Craig Clouston

 Broken

August 5

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit …

Psalm 51:17

The Sunday service had begun as it did each week with the worship team lead-

ing the congregation in praise and worship. Nothing unusual there, the people’s

praises inviting God into the atmosphere.

Then God showed up, and it was personal.

Conrad loved singing and praising God. Suddenly, in the midst of wor-

ship, he felt an enveloping presence, a fullness he’d never experienced before.

From deep inside his being he heard a voice speak.

Jerking his head up and looking around to see who was watching, Conrad

was momentarily stunned. Seeing no one looking his way, he closed his eyes

once more. As he did, he realized the voice had come from inside. And the

moment that realization hit him, he heard it again. “Broken. You must come

broken.”

To say Conrad was startled was a gross understatement! God had never

spoken to him like this! Regaining his thoughts, he whispered, “What do You

mean, broken?”

“You are holding on to burdens that are not yours. But unless you are bro-

ken, I cannot take them.” The Holy Spirit continued, “I want all of you. Even

the deeply hidden things, Conrad. You must be broken to be made whole.”

Conrad hesitated only a moment. “Take my heart, Lord. Make me whole.”

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Completely broken in spirit, yielded to God at the purest level, requires our

desires to take a back seat to God’s will. Scary, but it’s actually where we are

the safest.

Satan says otherwise. He whispers, “It’s too great a risk; you will be

humiliated.”

Satan is a liar. Complete submission to God can be intimidating; volun-

tary vulnerability is not natural. But it is where pride yields to God’s Sover-

eignty in such a way that He can heal the deepest, darkest wounds of our heart.

God wants to take our broken pieces and fit them together in such a way

as to make us whole. He wants to set us free of the bondage of secret sin. To

risk our heart this way is to leave ourselves bare before the Lord. But the ben-

efits are worth any possible risk.

Our Savior is gentle and loving. He does not humiliate His children. He’s

asking us today, “Will you come broken in spirit?”

Prayer

“I sacrifice my broken spirit, Lord. Make me whole. Amen.”