Bruised Reeds

Day 8 for those who are even counting. At this point, I know that there are some of you who are thanking God with increasing measure for creating peanut butter (all natural of course). I just encourage you to keep it up. You are developing a new habit in your spiritual life and the side effect is that you are developing a new habit for your health. Both are important!

I am still replaying yesterday in my mind and it still brings a smile to my face. There were, shall we say, a few technical difficulties yesterday. Some more embarrassing than others (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you just had to be there. I think I will have them edit that story from the podcast!). I mean how many pastors in America were in the heart of their message and suddenly loud music begins to spontaneously play and it wasn't coming from our sound system. I saw 3 or 4 people jump up and scramble to the back door like a fire alarm had gone off. We finally got the theater to turn off the music and the Lord still spoke to people's hearts. Thanks for the save Lord!

When thinking about it all, I reflect back on one of the first words that I challenged our Journey Church leaders with a couple of years ago: flexibility. This word has been a motto that I have lived by. Some think that flexibility is the same as "shooting from the hip" or having a lasse fair attitude. But that is not flexibility, it is apathy. To me, flexibility is what happens when the rigidity of an object succumbs to the environment by making on the fly adjustments. I learned to live a flexible life by doing missions work. When you are overseas, NOTHING goes as planned. That IS the plan. There will always be spontaneous adjustments.

Why do we need to be flexible? Because God can use flexible people. It is the rigid and unmoving that God has trouble with. Trust me. When you begin to follow Jesus, your life will certainly have some bend and sway in it. Don't worry. He won't break you. Stay flexible. As a matter of fact without a little flexibility, you can't know Christ. Think about it, you probably didn't plan on giving your heart to Jesus the day you did. Your rigidity was adjusted.

Isaiah says it this way:
¹ “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice (Is. 42:1-3)

Jesus came to make things right. To make things the way they were created to be. Just. He didn't yell at creation to fix itself. He didn't scream at you to mend your life. He didn't break you off or throw dirt on top of you. Instead, he was faithful to you.

Lord, as we continue to seek You. As we remind ourselves daily of your preimencence in our lives. Show us your faithfulness. Bend us. Move us. Adjust us. Shape us to what you want us to be.