Broken Things #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Broken Things #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Why God Prefers Broken Things

Principle fifteen of thirty: Brokenness is God's requirement for maximum usefulness.

Nobody volunteers to be broken. We pray for strength, we plan for success, and we work to keep every piece of life neatly in place. Yet Scripture keeps telling a different story, one in which God draws nearest not to the strong but to the shattered. The psalmist writes in Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." After his own failure, David learned the same lesson and set it down in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Think of a grain of wheat. Whole and unbroken, it is only a seed in a jar, feeding no one. But once it falls into the ground and dies, Jesus says in John 12:24, it brings forth much fruit. Brokenness is not the end of usefulness. It is the doorway to it. God does not waste the breaking. He uses it to release what pride kept locked up inside.

Here is how to answer when life breaks you.

First, stop hiding the cracks. We polish our image and pretend the pieces are still together, but God cannot heal what we refuse to admit is broken. Bring Him the whole mess honestly. A contrite heart is no liability in His presence. It is the very sacrifice He accepts.

Second, let God keep the pieces. When we try to glue our lives back together ourselves, the result is brittle and self made. Surrender the fragments to the hands that formed you and let Him do the repair. He will not reassemble you into the same vessel. He will build something better.

Third, minister from the wound, not only after it is healed. Your greatest ministry will flow from the very place you were broken. The one who has walked through the valley carries a compassion no sermon can supply. Do not wait until you feel whole to be useful. Let God use you while the cracks are still showing.

Remember Paul, who begged God to remove his thorn and heard instead, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your weakness is not your disqualification. It is your qualification, for it is there that His strength appears.

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Stop Chasing #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Stop Chasing #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Stop Chasing Peace. Start Abiding.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4, KJV)

Principle 12: Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.

Most people treat peace like a destination. Work harder, earn more, fix the relationships, and someday the storm quiets down. But Scripture flips that logic. Peace is not a prize you win by getting your life together. It is a fruit that grows while you stay close.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4, KJV)

A branch never strains to produce fruit. It simply stays attached, and the sap does the work. In the same way, your peace is not produced by your effort. It flows from your union with Him. The closer the walk, the deeper the rest.

Paul could promise this: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, KJV)

Notice that this peace "passeth all understanding." It does not wait for your circumstances to make sense. It guards your heart while the circumstances are still a mess. Peace with God does not come from understanding the storm. It comes from staying near the One who walks on the water.

Three ways to practice this oneness today:

1. Check the connection before you fix the calendar. When anxiety rises, your first question should not be "What do I need to rearrange?" It should be "When did I last sit still before Him?" Drift, not circumstance, is usually the real culprit.

2. Practice stillness on purpose. Five unhurried minutes in the Word and in prayer each morning will do more for your peace than five hours of midnight problem solving. Stillness is not idleness. It is abiding.

3. Bring Him the mess, not the mask. Peace grows where honesty lives. You do not have to polish your prayers or hide what frightens you. Tell Him plainly. The God who made peace possible is not shocked by your trouble.

Tonight, rest in this: you do not have to manufacture peace. You only have to remain where it grows.

 "You cannot manufacture the peace of God, but you can remain where it grows."

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The Way #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

The Way 

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"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

Heaven Will Move Mountains to Show You the Way

Principle 10: If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.

There is a prayer that God never refuses to answer, though He rarely answers it on our schedule. It is the prayer that says, "Lord, show me Your will." A God who went to a cross to redeem you will not leave you guessing about which road to take. Guidance is not a guessing game with heaven. It is a promise from heaven.

God said it plainly: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21). That is not poetry. That is policy. When you turn toward a decision, He speaks direction.

Consider Gideon. He asked God to prove His will with a fleece, not once but twice, and God did not rebuke his caution. He moved the dew. Or consider Paul, stopped from preaching in Asia and in Bithynia, then given a vision in the night of a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9). Doors closed. A vision opened. Heaven rearranged the itinerary.

Here is what this means for you tonight.

1. Ask clearly and specifically. Vague prayers get vague direction. Tell God the decision, the deadline, and the options as you see them. Then say, "Make Your will unmistakable." He is not annoyed by the request. He is honored by the trust.

2. Watch the doors, not just your desires. An open door can be God guiding you, or it can be your own wishful pushing. A closed door can be Gods redirection, or your own timidity refusing to knock. The difference is found in prayer and in Scripture. Test both doors by the Word, and wait until one of them is unmistakably marked.

3. Move when He confirms, even if it costs. The guidance of God always lands where obedience is required. Once heaven has spoken, delay becomes disobedience. The disciples followed the Macedonian call and the gospel crossed into Europe. You never know how big the blessing is that is riding on your small yes.

ADRIANISM: God would rather move mountains than let you miss His will.

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The Map's End #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

The Map's End 

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Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." 

When the Map Ends, Faith Begins

Principle: Active Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Have you ever stood at the edge of a decision, map in hand, only to realize the road ends? Dr. Charles Stanley often reminded us that faith does not begin when everything is clear; it begins precisely where human understanding runs out. We are often conditioned to view trust as a feeling that arrives only after the storm subsides. However, biblical trust is not a reaction to calm weather; it is a posture maintained in the wind. It is the daily, deliberate choice to surrender control of your timeline, your desired outcomes, and your anxieties because you have learned that God’s character is more reliable than your circumstances. When you cease trying to manufacture certainty and begin practicing surrender, a transformation occurs within. You stop pleading for a clearer map and begin walking forward using the light He has already provided. True peace is found not in knowing what tomorrow holds, but in knowing the One who holds tomorrow. As Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." This is not passive resignation, but active reliance: showing up each day with an open heart while entrusting the blueprint to the Master Architect.

Three Application Points

1. Identify one area where you are clinging to a personal timeline. Write it down, pray over it, and verbally release it: “Lord, I trust You with what I cannot control.”

2. Keep a “Faith Record” journal for 14 days. Each evening, note one instance where God proved faithful during past uncertainty, letting memory fuel present trust.

3. When anxiety spikes, replace the question “What if it goes wrong?” with the affirmation “God is already there.”

Trust does not remove the valley; it assures you that the Shepherd walks with you through it.

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Seeing What God Sees #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Seeing What God Sees #RTTBROS #Nightlight 

Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

"Seeing What God Sees"

Twelve men walked into the same land. They saw the same cities, the same walls, the same giants. Ten of them came back and said, "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we" (Numbers 13:31). Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, came back and said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30). Same land. Same facts. Different sight.

The ten looked at the giants and saw their own smallness. The two looked at the giants and saw God's greatness. That is the difference between sight and faith. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is not pretending the giants are not there. Faith is seeing something bigger standing behind you: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

Every one of us faces the daily choice of the spies. A bill arrives and we see only the balance due. A doctor's report comes back and we see only the diagnosis. A child walks through the door and we see only the attitude. Our eyes are honest, but they are not complete. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). Your understanding is a good servant and a terrible master.

Tonight, before you sleep, ask God to widen your vision. The problem was never the giant. The problem was the lens.

Apply it tomorrow:

1. Name what you can see. Write down the one situation that is filling your vision today, honestly and specifically. God can work with honesty; He cannot work with pretense.

2. Add what God sees. Beneath that situation, write one promise of Scripture about God's power or faithfulness, like Romans 8:28 or Philippians 4:19. Read the two side by side and let the greater truth frame the lesser one.

3. Speak faith, not fear. Before you talk about the problem with anyone else, talk about God's promise out loud. The words of your mouth set the direction of your heart.

Faith does not deny what your eyes see; it refuses to let what your eyes see have the final word.

The Power of Little #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

The Power of Little 

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THE POWER OF THE LITTLE THINGS

Think about the last time a piece of machinery failed, like a leaky faucet, a car that wouldn't start, or a computer that froze. Most of the time, we look for a "big" problem to solve. We expect a cracked pipe or a blown engine. But more often than not, the culprit is something tiny. A speck of grit in a valve. A frayed wire the size of a hair. One tiny thing stopping the whole system from working.

We often do the same with our faith. We wait for the "big" calling. We want the mountain top moment or the grand gesture of faith. But God usually works in the grit. He works in the way you answer the phone when you're tired, the way you handle a rude comment in traffic, and the small, quiet "yes" when no one is watching.

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much." — Luke 16:10

The big victories are just a collection of small obediences that finally added up. If you're waiting for a grand stage to prove your faithfulness, you're missing the stage God has already given you.

Tonight, don't worry about the mountain. Just look at the small thing right in front of you. Be faithful there.

The little things are actually the big things.

Tonight's Action:

1. Identify one small, tedious task you've been avoiding and do it as an act of worship.

2. Pray for the strength to be patient with one person who tests you tomorrow.

3. Thank God for the "ordinary" moments of your day.

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The Walk #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

The Walk 

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The Walk 

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Genesis 5:24 (KJV): And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Many of us remember the movie Forrest Gump, where the main character spends years simply running. He didn't run for a trophy or a title; he just ran because he felt called to move. There is something powerful about the act of putting one foot in front of the other, day after day, until the journey itself becomes the destination. In the economy of God, the Christian life is much like that it is a steady, persistent "run" toward the heart of the Father.

The story of Enoch's life is a powerful reminder that our walk with God is not just about going through the motions, but about cultivating a deep and intimate relationship with Him. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, it's easy to get sidetracked and lose focus on what's truly important. But Enoch's example shows us that it's possible to stay committed to God even in the midst of a corrupt and sinful society.

Think of it as a long-distance run. A marathoner doesn't reach the finish line by a single burst of speed, but through a disciplined pace and a focused gaze. Enoch's walk with God was a deliberate and intentional choice; he didn't just sprint for a moment and quit, but he maintained a steady, holy pace, prioritizing his relationship with God above all else.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Enoch "pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5), and that's a remarkable achievement. It's not just about doing the right things or avoiding the wrong ones; it's about having a heart that's attuned to God's will and desires. When we walk with God, we're not just following a set of rules or principles; we're engaging in a dynamic and personal relationship that transforms us from the inside out.

Let me tell you, this kind of intimacy with God is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, effort, and dedication. Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and that's a testament to his commitment and perseverance. We can learn from his example by making a conscious effort to prioritize our relationship with God, to seek Him out in our daily lives, and to trust in His goodness and sovereignty.

Apply it today

Seek His Presence: Take a few minutes each day to intentionally seek God's presence, whether through prayer, meditation, or simply taking a quiet moment to reflect on His goodness.

Shift Your Pace: Identify one area of your life where you've been "crawling" in defeat, and consciously hand the lead back to the Holy Spirit, trusting in His power and guidance to help you overcome.

Stay the Course: Make a commitment to prioritize your relationship with God, just as Enoch did, by setting aside time each day to focus on Him and cultivate a deeper sense of intimacy and trust.

Prayer: Lord, help me to walk with You in intimacy and trust, just as Enoch did. Give me the strength and perseverance to prioritize our relationship above all else, and to trust in Your goodness and sovereignty in every area of my life. Amen.

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