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“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34: 18)

Abby was reaching to get a cereal bowl out of the cupboard when—CRASH!—she accidentally knocked a glass of orange juice off the counter and onto the kitchen floor. What a mess! Her mother had to pick up the large pieces of glass, mop up the spilled juice, and vacuum for any tiny shards that could cut someone’s foot. No one would ever drink from that glass again. It would have to be replaced.

Sometimes broken things can be fixed, but often they are useless.

Is breaking something ever a good thing? Yes! An egg, for instance, has to be cracked before it can be eaten. We have to untie or cut the ribbon on a present to open it. A plank of lumber must be cut the right size before it can be used to build a table.

One broken thing that is very valuable to God is a broken heart. When we are truly sorry for our sin, God accepts our broken heart as a sacrifice. No other sacrifice that we can offer will please Him—not even gifts of money or special acts of kindness.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

God accepts a heart that is broken and yielded to Him.

My Response:
» Do I see my sin as God sees it?
» my heart broken because I have grieved Him?

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:7)

It was August, and the Ellisons’ air conditioner had broken down. Mrs. Ellison called the repairman, who tested the unit and took it apart. To his surprise, he found large quantities of sand in the outdoor fan. Mrs. Ellison asked her children if they knew how the sand had gotten in. Sadly, they admitted that they and their neighbor friends had made a game of throwing sand into the fan and running away before it could blow back into their faces.

Mrs. Ellison reminded them of the rule they had broken: sand was not supposed to be thrown or removed from the sandbox. Because of the children’s disobedience, the family would spend hundreds of dollars to replace the broken fan. The Ellison children would do extra cleanup in the yard as punishment, and a trip to Six Flags would be cancelled so that the money could go toward a new air conditioner. The Ellison children learned to take better care of property and to obey authority.

Mrs. Ellison also asked the neighbor children not to throw sand into the new fan. She explained about the damage, but she did not punish them. They went to their own yards and threw dirt and sand into their air conditioning fans. Soon other families were calling the same repairman and buying new air conditioners.

Why didn’t Mrs. Ellison discipline the neighbor children? They had knowingly broken the rules along with her children. But they were not her children, so she did not punish them.

Like an earthly parent, our Heavenly Father corrects His children. When He chastens us and teaches us not to sin, it is a sign of His love for us and of our place in His family. Although we do not enjoy chastening while it is happening, we should be thankful that He cares for us and wants to help us become more holy, more like Him.

“Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.” (Psalm 94:12)

God’s chastening reminds us that He is our loving Father.

My Response:
» Am I truly God’s child? Does He chasten me?
» Do I accept His correction gratefully, recognizing it as a proof of His love?

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

The weather was not what they had hoped for, but the Herbergers were determined not to let a little rain spoil their camping trip. They needed to put up their tent before the storm broke.

Hurriedly, they spread the canvas, hammered stakes into the ground, and raised the poles. Thunder rumbled. The children made one last dash to the van for snacks and flashlights. Just as they returned, the downpour began. Mr. Herberger zipped up the door of the tent and closed the vents.

For the next couple of hours, the family sang, played games, and ate popcorn and cookies together in the close quarters. Rain pounded on the tent roof and turned the dirt campsite into mud, but the tent kept the Herbergers dry and comfortable.

Like a comforting shelter, God wants to be our place of safety from the storms of life. He wants us to trust in His care. If we make God our “dwelling place,” He will not allow evil to happen to us (Psalm 91:10).

God has the power and the will to protect His loved ones: He can do it, and He wants to do it. Nothing can happen to us except what He allows. Sometimes He permits hard times to come our way. Even then, His grace covers us completely and gives us peace and strength as we live in Him.

God wants to be our hiding place.

My Response:
» Am I trusting God to be my shelter?

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)

What does it mean to speak “as the oracles of God”? Some Bible translations use the word “utterances.” Basically this verse is talking about what ought to be true of our speech whenever something comes out of our mouths. You may not be a preacher standing in a pulpit. You may not be a teacher standing at a chalkboard. But did you know that every believer has, in a sense, a duty to be a “mouthpiece” of God?

These days, God does not give us new revelation outside of the Bible. He has already spoken to us through His written Word, and through His Son, the Living Word. So, if we are true believers, our words ought to be affected by His already-given Word. Our words should reflect the impact that God’s Word has had on our lives. Our words should be in keeping with what God would want us to say. And our words should not go against His Word.

When you talk to a cashier or a bagger at the grocery store, did you know that what you say ought to reflect God’s Word? When you speak to your family members, your speech ought to be honoring to God. Whenever you use the brain that God gave you to think of things to say, and whenever you use the mouth that God gave you to say those things, remember that your speech should line up with the will of God. God makes speaking possible, and He gives you opportunities to speak. Your words should line up with God’s Word. Your words should not contradict (go against) His Word.

Think about the last time you spoke with anyone. Were you a “mouthpiece” for God’s words to come through you and encourage or help that person? Or did you use your mouth to talk however you wanted to about whatever you wanted to? The best way to use your tongue is as a tool to do God’s will. When someone hears you speak, do they hear “a word in season”? Do they hear speech that is “full of grace and truth”? When people think about having a conversation with you, do they think, “Oh, no–do I really have to listen to Kim complain all about her classes again?” Or do they think things like “I can’t wait to see Jared again and hear how things went this summer at that Christian camp he always goes to.”

An old preacher used to say, “A Christian is the only ‘Bible’ some people will ever read.” What kind of things are others “reading” about your God and His people when you open up your mouth? When you have a chance to speak to someone, honor God with your speech: Talk to that person as God Himself would have you talk to that person.

God has given us our tongues to be used as tools for His glory.

My Response:
» How might others describe my usual talking habits?
» Am I using my brain and my tongue to honor God with my speech?
» How can I change the way I talk so that I am less of a “mouthpiece” for myself and more like a “mouthpiece” for God?