Praise lifts up hands and voice,exalts the Lord,
and provides a throne for Him.
Worship bows low,
makes oneself small,
and invites the Lord to bend and show favor.
Brokenness is not a superficial crack or chink. Brokenness thoroughly shatters, releasing sin and pride. It hurts, bringing plentiful tears which make the heart soft and tender. It makes one weak enough to cry out to One with strength.
Brokenness serves as a holy beauty preparation if one chooses to use it that way. It prompts a bride to be perfumed and anointed, to be clothed in finest linen of bright righteousness, and to call out to her Bridegroom with the invitation, "Come, lie in the bosom which has been made soft for You, and find the place of Your rest."
Brokenness invites the Lord to look, and then to display His strength.
"For the eyes of the LORD
run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf
of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
~ 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sadly and perhaps gladly, I feel most at home and closest to the Lord when broken. Is there is peace at some point, right? Thank you Anne!
ReplyDeleteI praise God for taking my broken pieces, and putting them back together, better than ever.
ReplyDeleteMany prayers were offered for you last night ... perhaps this is why.
ReplyDeleteI had this thought that brokenness allows His perfume to seep deep, deep, deep--allowing us aroma to become part of us.
ReplyDeleteT ~
ReplyDeleteI happened to be up late last night (trip to the ER with a child—and he's fine), and I caught your comment when you posted it. It's been on my mind all day. I could write a book in response ...
My thoughts have shaped my post for Tuesday. You may want to skip it. Just warning you!
Denise ~
ReplyDeleteYes, we're better, for sure. Never to be the same. Never again to be without the marks left from the breaking.
Susan ~
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to say. Other than "thank you" of course.
Thank you.
Snady ~
ReplyDeleteThe Bible says His fragrance is the aroma of life. Your thought fits in so absolutely perfectly. I love it.
There's nothing fanciful about this, Anne. Simple and beautiful, yes. Fanciful, no.
ReplyDeleteGlynn ~
ReplyDeleteOf all the ways people think of God, I do not think He is often enough thought of as the Lover of our souls, our future Bridegroom. It seems to me that everything else He is will find its fulfillment to us when we completely know Him as His bride. Thank you for seeing this as something more than fanciful.
Brokenness invites the Lord to look, and then to display His strength.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Anne. You always state things so perfectly. Thank you, my friend.
Bridget ~
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind encouragement. Thank you for hosting what was surely one of the most memorable carnivals to date.