Brokenness... Joy

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

A part of the journey in following Jesus is discovering new mysteries in Him. Almost like “waking up” to a new reality in our walk with Him. This week, a verse that I’ve known by heart for as long as I can remember took on a new and precious meaning.

I’ve always assumed that the verse above (Psalm 30:5) was speaking of hardship in our lives. “When times are difficult, when we’re down and out, just hold on, ‘cause joy’s coming in the morning!” While it is true that our sorrow and troubles are fleeting, and we ought to wait on God for the joy that is to come, I think there’s more to this verse.

God is teaching me that brokenness and joy go hand in hand. They’re actually dependent on one another. I’m not sure we can have the real joy that is ours in Christ if we’re not broken.

I have had an increased awareness of my sin this week. It seems that God is just giving me grace to see my wretchedness in light of His glory. He has broken my heart over and over. Yet even in my brokenness, joy is bubbling over! When I am obedient to confess my sin and adjust my life accordingly, joy comes like a morning dawn breaking over the horizon. This week has been one big daybreak!

I have gone from brokenness to joy… from brokenness to joy… brokenness… joy… brokenness… joy!

This is the “normal” Christian life. Although all this is not really new to me, it is strangely… new. Why? Because I’m free. For so long I have not been able to see myself as I am. For too long I have been far too aware of others’ sin and not my own.

My experience over the last several days is what I call personal revival. I pray that God will revive His work in your life as well!  

Lord, let me be your match to set the world ablaze!  

Be A Cave Man

"There he came to a cave and lodged in it." 1 Kings 19:9 (ESV)

At this point in my life, God is teaching me one simple truth. I must be with Him. I'm hearing His call to come away and be with Him more and more lately. With all that we have going on in our fast-paced little worlds, it seems so hard just to be still. We throw around the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God," but when is the last time that really happened?

I have heard stories all my life of how godly men and women spent hours in prayer and study, seeking God's face. I used to always beat myself up about my devotional life... or lack thereof. I was so amazed at these seemingly super-disciplined saints.

How does one have such a devotional life? Discipline may have something to do with it. But I think it is more about desperation for me.

I am overwhelmed with this one realization... I need Jesus. I not only love Him and want to know Him as much as He can be known, but I see that I can't live without Him. I can't function. I can't be used of God if I haven't been at His feet. I can't be a godly husband or father if I'm not spending time alone with Him. I can't even act or think rightly if I've not been with Him. If I don't meet with Him consistently, I'm miserable! Nothing else satisfies my longing heart, and I'm okay with that. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I wish I had discovered this truth earlier in my life. I pray that this desire never lessens, that God's call would never be drowned out by the world.

I'm reading "In Light Of Eternity: The Life of Leonard Ravenhill." For my friends in ministry, here's a quote that sums it all up...

Ravenhill once said, "Lots of preachers burn out and then come to me saying, 'Brother Ravenhill, I really need a vacation.' I always tell them, 'No you don't - you need a cave.' They haven't been spending time alone with God consistently. Then they grow weak, spiritually lean, and drained because they are not replenishing and maintaining their spiritual life. But men won't get alone because we are afraid of loneliness. We can't take it. But if you don't know how to get alone with God, you won't know God deeper. There is no painless Pentecost. Many grab at the power that the saints knew in the Upper Room. But who wants the three years of trailing the Master? Then the ten days of tarrying in the Upper Room? There is a preparation, a price, and often true pain."  

Find your cave and meet with God.

No Way, José!

"And they said to me, 'The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.' As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:3-4 (ESV)

Following years of captivity in Babylon, the Jews were returning to their homeland from what was now Persia.

When Nehemiah, who was still living in Persia, asked concerning the Jews back in the Jerusalem he received some bad news. The walls were broken down and its gates destroyed by fire. Something happened in Nehemiah that very instant that would change his life and history.

When he heard that God's holy city lay in ruins, he couldn't live with it. He was overtaken by a holy discontentment.

Discontentment can be a really good thing. It's okay to be discontent when most people in the world have never heard the gospel, when we're not regularly seeing people saved and changed, when we're not growing spiritually, when we're not living in revival. Some things are worth being discontent about!

Nehemiah's discontentment led to:

          1. Prayer (1:4)

- What are you discontent about? Do you see an injustice that needs setting right? Do you see a need that no one else is supplying for? Chances are, God is discontent with it as well. How do we get a vision for what God desires? Through prayer. Ask him, "What do you want me to do?" and ask for the power and guidance to accomplish the task.

          2. Action (2:5)

- Nehemiah could have said, "Well that's too bad about my people back home. Maybe someone will do something about it." He might have even prayed like some of us, "Lord, please send someone to do it." Did he have a pity party or pass on responsibility to someone else? No. Instead he said, "No way, José!" He did something about it. He set out to build the wall. We cannot pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done" if we're not willing to do what it takes to see His Kingdom come and His will done.

          3. Sacrifice (1:11)

- Nehemiah was the King's cupbearer. He had all the fine food and wine he could ask for. More than likely he had a place in or near the palace! He had it made. But his discontentment led him to leave it all. Would we be so willing to leave the comfort of our palaces to go and build the kingdom of God?

At this point in my life, God is burning discontentment in my heart. I don't want to be satisfied with the way things are. I can't be satisfied when people all around me don't know Christ. I don't want to live my entire life and never see genuine revival. I don't want to waste my life not seeking His face!

Are you content with things the way they are? Then get on your knees and don't get up until you're broken.

Are you discontent? More than likely, God has placed this burden on your heart. You have received power to do God's work if the Holy Ghost has come upon you (Acts 1:8). Let's rise up and build!