Many of us are broken at one time or another. We are sometimes broken in spirit, sometimes broken in body, sometimes broken in relationships and sometimes broken by the death of a loved one or even the loss of a job. We often struggle to find a reason for this happening, but we just as often struggle for a reason to go on, to have some purpose in our lives. We want to cry out, "What's the use? Why should I even try? No one cares, no one sees me."

It may be that you are hurting, lonely, feeling dejected, useless or abandoned... broken. I understand how hard that is to deal with in your life, but remember that God always has a use for you and always has love for you, even when you feel unlovable and unloved.

I recently found a quote from "Heart Held High," that reminds us of some amazing things about God. The author wrote:

We are now his broken things. But remember how he used broken things. The broken pitcher of Gideon's little army. The broken roof, through which the crippled man was lowered, and the broken alabaster box, which shed its fragrance over the broken body of our Savior.

Have you recently been broken? It is not the "end of life as you know it." God does have more for you to do and be, for him.

God uses our fragility and brokenness. Listen to these other voices remind you of the truths that Russ just shared with you:

From Scripture:

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT).

From Song:

O, Lord, who uses broken things;

Who through broken clouds gives us sweet, sweet rain;

"We are now his broken things."

Who gives us bread from broken grain;

O, Lord, make me stronger through broken things.

(From "Broken Things" by Ken Young.)