sweetly broken

These past few weeks have been hard. Really hard. I think I've cried every day for some reason or another (and I can usually go awhile without crying). There is physical exhaustion, mental pressure, emotional strain, unending packing, overwhelming stress, tension, too many migraines, and the beginnings of grief and goodbyes.

The following song and Isaiah 53 have ministered to me A LOT this week. Jesus suffered, as will we in this life. He identifies with our pain, our affliction, our grief. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.... we forget that. We like to forget that. He was broken, bruised, crushed - yet Isaiah 53 says it pleased the Lord. It does me good to remember Jesus's suffering (as if my life should be free of it?). I find myself broken these days... but sweetly broken.

Being broken is not bad, in fact, it is a good place to be. It is the example Jesus left us....



SWEETLY BROKEN by JEREMY RIDDLE - LYRICS

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing

For on it my Savior
Both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love and God is just

At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words
So lost in love
I’m sweetly broken
Wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given through Christ crucified

You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled

In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love
And how great is Your faithfulness


ISAIAH 53

3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.


5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.


6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.


7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.


8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.