JEREMIAH 15:19
- SOMEONE ONCE SAID “ A SOUL IS CONVERTED IN A MOMENT OF TIME, BUT TO BECOME A SAINT TAKES A LIFETIME”
- CONVERSION HAPPENS INSTANTLY , MATURITY TAKES MANY YEARS
- TO BRING US TO MATURITY, GOD HAS TO BREAK US OVER AND OVER
- SO OFTEN I SEE CHRISTIANS STRUGGLING TO GET WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS THE TOP
- THEY GATHER AND ACCUMULATE AND ARRANGE AND AMASS- ALL THE WHILE FORGING THEIR LONG LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PERHAPS WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY WILL ONE DAY BE ABLE TO HAND THEIR RESUME TO GOD AND SAY, “SEE WHAT I’VE DONE FOR YOU”
- GOD’S WORK THROUGH BROKENNESS CALLS US NOT TO ACCUMULATE, BUT TO DISCARD
- HE CALL US TO GET RID OF THIS, TOSS THAT , PURGE OURSELVES OF THIS TRAIT AND THAT HABIT, REPENT OF THAT DESIRE AND THAT GOAL, AND FINALLY STRIP OURSELVES OF ALL SELF UNTIL WE CAN TRULY SAY, “ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT I HAVE IS GOD’S
- HE IS IN ME AND I AM IN HIM, AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS
- WHAT IS GOD STRIPPING AWAY FROM YOUR LIFE? WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF BEING BROKEN?
- WHAT HAVE YOU PUT BETWEEN YOU AND TOTAL SURRENDER TO GOD?
- WHAT DO YOU TRUST MORE THAN YOU TRUST GOD?
- WHAT DO YOU LOVE MORE THAN YOU LOVE GOD?
- GOD WILL BREAK YOU, CHANGE YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO GROW UNTIL YOU REACH SPIRITUAL MATURITY
- NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES OR HOW DIFFICULT THE PROCESS MAY BE GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BREAK YOU AND BRING YOU TO A PLACE OF WHOLENESS AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY SO THAT HE MIGHT USE YOU AS HIS TOOL IN BRINGING STILL OTHERS TO WHOLENESS AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY
- WE CANT REACH SPIRITUAL MATURITY, WITHOUT SUFFERING PAIN, AND WE CANT ENGAGE IN MINISTRY WITHOUT BEING WILLING TO ENDURE EVEN MORE SUFFERING AND PAIN
- THEY JOY SET BEFORE US, HOWEVER IS THE JOY OF KNOWING THAT GOD IS WITH US, WORKING IN US, AND THROUGH US AND THAT GOD IS PLEASED WITH US
- FRIEND THERE’S NO GREATER JOY THAN THAT
- MAYBE YOU ARE FACING A TIME OF BROKENNESS AND IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE EMOTIONAL PAIN IS MORE THAN YOU CAN BEAR
- OR PERHARPS YOU ARE DEALING WITH A SERIES OF DISAPPOINTMENTS
- INSTEAD OF BECOMING FEARFUL- A FREQUENT PLOY OF SATAN TO PULL YOU AWAY FROM GOD – ASK THE LORD TO REVEAL WHAT HE IS UP TO IN YOUR LIFE
- GOD DID NOT REMOVE THE “THORN” FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL’S LIFE, YET HE DID HELP HIM TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE ALLOWED THE TRIAL TO PERSIST
- THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALED AN ELEMENT OF PRIDE IN PAUL’S LIFE THE “THORN” WAS GIVEN TO HUMBLE HIM AND CAUSE HIM TO RELY ONLY ON CHRIST ,SEE 2CORINTHIANS 12:1-11
- WHAT IS GOD STRIPPING AWAY FROM YOUR LIFE?
- IN VISITING GOD’S ALTAR OF BROKENNESS, YOU WILL FIND A SPIRITUAL DEPTH NOT PRESENT BEFORE THE TRIAL BEGAN
- PETER WRITES “BELOVED, DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU, BUT REJOICE TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU PARTAKE OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS, THAT WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED, YOU MAY ALSO BE GLAD WITH EXCEEDING JOY” 1 PETER 4:12,13
- CHARLES SPURGEON WROTE “GOD KNOWS THAT SOLDIERS ARE ONLY TO BE MADE IN BATTLE, THEY ARE NOT TO BE GROWN IN PEACEFUL TIMES
- WARRIORS ARE REALLY EDUCATED BY THE SMELL OF POWDER, IN THE MIDST OF WHIZZING BULLETS AND ROARING CANNONADES….IS HE NOT DEVELOPING IN YOU THE QUALITIES OF THE SOLDIER BY THROWING YOU INTO THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE, AND SHOULD YOU NOT USE EVERY APPLICATION TO COME OFF CONQUEROR
- BROKENNESS IS A SIGN OF GOD’S LOVE AND ACTIVITY IN YOUR LIFE, HE BREAKS YOUR SELF-RELIANCE BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU
- HE KNOWS THAT LEFT ON YOUR OWN, YOU WOULD YIELD TO PRIDE AND SELFISHNESS
- ANY DISCIPLINE YOU EXPERIENCE IN TIMES OF BROKENNESS IS GOD’S WAY OF PREPARING YOU FOR FUTURE SERVICE
- KEEP IN MIND THAT GOD USES BROKENNESS TO DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING IN AT LEAST THREE WAYS
- YOU GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF HIS MERCY AND PROVISION
- YOU DEVELOP A MORE COMPLETE COMPREHENSION OF YOURSELF
- YOUR COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING FOR OTHERS SUFFERING GROWS
- THE LORD HAS ONE THING IN MIND FOR BROKENNESS:SPIRITUAL VICTORY, YOU WILL SOON DISCOVER THAT ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN TAKE YOUR WEAKNESS AND TURN IT INTO STRENGTH, HOPE AND HONOUR
- WILL YOU TRUST HIM TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?