It’s a fact: The weaker we are the more we must lean on God, and the harder we lean on Him, the stronger we discover Him to be. But I wonder how often we forgo our own bootstraps and grasp the hand He extends us each day.
Someone once told me that there are opportunities within our obstacles. She must have told me this while I was in the midst of great heartache because I didn’t believe it then. I certainly could not see the beauty for all the ashes. Like you, I have been beaten down by the world, suffered terrible loss, heartache, and been wounded repeatedly. I have dealt with brokenness more times than I care to count and in a variety of ways over the years. And not necessarily in all positive ways either! Perhaps, it is a sad reality for us strong-willed, slow-learners the need to discover that our way really isn’t the best way before acknowledging our utmost need for the Lord! What I have learned, what has shaped my life like nothing else is the fact that where there is brokenness there can and will be wholeness.
Is. 61 tells us that the Lord came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives. The definition for the word "bind" brings such a smile to my face and offers so much hope that I can’t help but to feel a bit giddy as I share it’s meaning with you. Bind: “This word is used primarily to describe a binding or a wrapping of one object to another. The word is often used to describe binding wounds (both physical and spiritual) with the result that healing occurs”. Humanly we look for an out, we look for healing. But perhaps we have missed the most important gift in the fact that He is binding Himself to us ever so tightly in moments of our brokenness. We are not escaping His attention!
I wonder what would happen if we lived out of our weakness rather than in spite of it? What would we learn about our Father that we might not learn otherwise?
If we’re going to suffer, we might as well do it well. We might as well attempt to grow in Jesus and witness to others who may be watching us. It’s a difficult thing to trust, when we’ve been hurt. It takes practice. We need to trust that His plans are to prosper us, not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. (Jer. 29:11, paraphrased). Many of us may know this verse by heart but cannot bring ourselves to burry it deep within our hearts and know it as truth. I love the verses that follow. “…You will call on me and I will listen. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you and bring you back from captivity”.
Beloved, God’s promises are not invalid when we encounter trials of brokenness. In fact, it is through these times that His promises take on their greatest significance. Trust. Let go of those bootstraps, stop trying to do it on your own strength. You are the object of His delight. He wants nothing more than you to cling to Him.
Someone once told me that there are opportunities within our obstacles. She must have told me this while I was in the midst of great heartache because I didn’t believe it then. I certainly could not see the beauty for all the ashes. Like you, I have been beaten down by the world, suffered terrible loss, heartache, and been wounded repeatedly. I have dealt with brokenness more times than I care to count and in a variety of ways over the years. And not necessarily in all positive ways either! Perhaps, it is a sad reality for us strong-willed, slow-learners the need to discover that our way really isn’t the best way before acknowledging our utmost need for the Lord! What I have learned, what has shaped my life like nothing else is the fact that where there is brokenness there can and will be wholeness.
Is. 61 tells us that the Lord came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives. The definition for the word "bind" brings such a smile to my face and offers so much hope that I can’t help but to feel a bit giddy as I share it’s meaning with you. Bind: “This word is used primarily to describe a binding or a wrapping of one object to another. The word is often used to describe binding wounds (both physical and spiritual) with the result that healing occurs”. Humanly we look for an out, we look for healing. But perhaps we have missed the most important gift in the fact that He is binding Himself to us ever so tightly in moments of our brokenness. We are not escaping His attention!
I wonder what would happen if we lived out of our weakness rather than in spite of it? What would we learn about our Father that we might not learn otherwise?
If we’re going to suffer, we might as well do it well. We might as well attempt to grow in Jesus and witness to others who may be watching us. It’s a difficult thing to trust, when we’ve been hurt. It takes practice. We need to trust that His plans are to prosper us, not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. (Jer. 29:11, paraphrased). Many of us may know this verse by heart but cannot bring ourselves to burry it deep within our hearts and know it as truth. I love the verses that follow. “…You will call on me and I will listen. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you and bring you back from captivity”.
Beloved, God’s promises are not invalid when we encounter trials of brokenness. In fact, it is through these times that His promises take on their greatest significance. Trust. Let go of those bootstraps, stop trying to do it on your own strength. You are the object of His delight. He wants nothing more than you to cling to Him.
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