God's Wholeness In Our Brokenness

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (NIV)

-Isaiah 64:8

Have you ever stopped to think about brokenness? In all honesty, it has been a while since I pondered how God’s remarkable love is seen when we are broken. Over the past few years, God has been healing me, guiding me into a deeper relationship with Him, and giving me joy found only in Him. But because my brokenness hasn’t been seen and felt almost daily, it has been a while since I considered it.

Yet, all that changed when I recently dropped something, and it broke. As I thought about it later, I was relieved that it broke into large pieces rather than shattering into tiny pieces that are harder to find and clean up.

But God used this moment to remind me that we are all broken, even if it looks different for each of us. It doesn’t matter whether we are hopeless, with our lives shattered into hundreds of small pieces, or feel incomplete because we are dealing with big things that have shaken us. 

When we are hurting and overcome with life, God’s Word tells us that He is near, no matter where we are or what we are enduring. 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (NIV)

-Psalm 34:18

I also remembered that as I picked up the broken pieces, I did so cautiously so I would not hurt myself. But God is not afraid of handling our fragmented lives. Our weakness and fragility do not, and cannot, stop His restoration. Although He handles us with love and care, His strength is also something we can always rely on. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul writes about God’s strength and power despite his pain and discomfort. He writes:

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NIV)

Not once, as I was cleaning up the glass, did I consider putting it back together. But God does just that. He promises to heal us and make us whole, even when we feel that we can never be mended or renewed. I also never considered that the fragments could be used again. But God not only promises restoration, but He also gives us purpose and security in Him.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (NIV)

-1 Peter 5:10

It is because of God’s love, power, and healing that we can live in freedom and purpose. Only He can restore our fragmented minds, crushed hearts, and broken spirits. All we need to do is be broken.  

Reflection:

As I was writing about how God restores us in our brokenness, I felt gratitude for his presence in my life. When I felt angry towards him, God was there. When my heart, mind, soul, and body were broken, God was there. When I tried to fix myself, God was there. And when I finally saw my life for the shattered wreck it was and cried out to him, God was there. 

We are all broken and need God. I hope you know that no matter if it was previously, now, or even in the future, God is with you. And only He, in His love and redemption, can give you strength in your weakness and turn the ashes of life into beauty. 

I want to know, though, about your life and God’s presence in it. Have you ever been broken? Perhaps you are broken now?  How did God put you back together? Perhaps you still need the pieces of your life to be made into something new? 

Do you know that you can trust God with all the broken pieces of your life?