“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.”
Psalm 51:17

When my children were little, they often brought me their broken toys. Most of the ones I couldn’t repair ended up being thrown away—because that’s what you do with broken things. But God does not throw away broken things—He uses them.

Think of all the times in Scripture that something or someone was broken. 

It was not until Jacob’s natural strength was broken—when his hip was wrenched in that wrestling match—that he came to the point where God could bless him in a powerful way. It was not until Gideon’s 300 soldiers broke the jars in their hands, symbolizing brokenness in their lives, that the hidden light of the torches shone forth to defeat the enemy. It was only after the poor widow broke the seal on her last jar of oil and began to pour it that God miraculously multiplied it to pay her debts and meet her needs.

It was only when Mary broke her alabaster jar of perfume—destroying its usefulness and value—that the fragrance filled the house and Jesus was honored. In fact, it was only when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them that the bread was multiplied to feed the 5,000. Through the very process of the loaves being broken, the miracle occurred. Something miraculous happens in the brokenness. This is why the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus, allowed His body to be broken for us. Keep in mind that not a bone in His body was broken (John 19:36; Psalm 34:20). Yet when He instituted the Lord’s Supper, He took bread and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24).

Speaking of His death, the Lord Jesus described Himself as a grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die. Only then does it sprout and produce many more seeds (John 12:24). The Lord goes on to teach that we, too, must be broken similarly if we are to be true followers of Christ.

Anchor For Today:
God uses broken things. He can use us most when we are pliable in His hands, allowing the Master Potter to remold and reshape the vessel as seems good to Him (Jeremiah 18:4).