Broken Beauty

Two scenes were impressed upon my heart. Like golden jewels, they are precious to me. As the beauty of Heaven, so it was. These scenes, though painful, were more precious to my heart than all the wealth in the world. Though the scenes were a picture of weakness, they were mightier than the greatest army on earth. They had two things in common, and the value is for us to learn from.

In the first, I beheld as follows: A man, who was no mere man, humbly bowing before an earthly court, and sentenced to die. This man, the Creator of the Universe, mocked and scorned, then dragged to the place of a skull to be killed. Outside the gate, despised and rejected, he allowed himself to be hung on the cross with other lowly thieves. Although he could have called ten thousand angels to deliver himself, he freely gave up his life. In a humble manner, he suffered as the lowest of all humanity and was crucified. Though he was Creator, he allowed himself to be the suffering Lamb. Bruised and rejected, he willingly suffered.

Although this man appeared weak, this was the moment in which the shackles of sin were broken for all humanity. In his blood that was poured out freely for us, so we received power. Ah, my dear friends! Is not strength made perfect in weakness? Only through this broken humility could the world be restored to a relationship with the Creator.

In the second scene, I beheld thus: A man of God, anointed with His Spirit was preaching. As he was called, he spoke. The congregation listened carefully, and the Holy Spirit brought conviction into the lives of two estranged sisters. The battle for their souls was on. Should they humiliate themselves, and freely beg each other for forgiveness and confess their injustice to each other? Satan was working overtime; the battle was hot. The closing invitation for repentance was given. Oh, no man will know the battle faced by these two sisters as they fought the conviction that they had done wrong! Each was convinced the other was wrong. Neither one cared to expose their weakness and beg forgiveness.

Then, O joy! Forgetting all others, forgetting their pride, they knelt at the altar, tears of sorrow and joy mingled on the cheeks of these fair young maidens. Crushing in a tender embrace, they begged each other for forgiveness and restored their relationship. Humble, broken and exposed, they prayed, and their relationship with God was restored. The angels in heaven sang, God saw from his throne and was please. The congregation also wiped tears at the tender scene in front of them.

Although these dear sisters appeared to be weak, in this moment they overcame the chains of Satan that had bound them. Mighty bonds, that could in no other way be loosed.

What can we, the church of God, learn from this? In humility, and in brokenness is where our greatest strength is found. God Almighty, who is above all, will draw near to be our helper if we in humility allow Him to do his work. Our Father desires us to be broken, he desires that we would surrender the fight and allow His name to be glorified.

Oh, the beauty! It is above the depth of man to understand the mind of God. In broken humility, let us bow down before him, and worship.