Given the lack of quality in today’s toys and with three children, I find myself often discarding broken toys and other items. When a toy, or most any other item for that fact, breaks, it is usually of little or no value. Broken things are simply garbage in most cases. However, God has the awesome ability to use broken things, which would be rendered garbage to us, and use them to accomplish His will. Consider:
God used broken pitchers to defeat Israel’s enemies. After decreasing the size of Gideon’s army to a mere 300 men (Judges 7:2-7), Gideon gave instructions as to how Midian would be defeated. Interestingly, this defeat involved breaking the pitchers that they were carrying (Judges 7:19), which allowed their lights to be shown brightly. A broken pitcher is of little value to humanity, but when God is behind it, it makes the victory possible! Sometimes our “vessels” need broken to show that the light within can shine (Matthew 5:13-16). “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
God used a broken heart to bring a man back to himself. After King David committed adultery, deception and murder, he continued living like nothing ever happened (cf. 2 Samuel 12). After Nathan’s bold sermon (2 Samuel 12:1-7), David’s heart was broken (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51). That broken heart was a penitent display of David’s remorse for his sins. God can use broken hearts! In fact, broken hearts over sin are what God requires (Matthew 5:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10). How broken should our hearts be given the multitude of flagrant sins so prevalent in our society today (homosexuality, abortion, drug abuse, alcoholism, etc.)? No matter how broken, God surely, “…healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
God used a broken body to save the world! It is common to hear an older person opine about the state of their “broken down” body. In fact, most of us realize that a broken body is not as useful in some ways as it used to be (2 Corinthians 5:1). However, the Almighty used the broken body of His Son to accomplish the one and only redemptive plan for humanity. (NOTE: We refer to Jesus’ broken body as per 1 Corinthians 11:24; however, Scripture is clear that His bones were not broken, John 19:36; Psalm 34:20.) His broken body of upon Calvary’s cross changed the world forevermore! Death upon a cross would normally be looked at with contempt and shame, but to the spiritual mind it is a display of the power of the infinite God we serve (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Don’t discard it because it is broken. Bring it to God; He uses broken things! “Bring Christ your broken life, so marred by sin, He will create anew make whole again…” Amen.
