“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
–Isaiah 66:2 (ESV)

One night, my wife Stephanie was putting away some dinner leftovers. As she was transferring the Crock-Pot full of leftovers to the fridge, she unexpectedly ran into a low table.

I happened to be in our bedroom. I heard a loud crash, and I asked what had happened. She told me that she had dropped the Crock-Pot, which now lay in pieces on the floor. In a few minutes she had cleaned it up, but it provided a perfect picture of the way in which we must be broken before God.

The first breaking of our will comes when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. All of us often think that we know what is better than the plans God has for us, but it’s impossible to yield to Him on our own. That is why Jesus said that none of us can come to the Father unless the spirit draws him or her. While this drawing is done in love so that God can bless you, Satan wants you to continue to stumble and sin in darkness. It is important to know that the Bible says that we wrestle against a real foe. Even when we think we’re great at calling the shots without Christ, there are very real forces of evil behind the scenes.

Once we have come to trust in Christ, we still want to go our own way in spite of His presence in our lives. But since God knows our hearts, He may have to use circumstances to correct and discipline us. Because of this, some people see God as a vindictive tyrant, but this is not the case. The Bible says that this correction is done out of love. Just as a caring parent teaches his children to stay out of the street through correction when necessary, God teaches His children in the same way. Only through this process can He mold and shape us in the way that He knows to be best in the long run.

You may feel like all the pieces of your life are broken and scattered on the floor, but the first step in God’s re-building process is your decision to come to Him. He may be allowing the situations you face to break your will, as I said before. If you have accepted Christ but feel like your life is a wreck, come back to Him and let Him start working in your personal life. In either case, let Him put the pieces of your life back together, and you will find new hope as you travel down the road of life.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, check out our online store at www.amway.com/burdicksbargains. In order to support us, please register for free on our store website before purchasing anything. Thank you!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.