Daily devotional, 28 May 2024 Beat-up car
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Psalm 51:10-12
When I was little, my mother used to drive a kind of beat-up car that often needed repair. The car center had been a familiar place to me, and Mang Chits, who looked more like Mario the Plumber to me, seemed like a great technician in my eyes. Imagine, he could make our little car work with just some adjustments? It was like he was a car whisperer!
Followers of Jesus like us may feel like an old car, beaten down at times. When going through our dark valleys, negotiating rough patches and difficult areas in our life journey, we tend to feel like our life is in disarray. We feel stuck, bogged down, problematic, and just broken.
But like our little car’s Mang Chits, we have someone who can mend us. Someone who just by being His awesome self, immediately knows what is wrong with us and how best to fix us. As the psalmist says:
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18
But before our God can mend us, we have to acknowledge that we are broken. We cannot go on denying that we need him to fix our lives. We have to accept that we are in a bind, and we need His help.
If we are troubled because of uncontrollable life circumstances, or due to other people’s actions, then we must have faith in God’s plan for us. We should continue holding on to His promises, and be steadfast in prayer. We must trust that since our Lord is sovereign, His good plans for us will prevail.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28
If however we are in deep trouble because of our sins then we should acknowledge it, ask for God’s help to sever the bondage, repent, and start living a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."
Psalm 51:17
We must take heart that there is no circumstance in our lives that our God cannot control or fix. There is no sin that is beyond His forgiveness, so your fear, guilt nor your shame should not hinder you from coming to Jesus. He is just waiting for you to come to Him, spend time with Him through prayer and worship, and know Him more by reading, understanding, and living His words.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youfree from the law of sin and death."
Romans 8:1
And once you have been fixed, do not forget to give thanks and live a life of worship. Find a way to help those who are still broken. Lead them to the Lord, so that their souls can also get the mending that they need.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 51 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Whom do you run to when you are bogged down with troubles and plainly broken?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for having the open arms to receive and comfort me when I run to you broken. I thank you for allowing me to draw near you in all circumstances of my life, and for assuring me that you will be there for me no matter what. I love you Lord, allow me to live a life of worship to you. Amen.
