Has God spoken to you recently? I don’t mean a deep, thundering voice booming from the heavens. But has God whispered your name through a verse of Scripture, has he captured your attention through the glory of a sunrise, has he challenged your thinking through the words of an author, has he stroked your hair or soothed your weariness through the kindness of a friend? God speaks today, sometimes in the familiar, sometimes in the unexpected.

Experiencing Brokenness

God spoke to me today. I’m taking a spiritual retreat day on this Friday: eight glorious hours to hide from the world—alone with God—in solitude, study, reflection, and prayer. I finished reading a book this morning entitled Brokenness (Red Door Press, 2005), by Lon Solomon. While I still question some of Lon’s premises, the bottom line is rock solid: “The lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

God allows us to be broken so we will learn to rely solely on him. God sometimes steps into our lives and breaks us—not maliciously, but purposefully—so we will be emptied of pride and become truly useful to him. God teaches us to embrace brokenness so we can become fully surrendered, discovering his deep love and true purpose for our lives.

For me, brokenness has been—and continues to be—a process. I cannot reflect on my life and point to one moment of complete and utter destruction of self-will. Rather, through a series of events over the past 20 years of ministry, I see seasons of brokenness—circumstances, or days, or even months of time—where God has chipped away at my pride and independence, slowly and stubbornly shaping me into his servant. Those seasons of brokenness have produced fruitful times of ministry, just as the dormancy of winter leads to the explosion of new life in spring. The process of brokenness is not a pleasant one, but an essential step in the process of true surrender.

Seeing Brokenness

I have witnessed brokenness in the past few weeks. I’ve seen it in the tears of a friend who is desperately seeking God’s will for his future. I heard it in the cry of a beautiful young girl who questions her true value to other people and to God. I have felt it through the words of a husband and wife desperately seeking to guide their children on the right path. I’ve listened as a young businessman has wrestled with decisions that could shape his future for better or for worse. I’ve experienced it through some times of personal discouragement and soul-searching. Through it all, I’m convinced the answer lies in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Only when we are crushed and broken can we experience the healing touch of our loving Father in Heaven.

And so, I pray today for you to be broken. Not so you will experience pain and loss, but so you will discover joy, purpose, love, and peace. |L

OTHER COLUMNS:
November 15, 2009 - Bringing Christ to French Guiana
November 1, 2009 - Walking the edge
October 18, 2009 - Watch what you say
October 4, 2009 - Proposing a new proverb
September 20, 2009 - Fear and trembling
September 6, 2009 - Elwyn
August 23, 2009 - Where did the Bible go?
August 9, 2009 - The public school: a local mission field
July 26, 2009 - Astonishing the judges
July 12, 2009 - Letting the past go
June 28, 2009 - Line up
June 14, 2009 - The path to spiritual growth
May 31, 2009 - A tribute to one of my heroes
May 17, 2009 - Silent soldier
April 19, 2009 - Operation Resensitization
April 5, 2009 - The temptations of ministers
March 8, 2009 - Conversation over shoes
February 22, 2009 - By their plurals you shall know them
February 8, 2009 - What is missing from your retirement plans?
January 25, 2009 - Turn the page
December 28, 2008 - Abba, Father
December 14, 2008 - Elementary truths
November 30, 2008 - The illusion
October 19, 2008 - Acting like a toddler
October 5, 2008 - Don’t miss this
September 21, 2008 - Foolish schemes
September 7, 2008 - God’s hand is everywhere
August 24, 2008 - The dance
August 10, 2008 - Strange land
July 27, 2008 - God’s amazing grace
July 13, 2008 - A best seller
June 29, 2008 - My grandfather’s clock and worship
June 1, 2008 - Reclaiming the name
May 4, 2008 - God is not our fairy godmother
April 6, 2008 - Success: what is it and who can measure up?
March 9, 2008 - Need to know
February 10, 2008 - The top three myths of singleness
January 13, 2008 - By invitation only
December 5, 2007 - Yes, Abbie, there is a Jesus
November 18, 2007 - 10 Ways to be a good Christmas customer
October 21, 2007 - The dividing line
September 23, 2007 - What do you fear?
September 9, 2007 - A life well lived
August 26, 2007 - To murmur, or not to murmur
July 29, 2007 - The cross and the Christian
July 15, 2007 - Turning the other cheek: still a valuable biblical principle
July 1, 2007 - Why the tie?
June 3, 2007 - The death of a son
May 6, 2007 - A prayer for the dying
April 8, 2007 - The omnipresent God
March 11, 2007 - Do the Amish have superheroes?
February 11, 2007 - What’s your black history?
January 14, 2007 - The split branch
December 31, 2006 - The house of regret
December 10, 2006 - The redemption of the innkeeper
November 26, 2006 - Too many choices
November 12, 2006 - Break the bashing habit: Learning to love the unsaved like Christ does: November 12, 2006
October 15, 2006 - Be ‘salt and light’ this Christmas!: October 15, 2006
September 17, 2006 - Who is a legalist?: September 17, 2006 Issue 38
June 25, 2006 - 'What I am looking for in my church leaders'