MM Meditation - God Uses Broken Things

Since we got married, I have kept piles of broken things that need to be repaired.  Things that need tools are stacked on my husband's workbench in the garage.  Things that need to be mended are put in my sewing cabinet.  Things that just need a little tinkering are put in my craft area.

These things all have one thing in common - they can't be used until they are fixed.  Once, when my husband was extremely busy and the pile was too big, I actually sold the broken items at my garage sale for $1 with a tongue-in-cheek sign, "The Honey Didn't Do."  I was not surprised that many of the fixable items were purchased. People love to restore good items to usability.

When things can't be fixed, they must be thrown out.  Raised by generations of frugal-fixers, this bothers me.  For me to throw something out, it has to be in pretty rough shape.

The Lord's policy is different, He doesn't throw out broken things, He uses them.


Leonard Ravenhill, in Why Revival Tarries, said, "God only uses broken things.  For example, Jesus took the lad's bread and brake it; then and only then, could it feed the crowd.

The alabaster box was broken' only then could its fragrance escape and fill the house -- and the world. 

Jesus said, "This is My body which was broken for you."  If such was the way the Master went, should not the servant tread it still? 

We need to be broken first to be used.

Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

A heart needs to be broken in conviction because of our sin against a holy God.

Because of His broken body, we can be forgiven and redeemed.

Like Mary, we can break the boxes that hold the oil of our worship.

Then, He can break the bread of service we offer, and multipy it to the people.

Because, the Lord uses broken things.

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Everlasting Love

by DeGarmo and Key

When tender hearts hold broken dreams,

Somehow You use broken things,

To teach those tender hearts to sing,

Of everlasting love.

When all around is cold & gray,

The ice soon melts, the gray soon fades,

Your Spirit takes them all away,

In everlasting love.

I can't repay your love,

That's understood.

I'll try each day, my Lord,

To do all I know I should.

When days are filled with trials and tests,

You turn those troubled times to rest,

Through it all my life is blessed,

With everlasting love.

MM Meditation - Prayer Grasps Eternity

The following exerpt is merely a few powerful paragraphs from the second chapter of

Leonard Ravenhill's Why Revival Tarries. 

It's a book you won't be able to put down,

and it's a book that'll put you down on your knees.

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No man is greater than his prayer life. 

The pastor who is not praying is playing;

the people who are not praying are straying. 

The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one's talents;

the prayer closet allows no showing off.

Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things,

she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. 

We have many organizers, but few agonizers;

many players and payers, few pray-ers;

 many singers, few clingers;

lots of pastors, few wrestlers;

many fears, few tears;

much fashion, little passion;

many interferers, few intercessors;

many writers, but few fighters.

Failing here, we fail everywhere.

(When you read this, if you were like me,

you thought of some Christian you know

for each criticism.

Then also be like me, go back and re-read this list,

thinking only of yourself.

Finney, another great revivalist preacher,

knew that revival starts with only one person -

we each are that one person.)

The secret of praying is praying in secret.

A sinning man will stop praying,

and a praying man will stop sinning.

We are beggared and bankrupt,

but not broken, nor even bent.

Prayer is profoundly simple and simply profound.

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1 Thessalonians 5:17

 Pray without ceasing.

James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another,

and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Romans 12:12

 ...rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

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