Are we willing to be broken??? Our first reaction is to cry, "No! " However, my most precious moments were when I was broken in the presence of God. I felt full, whole and safe even as the storm raged around me. Compare that to when I am living out of my own strength and telling God to keep up behind me. My mind is overwhelmed, my spirit weak and empty, my body aching, dragging, my heart frightened and racing. We plow along like that because "we haven't physically and mentally broke yet!" We chase adrenaline, caffeine, sugar.... Squeezing every last drop out of our own abilities and trying to avoid breaking because we are so afraid to go there! Satan actually fools us into believing that it is the crash that represents God when in truth we are the ones who crashed and burned because we tried to live apart from God's love and strength!
The actual brokenness is beautiful. It's not a state of exhaustion but a voluntary step into the presence of God. We stand before him before we break in our own strength. We ask him to break anything in us that is self reliant and to give us a humble heart to trust him, follow him and work it all out for us. It's a nest of protection and unconditional love where we rest, laugh and confide with the One who adores us and restores us.
Don't confuse our crash with His grace. The notion that we must get to the end of ourselves before we crawl to him is a falsehood! Spending time in our bibles, praying, resting, having fellowship... Those are our daily flow stations. The enemy tries to make us believe that we should wear ourselves out and then make God a fill up station. The enemy tells us to run from brokenness. However, God tells us to have a broken and contrite spirit. We are NOT to be broken with weariness but to be broken in love. We should never be empty because God offers to flow his strength and love through us daily. Truth be told, he knows we are just sheep who need a Shepherd and every time we get lost he leaves the rest to come get us. Forgiving us over and over again. So let us try to stay near the Shepherd and not fear being broken in his presence. We drive ourselves like a relentless, cruel task master whereas Christ leads us with tenderness. Follow the Savior not the world. Be not afraid of complete vulnerability as you surrender your way to his. The world tells you its all about your power whereas, God empowers us with the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead! I've done it both ways and trust me, his way is better.
Isaiah 41:18, "I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs."
Isaiah 43:19, "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
Deuteronomy 31:8, "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."
Zechariah 4:6, "So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."
Running ahead of God in our own strength is not wise. Be still and ask Him to go before you.
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