Beauty Out Of Brokenness

Think of this, not until you are broken and humbled can the Lord make something beautiful of you.  Read Matthew 23:11-12, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Now read Proverbs 16:18-19, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Think of what the proud person does and how they act.  It seems that everything is focused around them, they can do everything better than anyone else, at least it seems that way when you hear them talk.  They nitpick and judge everyone else like they never do anything wrong themselves.  They can be very negative, cutting and stabbing with their tongues seemingly always finding fault with others because of not looking at their own lives and what is in their own hearts, and somehow they always seem to justify their own actions. Read Proverbs 3:34-35, “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”

Now read James 4:5-10, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

If you are a believer, you probably know how Peter denied the Lord when He said He would die with the Lord and that Jesus told him that Satan wanted to sift him as wheat, but He had prayed for him and when he returned to strengthen his brothers.  After Peter denied the Lord He went out and wept because he was broken and because of his brokenness Peter became something beautiful that the Lord could use to further His kingdom.  Pride puffs up but humility is used to build up, to make something beautiful out of a person’s life!!

You may not know about King Nebuchadnezzar and how proud he was so check out Daniel 4:25-34, “That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:”

King Nebuchadnezzar was in this humbling, purifying state for seven years before he was restored to his kingship.  God’s Word says to humble yourself before the Lord, but if we refuse God knows how to humble us if He so chooses.  Enough said, may you have a super day and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!  May the good Lord bless you and yours!!

Think about this; if a person is willing to humble themselves before the Lord they will become beautiful in the eyes of the Lord and He will lift them up!!  A humble and contrite heart the Lord will not despise but He will always resist the proud!!