Broken

Tattoo_It_On_Your_Heart_Rachael_M_Colby_Broken

Lazy rays of afternoon sunlight stretched across the beach, the relentless waves strewing shell and stone along the shoreline. I bent for a beautiful shell partially buried in the whirl of sea and sand. Disappointed to find it broken, I flung it back into the angry waters. As it left my hand, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.

“Aren’t you glad Jesus doesn’t treat you like that?”

Jesus walks through the sea of humanity, intentionally seeking the broken, the flawed, the less than perfect. He sets out to rescue and redeem the lost, those battered, even shipwrecked, by the storms of life. Sometimes, through no fault of our own, life beats us, leaves us breathless, lying on the ground. Other times we reap the consequences of our poor decisions. Regardless, we can cast ourselves, our cares, and sin, at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus, perfection personified, gave Himself to bring us to Himself. There’s no need to bury our brokenness or feel condemned because of it. Nothing is hidden from Him. God is not impressed with an act, or rote religious dialogue. When we allow Jesus to uncover our shortfalls and sin, we find shelter and safety. He covers us in His grace, forgiveness, and righteousness. Life can leave us worn and weary, off course and in need of direction. Jesus’ invites to us to come as we are so He can make us into who He created us to be. He knows us, sees us, and loves us anyway. He will not cast us away but welcomes a contrite heart and our honest, uncensored prayers for help.

He loves you too. Do you need to be found?

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalms 34:18 (NKJV)

I can give Jesus my sin, myself, and what I’m not meant to bear. He carries me when I can’t walk on my own.

My God is a restorer. That’s why He likes to show up when things are broken. Sometimes He needs to break us, so He can make us again.

It’s by way of the road called broken that I am mended. I am made whole as I place my battle weary sin scarred heart in the hands of my Maker.

He brings purpose to pain. With a touch from His healing hand my heart is made whole.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalms 147:3 (NKJV)

He is the designer of our destiny.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

We are His treasure.

Do you want Him?

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. John 6:37 (NASB)

I want You, Jesus

I want all of You

Have all of me

Thy will be done

Have Your way in me

You fulfill me

But I am not satisfied

Empty me

Fill me

Teach me your ways

Oh God, I want to know You

You are my sustenance

My life, my breath, my strength

My friend

My God.

“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6 (NKJV)

Matthew West – Broken Things 

© 2017  Rachael M Colby     Tattoo It On Your Heart

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Author: Rachael M. Colby

Rachel M. Colby has a heart for reconciliation and a passion to uplift those who serve in tough places. She writes to connect culture's questions with Christianity’s answers, inspire faith, and motivate. She is an award-winning writer in the categories of articles, poetry, devotions, essays, flash fiction, and children’s picture books. Her article The Integration of Oak Ridge (the subject of her WIP) won the 2022 Selah Award for Articles in Print at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is a longtime member of The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild and a protégé in the Cecil Murphey Mentoring program. Rachael's work has appeared on the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Christian Devotions, Southern Ohio Christian Voice, Inkspirations Online, in the compilation books Creative Writing Journal: Faith Inspired Writing Prompts & Hope-Filled Poetry, Defining Moments: Memorable and Inspiring Stories from Outstanding Leaders, and The Courage to Write: 62 Devotions to Encourage Your Writing Journey, and in the Oak Ridger newspaper. This Jamaican-born wife, mom, beach bum, artist, and work in progress makes her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She runs on copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, and a whole lot of “Help me, Jesus.”

5 thoughts on “Broken”

  1. It hurts to be broken. So grateful our Potter isn’t afraid to be cut by my shards and has a plan to do something good beyond my imagination with them. Grateful for this post, Rachael.

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  2. Your closeness with God is evident in your writing and life! You are such a blessing to so many people! Love you!

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  3. Thanks! I think I throw to many things away that really bear some importance that I either can’t see…or won’t see – in spite of the fact that a still small voice beckons me…and I ignore it. Oh help me Jesus to answer your call.

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