Brokenness - 1.

Each day, I get to realise one can't completely boast of knowing his or her capabilities until truly faced with situations. Life experiences can either bring out the best or worse in us depending on how we chose to react or respond. I will like to share the four series on 'Brokenness' written by Bob Gass some years ago on  the devotional 'The Word for Today'. I pray each post reforms you as it did me when I was going through it after so many years.

BROKENNESS - PSALM 51:17:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 A world that celebrates success doesn't see value in broken things. But God brings out beauty out of brokenness. For a plant to rise from the soil the seed must be broken. For a baby chick to experience larger life the shell must be broken. Even a thoroughbred horse must be broken; it must learn to respond to the tug of the rein and the sound of the master's voice. getting the idea? After a humbling encounter with Christ on Damascus Road, Paul re-evaluated all the religious activity he once boasted about and called it 'dung' (Philippians 3:8 ). And you don't brag about dung, you're repulsed by it.

Brokenness is the work of God by which He strips us of self-sufficiency so that the character of Christ may shine through us.  Now don't misunderstand; being broken doesn't necessarily mean experiencing some tragedy. Many people suffer tragedy without drawing closer to God or even acknowledging Him. Indeed, the same sunshine that melts the butter hardens the clay. The issue in brokenness is not so much our circumstances, but our response.  What is God trying to teach us? True brokenness is when he strips us of self-sufficiency to the extent that we've no strength left to fix ourselves. When God blocks every exit we try to take and we come to see that he alone is our answer, we make life changing discovery. 'And what's that?' you ask. When God is all you have God is all you need! Bottom line: God's power is reserved for those who have given up trying to do it i their own strength or to accomplish for their won ends!

Have a beautiful day! Cheers!!.