Mar 15, 2026 – Broken Things
JC – “Learn to take minibreaks from the world, finding a place to be still in My Presence and listen to My voice…. I love to reveal Myself to you, and your seeking heart opens you up to receive more of My disclosure. Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
Streams – Isaiah 41:14-15 – “Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob….I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth.” When I’ve read this verse at times, I have wondered if God was insulting Jacob, but that is not His character. He disciplines but he doesn’t embarrass us. Cowman has John Henry Jowett explain the difference in the weakness of a worm and the strength of the threshing tool and how, “Almighty God can make us stronger than our circumstances and can turn each situation to our good.” Perhaps I’ve heard or read commentary on this verse before, but obviously I forget its meaning each time because Jowett’s explanation was eye-opening and helpful especially because I do tend to ruminate on worth and contribution (my own). Even in the minutes before I started writing this morning, I was talking myself down, questioning my abilities. THAT is why time spent with God is so vital. He soothes, uplifts, directs, and transforms us – if we will let Him.
Cowman closes her devotion with J. R. Miller’s thoughts, “Christ is building His kingdom with the broken things of earth…. He can take a life crushed by pain and sorrow and make it a harp whose music will be total praise. He can lift earth’s saddest failure up to heaven’s glory.” I stopped writing at this point this morning to watch the Church of the Highlands service. Pastor Mark gave us a helpful visual about the prodigal son when he broke a clay jar on the stage. He said that the reason the son felt like he would be lucky to even be a servant in his father’s house when he returned was because, in those times, the community would have shamed him (a Kezazah ceremony) for running away and wasting the inheritance. They would break pots in front of him to draw a line in the sand so to speak.
Not only was that new to me but so was what he said about the father running to his son. It wasn’t just about it being (according to Google), “shameful and undignified for a wealthy, elderly patriarch to run in public, as it required lifting his robes and exposing his legs.” What was new to me was that the father ran in order to get to his son before the community was able to proceed with the shaming ceremony. Again, according to Google, “By running, the father took the shame upon himself, demonstrating profound grace over the traditional, strict honor-shame culture.” As we’ve heard in sermons and studies, this story demonstrates how our heavenly Father, through Christ, took our blame and shame upon himself.
Power – Luke 10:19 – “Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents…and nothing shall in any way harm you.” Joyce reminds us that we don’t have to remain in a state of weakness or doubt or shame or guilt as she writes, “One of the best ways to defend ourselves against the devil is to know the Word of God and speak it aloud against the lies he bombards our minds with…. Get out your two-edged sword and use it!”
Max offers this soothing verse from James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” The father of the prodigal saw his humbled son and lifted him up. Max suggests, “The next time you fear the future, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty…. Sovereignty gives the saint the inside track to peace. Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees.”
Prevail #74 – Speaking of having nothing left like the prodigal, Larson looks to the story in 1 Kings 17:12 about the widow telling Elijah she can’t feed him because she was about to make a final meal for herself and her son with the last of her supplies. Larson offers a helpful perspective as she explains that, “She had run out of options and resources, and thus was preparing to die. But she forgot a critical point: We should never put a period at the end of a sentence that God is still writing! Her story wasn’t over yet…. she followed the prophet’s instructions and experienced a divine miracle right in the midst of her impossible situation!”
I have put periods in places in my life that I’d like to know the “what if” about, but I try to remember that we can only learn from the past not relive it. Larson consoles as she continues, “God can make something out of nothing…. There is a time to endure and a time to start afresh. But may we never base our perspective solely on our circumstances…. He’s asking for faith, trust, obedience. With Jesus on your side, the odds against you [and regrets from the past] are meaningless.”
Utmost – Mark 10:32 – “And as they followed, they were afraid.” Chambers captures the spirit of those who find and follow Jesus and how doubt can creep in as life challenges us, “At the beginning we were sure we knew all about Jesus Christ, it was a delight to sell all and to fling ourselves out in a hardihood of love; but now we are not quite so sure.” Like the widow, when we are unsure and confused, our faith and our resolve are weakened. He warns about trying to awaken our strength on our own, “The discipline of dismay is an essential necessity in the life of discipleship. The danger is to get back to a little fire of our own and kindle enthusiasm at it (cf. Isaiah 50:10-11). When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come that following of Jesus which is an unspeakable joy.” God always has an Elijah of some sort to bless and guide us forward.
JA – “I UPHOLD ALL THOSE WHO FALL and lift up all who are bowed down. Sometimes you and I are the only ones who know you have fallen. It’s tempting at such times to gloss over what you have done (or failed to do). You may not be overwhelmed by feelings of shame, but you feel restless and unsettled – mildly guilty. Even at times like this, I continue to love you perfectly…. Remember that I can make all things – including your failures – work together for good because you love Me and are called according to My purpose. [Romans 8:28] Realizing how much I cherish you even when you’re not living well deepens your relationship with Me.” And it helps us show the same grace and love to others.
