 A Prayer against Depression

By John Barnett

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

If you've ever felt trapped, imprisoned, or helplessly caught by life, then you share the emotions of David in the midst of life in the Cave of Adullam.

Things had gotten so bad that David makes a confession that is packed with meaning to us today. In the form of an urgent prayer offered to God, and captured for us on paper, David explains that his soul is in prison. The setting is so graphic, look at it with me in I Samuel 22.

David is in the midst of his life on the run, under immense stress in verses 1-4:

"David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me." So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold."

David describes this time as when he felt trapped, with nowhere to escape in Psalm 142. Here in this Psalm written from a cave, David reflects on the circumstances all around him that made him have.

When we get depressed, life really does feel like an endless pursuit of nothingness. Such daily struggles are a far cry from the expectations of those who heard this type promise before they became a Christian: "Just get saved and everything will be great from then on!" But that's not always true, is it?

Even saved people can go through emotionally imprisoning cave times like David experienced. Triggers that can start a slide downward emotionally are: family conflicts; losing a job; losing a home; moving to a new location under duress; working with a tough crowd; being betrayed by friends; being wronged in a business deal; suffering the sudden loss of a family member, friend, or finances, and so forth.

Suffering from depression is a very common malady. In fact, although most of the Bible is in the major key (saints fearlessly witnessing as churches valiantly serve against all odds), side-by-side with all those wonderful testimonies is the minor key, where God's Word contains true glimpses into the weaknesses and frailties of some of His greatest saints.

“Heavenly Father, please strengthen our hearts, and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us. Please guard our hearts from depression. Give us the strength up to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down.”