Brokenness

Have you experienced a brokenness in your Christian walk? Are you committed enough to Jesus to ask Him for a broken spirit and contrite heart? If you are sincere, I assure you that Jesus will accommodate you.

Definition: In the positive spiritual sense, brokenness is the condition of being completely subdued and humbled before the Lord, and as a result, completely yielded to and dependent upon Him also.

In mid-1970’s I was listening to a cassette tape on the subject of brokenness. At the conclusion of the tape, the speaker issued an invitation to ask the Lord for brokenness. I was compelled to ask and immediately I was in an uncontrollable sobbing stage. I was traveling at the time and I had to pull over to the side of the road and I felt I lost control of myself. This continued for several minutes. This was a time of a dramatic transformation in my life as I was drawn to the Lord as I have never been before.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite [repentant, regretful] spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

 Hosea 10:12b [God compares our hearts to a garden, and for a garden to bear fruit the ground has to be broken up so that it is able to receive water.] Break up your fallow [uncultivated, unseeded] ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.

Psalm 32:9a [Unyielded people need to be more forcibly guided or restrained:] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.

The above verses are a few of many references to brokenness. It is better that a person surrenders voluntarily than to have God lead you in desert for 40 years in order to get your attention.

I have come to learn that God breaks us in order that we will become what He wants us to be and not what we think we should be. This could mean we take up our cross and follow Him. I assure you that He will be with you during that time and bless you like you have never been blessed.