The Blessings of Brokenness

Dr. Jay Wolf

Psalm 51:8: "Let the bones which Thou hast broken cause me to rejoice."
 
   

  I recently met a new friend who is blind. While this man lacks physical vision, he overflows with spiritual insight. He explained that his retinas began a process of irreversible degeneration about 20 years ago. He sought every medical option, but nothing could stop the descending mist of darkness.

     My new friend told me that he grew up in a strong Christian family and embraced the grace of Jesus when he was nine years old. However, his lofty educational pursuits included detours from his walk with God. He explained, "I drank at many muddy watering holes along my crooked way." When his physical vision began to lose focus, his spiritual vision refocused. One day his Pastor explained to him the great truth of Psalm 51:8. The wise friend shared an instructive insight about how a shepherd treats his beloved sheep. If the shepherd lived in a dangerous territory where there were many predators and he had a prized lamb that was prone to wander away to become lunch for a lion; the shepherd would occasionally break the foreleg of his lamb. Then, for a season, he would carry the wounded lamb on his shoulders and tenderly nurse him back to strength. The process of moving from brokenness to healing would create a bond between the lamb and the shepherd that would preclude any further wandering away from the shepherd's protective care.

     My new friend declared, "My blindness is my broken leg. God has used this fleshly thorn to gain my full attention and make me completely dependent upon Him."

     We are all broken. Let your brokenness break your rebellion and independence. Let your brokenness create a deep dependence upon Jesus, your Good Shepherd.

     Paul called his brokenness "my thorn in the flesh." Although he asked the Lord on three occasions to remove the painful problem, God's great servant concluded that the Lord revealed, "'My grace is sufficient for you for My power is perfected in your weakness.' Therefore, I will gladly boast about my weakness so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

     May God use our brokenness and thorns to develop a deep dependence upon Jesus, our gracious Good Shepherd!