Have you ever been encouraged by
another person's brokenness?
This week we shared our life-stories with our fellow DTS students and staff, and I don't just mean the nice bits. Everything that brought each of us to this place was laid out; good, bad, honorable, sinful, wonderful, and terrible, as each person shared their greatest dreams, deepest failings, and strongest fears.
We realized as stories unfolded that we were all broken in some way. We've all seen tragedies, and each person has chosen at times to walk paths that betrayed God's friendship of trust with us.
It would seem that hearing story after story of pain and struggle would leave us with heavy hearts, but the great surprise is that God meets with broken people. As each person took ownership for their mistakes, called out to God for forgiveness, rebuked the enemy's power in their life, and asked God to fill our minds and hearts with His thoughts, the atmosphere of the room changed.
It was no longer a room filled with tragic stories and broken people, it was a room filled with the presence of God and his sweet forgiveness. We looked around and saw brothers and sisters experiencing the redemption of God.
This week we shared our life-stories with our fellow DTS students and staff, and I don't just mean the nice bits. Everything that brought each of us to this place was laid out; good, bad, honorable, sinful, wonderful, and terrible, as each person shared their greatest dreams, deepest failings, and strongest fears.
We realized as stories unfolded that we were all broken in some way. We've all seen tragedies, and each person has chosen at times to walk paths that betrayed God's friendship of trust with us.
It would seem that hearing story after story of pain and struggle would leave us with heavy hearts, but the great surprise is that God meets with broken people. As each person took ownership for their mistakes, called out to God for forgiveness, rebuked the enemy's power in their life, and asked God to fill our minds and hearts with His thoughts, the atmosphere of the room changed.
It was no longer a room filled with tragic stories and broken people, it was a room filled with the presence of God and his sweet forgiveness. We looked around and saw brothers and sisters experiencing the redemption of God.
This morning our speaker challenged us
to speak out the truth over ourselves, declaring God's word into our
lives. I spoke out verses and promises of the Lord until I couldn't
think of any more, and when I fell silent for a moment I felt God say
to me “Gabe, you were bought with a price, and I don't want my
money back.”
Thank you Father for your kind heart.
Thank you for taking broken people and giving them Good News.
Thank you for never withholding your wholehearted forgiveness and love from us.
Thank you Father for your kind heart.
Thank you for taking broken people and giving them Good News.
Thank you for never withholding your wholehearted forgiveness and love from us.