Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Broken

 


      I begin this blog with the acknowledgement that I've reached the end of myself.  There is a blessing from Jesus that comes from that, which is Him meeting me there in my brokenness.  The first beattitude that Jesus talks about on The Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew 5:3  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  He redefines what happiness truly means.  We can chase after our desires but real happiness comes in pleasing Jesus.  Right now I feel bummed because I'm not getting to do what I want without an aide to help me, but when I finish this blog on my own then I will be truly happy that I did something pleasing for the Lord.

Psalm 14:18 "The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit."

     We need to be beautifully broken before the Lord.  When we are, He will draw us nearer to Him and put us back together as He sees fit.  We first have to trust Him with our brokenness, then we can be restored thru Him to be what He wants us to be and do what is pleasing in His sight.

Psalm 37:4   "Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart."
     How many people confuse 'the desires of their heart' with what God really means, is in the verse is 'a relationship with Jesus Christ"?  "That verse does not say “God will give you the desires of your heart because you delight in Him”. Instead, the verse commands us to “Delight yourself in the Lord” and then He will fulfill your desires because He is the only One who can satisfy your heart." [gracecalling.com]
     How many of us would like an easy life?  Jesus promised that we would suffer in our trials, but that He would also give us peace in them.  John 16:33  "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

     In all of our found brokenness, God's love for us never decreases.  He will never forsake His children.  Even tho we may struggle through our trials, would we not give up our desires, if it's not Jesus' will?

John 1:24  "Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

     When we willingly submit our lives to Christ, then we glorify Him with our testimonies and bear fruit in this broken world.  Even if our life isn’t what we hoped for, God will not abandon us or leave us in tribulation. Isaiah 29:11 states “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

     As for myself, I built my life on dreams and desires of my own. Now that all of that has left me, I've concentrated my life more on what God wants from me.  This will be my 1356th blog since 2011.  These are more important to God, than any number of tests I took in school or lab tests I ran at work.  These blogs have also drawn me nearer to Christ , than anything I've ever done.  My blog collection has truly been a source of happiness for me.

Remember, in all of our pain and sufferings, it is Christ who calls us and in Him are our desires truly satisfied.


10 comments:

  1. Angie, please know how much you are loved and how beautifully written your blog posts are, especially this one. I pray for peace and comfort for you. Love you,

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  2. Sharon Speaks Poole
    I just read this and I love it, Angie. Thank you so much for sharing with me. I love what you said here:
    How many people confuse 'the desires of their heart' with what God really means, is in the verse is 'a relationship with Jesus Christ"? "That verse does not say “God will give you the desires of your heart because you delight in Him”. Instead, the verse commands us to “Delight yourself in the Lord” and then He will fulfill your desires because He is the only One who can satisfy your heart."
    I know this, but geez …it’s so hard!
    What a great reminder that He IS the only one that can satisfy our hearts.
    Praying for you today, Angie!
    Love and miss ya!

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  3. Debra Denese Dehart
    Very well said by someone who understands this completely---you. Love you

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  4. Benita Dover
    Angie, l know you go through so much, but you are a blessing to everyone. You are an inspiration to me. Love you, and pray for you.

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  5. James Wyatt
    Angie always has a good point to make on anything she writes!

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  6. Karla Terry
    You sure have a way with words! You inspire me more ways than you'll ever know. Thanks for sharing with us. Love and Prayers for you, Sweet Friend of Mine 🙏🏻❤️

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  7. Beth Pool
    A most beautiful blog Angie. Keep singing your song for Him sweet songbird! Through winds, rain and storms your song is a strong and powerful testimony of God’s promise that He is so faithful. Love you and your writings so very much!
    💕🙌💕

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  8. Well girl, you may have done it this time! How many times have I said that this is your best? I think that as great as so many of the others have been, this may be "it.' And I have probably read 1346 of them (leaving room for a few misses!) I will always cherish the encouragement and inspiration of my wonderful example of tenacity and spunk. I love you Angie.

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  9. Mary Persson
    This is a beautiful post Angie Riffle Bridger !!! I think it is exactly true...we often follow the Lord thinking that He will in return give us our earthly desires, but since He knows what will ultimately fulfill us, He holds out for something better for us when we don't even have the strength to do so. My cousin Jake preached last night about the passage surrounding the verse that says "Jesus wept." There is encouragement in knowing that although He often does not answer our prayers in the way we would like, that does not mean He does not care deeply for us. May He comfort your heart greatly today!!!

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  10. An excellent blog!!!! Most people will not understand what you have given up, how much you Love Jesus and your determination to follow him. Love Dad

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