Broken

“One of the greatest ambitions of any violinist is to play a Stradivarius. Meticulously handcrafted by Antonio Stradivari these very rare violins produce an unrivalled sound. So you can imagine the excitement of acclaimed British violinist Peter Cropper when, in 1981, London's Royal Academy of Music offered him a 258 year old Stradivarius for a series of concerts. But then the unimaginable. As Peter entered the stage he tripped, landed on top of the violin and snapped the neck off. I can’t even begin to imagine how Peter Cropper felt at that moment. A priceless masterpiece destroyed!

“Cropper was inconsolable.  He took the violin to a master craftsman in the vain hope that he might be able to repair it. And repair it he did. So perfect was the repair that the break was undetectable, and, more importantly, the sound was exquisite. The Academy was most gracious and allowed him to continue using the Stradivarius. And so, night after night, as Peter drew his bow across those string, Peter was reminded of the fact that what he once thought irreparably damaged had been fully restored by the hand of a master craftsman.”*

“I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel” (Psalm 31:12).  The words of this Psalmist resonate with those who have come to understand the devastating effects of sin in their lives.  In spite of our best efforts, we remain spiritually shattered.  Our only hope lies in the restorative work of a Master Craftsman, One Who can make us as good as new again.  If we are in Christ, we are made new -- our brokenness is repaired (2 Corinthians 5.17).

The first stanza of T.O Chisholm’s 1935 song “Bring Christ Your Broken Life”  says it well: “Bring Christ your broken life, so marred by sin.  He will create anew, make whole again.  Your empty wasted years He will restore, and your iniquities, remember no more.”  Thank you, Lord, for putting the pieces of our broken lives back together!

God loves you!

Mike

*storiesforpreaching.com