Pastor's Pen ~ with Joe Marquez

The Word of Grace Devotion For the week of November 14, 2011

Sweetly Broken:

Matthe 21:44: “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Beloved, if there is one truth I want you to hold on to this day it is this: God takes broken lives and makes them better! In fact God is the only one who handles brokenness with such hope and grace.

We live in a world that throws away broken items and broken people, but not God. He takes lives that have been broken through addiction, abuse, divorce, heartache, health issues, loss, joblessness, financial straits and countless other trials and He makes them better. How, you might ask? 

Beloved, the key is to fall on the stone and yes Jesus is the stone. In the above passage we notice that, “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces.” Beloved, God needs to break us in order to make better. I realize that it sounds weird but we see the reality even in nature as John 12:24 says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

Now, quite honestly I can tell you that brokenness is no fun. It can be excruciatingly painful as this past year has been for me. But I can now see how all along God had been breaking me for a purpose; a purpose greater than I could ever imagine.

The key then in the midst of our brokenness is not to lose hope. So often this is what happens. I am reminded of Jesus taking His disciples across the Sea of Galilee when a storm breaks out. The disciples freak out while Jesus is asleep in the boat. Jesus had told them to get into the boat; He knew that there was going to be a storm but Jesus also knew that their destination was the other side. Beloved, He is taking us to the other side; your brokenness will not last forever. God wants to heal you. He wants to restore you. He wants to bless you, but first He must break you.

And once you have been broken once again; you will find that you are gentler, kinder, softer, and less judgmental. In essence you are more like Jesus. Now, because you have been broken the fragrance of Christ is much more evident in and through your life. You have been sweetly broken. Remember these words that Jeremy Riddle sings, “AT THE CROSS YOU BECKON ME?YOU DRAW ME GENTLY TO MY KNEES AND I AM?LOST FOR WORDS SO LOST IN LOVE?I AM SWEETLY BROKEN WHOLLY SURRENDERED.”

I pray that you’ll have a blessed week. I love you and I’ll be praying for you!

In His Strong Love,

Pastor Joe

Grace Calvary Chapel