Daily Devotionals

Devotional: August 14th

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

There is nothing more beautiful in God’s spiritual creation than a believer who demonstrates a true spirit of brokenness. Even God Himself finds such a person irresistible; He can resist the proud and haughty, but He can’t resist the broken and humble.

In our natural condition, none of us is broken. We are like a wild donkey’s colt—rebellious, stubborn, impetuous. We resist the bit, the bridle and the saddle of God’s will. We refuse to be harnessed, wanting only our own way. As long as we are unbroken, we are unfit for service.

Conversion is like the beginning of the breaking process. The penitent sinner can say, “The proudest heart that ever beat,/ Has been subdued in me;/ The wildest will that ever rose/ To scorn Thy cause or aid Thy foes/ Is quelled, my God, by Thee!” In conversion, we take the yoke of Christ upon us.

But it is possible to be a believer and still behave very much like an unbroken colt that wants to roam the range as it pleases. We must learn to turn over the reins of life to the Lord Jesus. We must submit to His dealings in our life without kicking, bucking or jumping. We must be able to say:

His way is best

We cease from needless scheming

And leave the ruling of our life to Him.

We need to practice brokenness not only toward God but toward our fellow men as well. This means that we will not be proud, assertive, arrogant. We will not feel compelled to stand up for our rights or to defend ourselves when accused unjustly. When we are insulted, ridiculed, abused or slandered, we will not fight back. Broken people are quick to apologize when they have said or done something wrong. They don’t carry grudges or keep a count of wrongs against them. They look upon others as better than themselves. When they encounter delays, interruptions, breakdowns, accidents, schedule changes and disappointments, they do not respond with frenzy, panic, hysteria or ruffled feathers. They display poise and equanimity in the crises of life.

If a married couple is truly broken, they will never need to go to the divorce court. Broken parents and children never experience a generation gap. Broken neighbors never need to erect fences. Churches with people who have learned the way of brokenness experience continual revival.

When we come to the Lord’s Supper and hear the Savior say, “This is my body, broken for you,” the only proper response is, “This is my life, Lord Jesus, broken for you.”

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