04.03. God Values Broken Things

God Values Broken Things

Usually when something is broken, its value declines or disappears altogether. Broken dishes, broken bottles, broken mirrors are generally scrapped. Even a crack in furniture or a tear in cloth greatly reduces its resale value. But it isn’t that way in the spiritual realm. God puts a premium on broken things—especially on broken people. That is why we read such verses as: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalms 34:18). The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalms 51:17).

God knows how to resist the proud and haughty, but He cannot resist a person who is humble and contrite.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). There is something in our brokenness that appeals to His compassion and power. And so part of His wonderful purpose for our lives is that we should be broken—broken in heart, broken in spirit, and broken even in body (2 Corinthians 4:6-18).