"The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit: a broken and a contrite heart,
O
God, Thou wilt not despise" (Psa. 51:17).
Brokenness comes before blessing;
suffering precedes service. This has
always been God's order.
Joseph was in prison before he could
bless from the palace. Moses was on
the backside of the desert before he was
qualified to act as deliverer of
Israel. David learned in secret the
use of the sling before he became the conqueror
in public. God told Elijah to go and
hide himself before showing himself to the
wicked king Ahab. Daniel knew how to trust God
in the lion's den before he caused God to be
acknowledged in Babylon.
The apostle Paul had the thorn in the
flesh before he experienced the sufficiency of
God's grace. The Isle of Patmos was
the place where the apostle John had the vision
and heard the voice.
There is a rose of blessing in every
thorn of adversity. There is a lifting up in
every letting down. Out of weakness
we are made strong. God gives song
in the night, and but for the night we would not
have songs to sing. Blessings still
accompany testing. Refreshment is found in many
a hollow place in life, and but for the
hollowness the supply would never have been
secured for
us.
