Toiling in the
garden, hoeing and digging up weeds is just up my alley. I love the challenge
of transplanting a bush or plant that molds into the colorful design my mind
has created. While I am clipping and pruning I cannot help but notice the mixed
barrage of odors the shrubbery releases into the atmosphere. One single clip
can bring forth a massive amount of challenges for your olfactory skills.
Plants have a way of
communicating to us that isn’t too distant from the way we ourselves relate.
When they are thriving they bloom and usually smell sweet while waving about in
the sunshine. When they are clipped, they seem to rebel while giving off an
offensive odor as mentioned previously. Some have said that this is the way the
plant cries in relation to the crime. Others have said that the odor itself
destroys other plants so many feet away. When the plant such as roses are cut
and placed in water, then left by itself, sooner or later the roses become
stagnant and give off the stench of death. Yet, roses love to be pruned so they
can produce more blossoms. They also gobble up food as quickly as it is given.
The rewards can be obvious when we count the numerous buds on one single bush.
Being totally broken is a humbling experience, even in the
plant world. I once had a Pastor friend
who I admired and always said: “I never trust a man who doesn’t have a limp.” I second that! Many of us can easily say that because we have
that storehouse of memories. We find that most of our negative reactions that we
are discontent with today can be because of the selfish decisions of yesterday.
God draws near to the broken and crushed because it is that
time when we are open to receive His truth. We cannot truly be humble unless we
are broken. Before a stick is broken, it bends. Only then, are we able to look
up. Sometimes, a door has to be broken and beat down in order to get inside of
the house. For such a time when our wound is open, our ears are open and our
spirit is open and we can feel disoriented with emotional pain and the
sensitivity of the damage to our souls become heightened. I believe The Holy
Spirit opens up our eyes and allows us to see just how far we have fallen.
Alike the plant, we give an odor as we cry out from within.
Being broken to tears has many scientific health benefits. When we weep over our heartbreak many things
begin to happen in our body, such as the release of those valiant hero’s called
“endorphins” that go after the toxins in our body. Yes, we are purged and cleansed just by our
sorrow and grief.
When our eyes tear up and physically cleanse us, we can
see better. We see the depth of our
actions because we chose to humble ourselves. We chose to be honest in our
heart and admit our wrong or perhaps staying in an area of our life that
continues to depress and degrade the life we live. We stop lying to
ourselves. When we do this, we are at
last; honest with God.
God honors broken vessels!
There are many plants that I snip off and push the stalks right back
into the soil where they take root and grow. But, first they must be broken in
order to force themselves to take root, be strong and know what they must
do! Yes, even the plant world is broken
to be strong.
Without the scars we would not understand the battleground.
Without the scars we would not understand the battleground.
Two verses:
The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart,
and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly
penitent. Psalms 34:18 amp
My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken
spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent] such , O
God, You will not despise. Psalms 51:17
amp
Whatever your need, when we sincerely humble ourselves
before God, we experience a divine encounter.
God our Father draws near to you and listens. He hears your heart. He sees your pain and all the wounds that are
involved. He sees the people involved and all their hurts. There isn’t anything
that is not uncovered in His presence. The closer you begin to draw to Him, the
nearer He comes to you. Your honesty becomes a threshold of truth that will
open many doors in your life; doors of forgiveness, healing and much joy. The joy will create strength; strength to
forgive that will free your spirit and you will receive your much desired
healing by faith.
Where you once never danced in the Lord, you will twirl! You
will sing from your soul as your spirit links with The Holy Spirits. Little do
you realize that a choir of angels stand alongside you; celebrating your humble heart, as the handwriting of ordinances that were
held against you have been totally blotted out!
Being humbly broken can mean:
1. I was wrong and that God was right.
2. It can be admittance that there is a God after all and
that Jesus is Lord.
3. It can mean that your way was not the right way after
all.
4. It means a decision.
5. A surrender.
I appreciated the way a well known Apologetic Dr. Ravi Zacharias described brokenness. As I can remember he was saying:
“Have you ever heard Physicians talk about a clean break in
the bone? When this happens, given time and properly attended; the bone will
knit perfectly back in alignment. A clean break aptly describes the separation
from God because of sin. Yet, this clean break can be knit back in perfect
alignment once again when perfect attendance is ministered.”
Today, right where you are at; The Holy Spirit is blowing
upon your heart and saying: “Come back child, to that which you know is truth.
Give yourself to me this day and I will take you the rest of the way.”
Pray:
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me. I realize that I have made such a mess of my
life. I need You and do not know how to pray or what to do. Please forgive me
my sins [confess your sins] . I want to be born-again, a new person in Christ. Show me and help me Lord to walk the straight
path. I need to know how to love. Give me strength, I need your strength. Open
up my eyes so I can see your truth. Set me free. Send me your messengers to
help me grow. I believe and accept that Jesus is Lord. Direct my ways. I choose
to walk by faith and not by sight. I choose to trust you with everything that
is inside of me. Thank you Lord. amen.
If you have prayed that prayer, please buy a Bible so you
can begin reading and studying. Find a good Bible believing Church to meet
those who have walked through this same porthole you just walked through. There
are no shortcuts to glory. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life…no
one comes to the Father except through Him.
God Bless You
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