Brokenness

Psalm 38
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.
13 I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
14 I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
17 For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.
21 O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

"Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need. Brokenness, brokenness is what You want from me." I love that song. But how often I forget the value of brokenness. This isn't one of my weekly devotions, but I have had a rough week emotionally. I'm not usually a "down" person- I'm generally good-natured and positive. This week, however, I have just been in a funk and a little depressed. That's when I remember that you don't have to always be happy. Sometimes God takes things from us because they get in the way of our relationship with Him. And it hurts... a lot. But we're always better off in the end. I just want to encourage anyone else who is going through a period of brokenness in their life: it will get better. And you will see the benefit of it later. Don't give up. Don't lose hope. Your Savior is coming quickly to help you.