God Uses The Broken

I am continuing to study brokenness. I am so excited about the things God is revealing to me about true brokeness. I have learned that God uses people and things that have been broken. There is story after story where God has brought His people to brokenness. It recurres again and again throughout all the scripture. There is so much that I doubt I will ever be able to learn all there is to know about it in my lifetime. However, I am seeking to learn whatever the Lord would have me to learn in this season of my life.

A few examples of people that have been brought to brokenness are:

1. God used brokenness in the life of Jacob. Jacob got into a wrestling match with God in Genesis 32. The pride that was in His heart caused him to pretend he was somebody he wasn't but God brought him to brokenness at the river Jabbok.

2. God used brokenness in the life of Moses. He grew up in a palace. Then after fourty years he left to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and then woundered in the desert for another fourty years. Then at the burning bush God brought Moses to brokenness.

3. God also used brokenness in the life of Mary Magdalene the prostitute in Luke 7:[37-39]. Mary was so broken over her sin that she wanted to give all she had to Christ. All she had was a broken and contrite heart and an alabaster box of ointment that was worth a years wage. She did not care what the cost was or what she had to sacrifice for Christ because she knew He gave her a gift that she cold never repay. The gift of Forgiveness. She was so broken over her sin that she anointed his feet and washed them with her tears.

All these people have the same thing in common. They were all sinners saved by God's grace. Their pride had to be replaced with humility. Only when they had been broken could they be used of God. Their brokeness brought blessedness. Only through brokenness could they recieve the blessings God had for lives.


4. Bread had to be broken to be used of God. An example of bread that had to be broken to be used of God is found in the miracle Jesus performed when He feed the five-thousand people. This is the only miracle Jesus performed that is record in--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--all four of the gospels. I am going to use the account of feeding the five thousand that is recorded in the book of John for this journal.

John 6:[1-14]--"After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

There is so much to see and digest in this passage of scripture. One of the first things that caught my attention as I was reading this story is what Jesus said to Philip. Jesus said,“Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” then, I like what is recorded next in this verse, "But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do." Christ did not ask Him this because he did not know Himself. He asked Him this to test him. What a test!!! Then Philip answers with this statement, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” It is interesting to me what a denarii is worth. A denarius is worth a days wage. Since a denarius is worth 1 days wage then two hundred denarii is worth approximately 8 months' wages. This seemed impossible to the disciples. They did not have enough food or money to feed all these people because the number of men were 5,000, this does not include the women and children, which could have been as many as 20,000 people in all. All they had was 5 loaves of bread and two fishes. The multitude was so large that this amount was not adequate enough to feed them all. I'm sure in their minds it would take more than a grocery store to feed all these people. What seemed impossible to the disciples was possible through Christ. They did not have to understand they just needed to believe. I am sure they were thinking how can this lunch that will feed a boy be enough to feed a multitude.

The lunch had to be brought to Christ first only then could it be broken into pieces to feed the multitude. If it had not of been broken first it would not of been able to feed all the people. The bread had to be broken to be useful. The people were filled and satisfied physically but were blinded to their spiritual need for Christ. They failed to understand that It wasn't the physical bread that could satisfy them, it was Christ. They missed the significance that Jesus Christ is the bread of life and only through Him could they truely be made whole and satisfied.

It is awesome what Christ did with this pitiful lunch and what was left after everyone was filled. There were twelve baskets left over after feeding this multitude. What a miracle!!!! It's amazing to me that the disciples were able to be recipients of this blessing because they were obedient to what Christ told them to do. Even though it did not make sense to them they were still obedient. Their own understanding was not dependent on their obedience. This applys to our lives as well. Are we willing to sacrifice as this boy did even when we don't know how God will use what we give Him. We cannot be used or help others until we have been broken ourselves.

Psalm 34:18--"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit." We have to humble ourselves before God and come to Christ. The Lord will save you if you humbly confess your sins and accept Him as Lord of your life. If our lives are broken when given to Jesus, God can use our pieces to feed a multitude when only a loaf could satisfy only a little boy.

"It is amazing what God can do with a broken heart, if he gets all the pieces."--Samuel Chadwick

5. The greatest example of brokenness is Christ Himself, when His body was broken on Calvary. Calvary is where Jesus’ love was broken and spilled out in obedience to His Father. Jesus’ body was broken for us because we are unbroken. God used His broken body to pay the penalty for our sins. Hebrews 9:26--"He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." 1 Corithians 11:24--"and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take eat; this is my body which is broken for you; do this in rememberance of Me." Jesus was willing to be crushed and even die so that through His death we could recieve eternal life. Through His death we now can live.

Brokenness overwhelms me when I think of the sacrifice that God has made for us by sending His only son to die in our place. Just think of the sacrifice Christ made when he endured the sufferings of the cross. He was broken and spilled out for us. Our lives must be broken so that Christs' Body can be revealed through us that we may reach others with the gospel. Our brokennes may be the very thing that God uses to bring brokenness to those around us. The only way for us to gain life is to give it up. We must choose the pathway of brokenness. Only through brokenness and humility can we recieve new life. When we choose brokenness we are allowing Christs' abundant life to flow in and through us. Please do not wait for God to break you, choose to be broken.

"Being broken is both god's work and ours. He brings His pressure to bear; but we have to make the choice.....all day long the choice will be before us in a thousand ways."--Roy Hesson

John 6:[35-40]--"And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Have you truely been broken before God? Are you walking in a lifestyle of brokenness? What's the conditon of your heart? Do you have a proud heart or a broken heart? Seek God and ask him to reveal to you what is in your heart.

Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison