There are several places in our lives where we need to remain put together. The feet of Jesus is not one of them.
Today, we’re looking at 2 Corinthians, plus a few verses from Psalms.
I think that as soon as we become socially cognizant, we begin construction on this facade, this wall, if you will, that’s really great at hiding the fact that we are scared, tired or hurting. That wall can be made of an array of materials—from a fake smile to pride to straight-up sin. And though it seems protective at first, its height will keep us in the shadows to a point where we’re too weak to not only not see the light but to also not feel its warmth anymore, and get this—that can be a good thing. Because in the dark, we realize how desperately we need light—how desperately we need Jesus. And that, my friends, is when the wall crumbles. That is when change happens.
First, we all have to understand why we’re weak—and that’ll help us understand the importance of letting the Lord in on our weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul had a thorn in his flesh, and though God could have removed it easily, He didn’t. Instead, He tells Paul (who had asked Him to remove it three times), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). In other words, our weakness gives the Lord room to make us strong, and not through our own efforts, but through His grace. When you let Him in, He strikes your wall with a grace so powerful that it crumbles, revealing the fear, the exhaustion, or the hurt, and, in turn, allowing Him to heal the fear, the exhaustion, or the hurt. And it crumbles us, too, so that He can make us new. We are designed to crumble with that wall, because that’s when we call upon His Name. Even if there wasn’t a wall, we’d crumble, because we are nothing without Him.
To receive God’s healing, we not only have to acknowledge that we’re weak—we also have to allow ourselves to fall apart. Like I said, the feet of Jesus is not a place where we need to remain put together. David, who is the author of dozens of Psalms, knew this well. In the first half of Psalm 39:12 (NIV), David writes, “Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping.” In David’s case, the wall was made of sin and worry, which, of course, brought great suffering. In that suffering, David allowed himself to fall apart and cry out to the Lord, which allowed the Lord to break down his wall. We must do the same.
Now, to make something completely new, the old must go away. After the wall goes down, you’ve literally got to crumble down to nothing, and though that crumbling is messy and terrifying, it’s also beautiful. It shows how safe we are with Jesus, and it allows Him to help us build our faith as we watch Him put us back together.
Let’s look at Psalm 139 here (this is one of my absolute favorites). Psalm 139:1 (NIV) says “You have searched me, Lord, and You know me.” This knowledge goes far beyond acquaintance, as a little later, verse 13 states that the Lord has knit us in our mothers’ wombs. Literally, our lives begin and end with the Lord, and He sees every moment in between. That being said, He knew about the wall before we built it and as we built it. Now, He is waiting for us to let Him break it
down, so we can see Him lift us up from its rubble. In regard to the mess that rubble makes, Psalms 139:7-8 (NIV) say, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the Heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.” These verses let us know that no matter where all these broken pieces go, Jesus is there, waiting to catch them so that He can make us into something new, and overwhelm the shadows of our walls with the light of His grace.
I think the key word there is “overwhelm.” The Lord’s grace is indeed overwhelming, but in the best way—it’s so holy and true that not only does it defeat evil, but it also crumbles our walls, and builds us—and our faith—right up from the rubble. Let that wall crumble. Fall apart in front of Him. He will do something beautiful with your broken pieces.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Katie Pennington is a writer and editor who is originally from Hazard, Kentucky, but currently resides with her family in central Tennessee (though she frequently visits her Appalachian roots). Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 42:5, which reminds her that in despair, there’s hope in God, and there’s healing in praising Him.