After the war, and back home, Zamperini struggled with deep anger issues, and oftentimes violent behavior. He was filled with bitterness and anger, particularly towards his captors. He was on a self-destructive path that lasted into the decade of the 1950's. Then, a neighbor invited him to come along to a Billy Graham crusade being held in their town. At that gathering, the Father laid hold of his heart, and he gave his life to Christ. What followed was healing, restoration, and completely new life in Christ. The man heretofore unbroken, was broken before God, and in his brokenness, found wholeness and life. He was broken, and he was blessed.
This was all brought to mind today by a Watchman Nee devotion. He wrote of Matthew 14 and Jesus' feeding of the 5000. The people were hungry, but there was not adequate food on hand to feed them. As usual, the disciples were dumbfounded as to what to do about it, and just as usual, Jesus was not. He had them bring what little food there was, 5 loaves and 2 fish, and taking them, blessed the people and then broke them. It was the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, and there were 12 baskets of food left over. What a miracle. What an abundance. What a blessing. What a misunderstanding we have in all of it. We love to focus on the miracle, the provision, the abundance, and how blessed everyone was. We don't really notice that before He fed them, He broke what He gave them. Out of the brokenness came the blessing. Without the brokenness, I don't believe there would have been any miracle.
We are a blessing obsessed culture and church. We want the miracles and all the provision and abundance that goes with them. We don't seek brokenness, and will do most anything to bypass it. Could it be for that reason that we see so few miracles, healings, restorations, and renewals among us? We are unbroken, and though that may serve us well in the world, as it did Zamperini in the prison camp, it will leave us as empty and wounded as he was before He met Christ at that crusade. In his brokenness before God, Zamperini found blessing in the healing touch of Christ. A man whose life was in a million unbroken pieces, was now whole yet broken before God. It makes no sense in the natural, but is completely the way of the supernatural.
Everywhere today, both in and out of the church, are unbroken people, seeking to cope with and manage deeply flawed lives. They battle with all their might to "survive" but dying, not living all the while. They seek blessing and abundance, but never find that which will bring peace, healing, and joy to their souls. They never will. The true blessing of God will only be found at the cross, in brokenness that yields true blessedness. Have we found it? Or are will still unbroken?
Blessings,
Pastor O
This was all brought to mind today by a Watchman Nee devotion. He wrote of Matthew 14 and Jesus' feeding of the 5000. The people were hungry, but there was not adequate food on hand to feed them. As usual, the disciples were dumbfounded as to what to do about it, and just as usual, Jesus was not. He had them bring what little food there was, 5 loaves and 2 fish, and taking them, blessed the people and then broke them. It was the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, and there were 12 baskets of food left over. What a miracle. What an abundance. What a blessing. What a misunderstanding we have in all of it. We love to focus on the miracle, the provision, the abundance, and how blessed everyone was. We don't really notice that before He fed them, He broke what He gave them. Out of the brokenness came the blessing. Without the brokenness, I don't believe there would have been any miracle.
We are a blessing obsessed culture and church. We want the miracles and all the provision and abundance that goes with them. We don't seek brokenness, and will do most anything to bypass it. Could it be for that reason that we see so few miracles, healings, restorations, and renewals among us? We are unbroken, and though that may serve us well in the world, as it did Zamperini in the prison camp, it will leave us as empty and wounded as he was before He met Christ at that crusade. In his brokenness before God, Zamperini found blessing in the healing touch of Christ. A man whose life was in a million unbroken pieces, was now whole yet broken before God. It makes no sense in the natural, but is completely the way of the supernatural.
Everywhere today, both in and out of the church, are unbroken people, seeking to cope with and manage deeply flawed lives. They battle with all their might to "survive" but dying, not living all the while. They seek blessing and abundance, but never find that which will bring peace, healing, and joy to their souls. They never will. The true blessing of God will only be found at the cross, in brokenness that yields true blessedness. Have we found it? Or are will still unbroken?
Blessings,
Pastor O
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