"Strengthen the Feeble Hands, Steady the Knees That Give Way."
The Place of Brokenness
It is a difficult place to be—the place of brokenness. It is not easy to dwell where direction is limited, answers few, a place where what little is know makes no sense at all. It is a testing as with fire to feel helpless, lost and broken. We are not built for such things. Our very souls crave stability, surety, confidence, and knowledge.
Sometimes the shaky ground of an uncertain tomorrow is enough to drive us to our knees. Then the dark mist of uncertainty begins to feel like slow death and there is little that can be said but—press on. So—press on!
“I lift my eyes up to the hills—where does my help come from?” (Psa. 121:1)
We have not trained ourselves, despite the past trials, to endure the long seasons of drought, or for that matter, the sudden storms. Because despite all that has gone before, His mercies must be ever new—ever measured for the present strife. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2Cor. 4:8).
“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:2).
Our help comes from He who has made the heavens and the earth—He who has made us. He has numbered the hairs on our heads and surely, surely He has not forgotten us. He who sent His Son to die for us, to save us, surely He is not unconcerned with our daily struggles. Surely He hears our cries and now—even now—comes to our aide.
So, while many circumstances contrive to wreck us, contrive to make us doubt His faithfulness and love—let us look expectantly for His coming. Because the way has been long and the path steep we are rightfully weary. The trials have been many so, understandably, we struggle to stand—to walk. Yet He visits us in our bed of sorrow, sees us in our paralysis and calls to us, “Get up and walk!”
If we call out, “Lord I am so tired. I haven’t the strength.”
He answers, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor. 12:9). A broken and contrite heart He has never despised so I do not fear He will turn us away.
Lord, may Your grace fill us that we might see more than our eyes see. Let our weakness demonstrate Your perfect power. Let us be ever weak that we might receive Your strength. If You will walk with us, my God, then we will walk and walk even through the valley of the shadow of death. Only give us sight for the next step—and lead on!
Ex. 33:15, Psa. 119:105, Psa. 121, Psa. 25:1, Psa. 28:2, Psa. 86:4, Psa. 119:48, Psa. 121:1, Psa. 123:1, Psa. 142:1, Psa. 143:8, Matt. 10:29-31, Luke 5:23, John 5:8, 2Cor. 12:9
Copyright©2007 Hudson Russell Davis
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about 2 years ago
I grew up singing every Sunday morning, “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth” as a part of the liturgy. At the time, I didn’t think much of the rote repetition. Today, those words have a strength and a meaning that your post sings so well.
about 2 years ago
My good friend used to say, “I can accept anything from a broken man.” It is surprising how often we must walk though the doorway of brokenness to enter into God’s anointing in our life.
We confuse the place of brokenness with a place of weakness. But I have found a profound awareness of our own brokenness to be essential to the Christian life. It is only then that we are confronted with the reality of God’s greatness in the face of our smallness. God’s power in the midst of our impotence.
In brokenness, we are most convinced that we are not God, and that we are little like Him, apart from his intervention in our life.
about 2 years ago
Hudson,
Not sure if you would remember me, but we met right when you were about to graduate. What are you up to now?
Your entry was really cool, you know I have found too that the sweetness of Christ is really found when we suffer and struggle. Thanks for being real.
about 2 years ago
Hi Mr. Davis,
What a bautiful piece, His mercies are new every morning and he is forever faithful in all things, yes He is never ignorant to our struggles, some how He knows that we need these in order to be complete human beings and refined.
Thank you again
about 2 years ago
“It is a difficult place to be—the place of brokenness. It is not easy to dwell where direction is limited, answers few, a place where what little is know makes no sense at all. It is a testing as with fire to feel helpless, lost and broken. We are not built for such things. Our very souls crave stability, surety, confidence, and knowledge.”
It’s funny, but the further and deeper we go in God, the more we frequent this place. As you mentioned, it isn’t an easy place to dwell, yet, for every mountain that God has brought us over, we have had to endure sometime and some type of brokeness. What may not feel good to the flesh is almost always good for our spirit. A broken spirit and a contrite heart is what God is looking for, and if we endure, it is what He will find in us.