Beat up?

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20).

Have you ever seen the show Survivor Man? This is a show on the discovery channel where “survivor man” goes out and tapes his survival of the elements of different locations around the world. He researches the areas and then goes out to try to survive them. Fire is a vital item needed for survival in these situations. It is interesting to watch the great care that goes into bringing forth fire. Survivor man starts the fire with just a spark that produces some smoke. He is very tender and gentle with this small spark and smoke. He puts his hand on it and gently blows on it to fan it into a bigger flame. Little by little it starts to grow and as it grows brighter and brighter the less he needs to do with it.

This paints a good picture of God handling us. When we are small and weak giving off just a little spark and/or perhaps only blowing off a little smoke, God takes that little bit and keeps His hands on us. He is very careful and makes certain that small spark does not snuff out. He is very near because He is near the broken hearted. He is very gentle. I can see Him gently blowing His breath on that tiny spark filling it with His breath of life until it reaches a brightness that allows Him to back away some. He does not have to stay as near because the condition of the flame is not as fragile. As He is always present, He takes most gentle care of us when we are broken and weak.

The same is with the reed. When it is bruised it is in great danger of breaking. I love the gentle and humble manner of Jesus. It is Jesus who takes us in His gentle hands and makes sure we do not break. There are times that life will get hard. That is a fact. But the other fact to remember is that Jesus is whose hands we are in. He will never leave us for forsake us and He will restore us gently. Let His breath breathe on you and fan your flame even brighter.

Father, thank You for never extinguishing our flame. Thank You for being near to the broken-hearted. We praise You for Your gentle loving kindness. It is so hard to understand but we accept it. Lord breathe Your life into us so we can live and move and breathe in You. Fan the flames of our hearts so they shine brightly for You. In Jesus Name. Amen.