Scripture tells us that “God works all things together for good…” [Roman 8:28] How easy that is to believe when the ‘all’ is something we embrace. The other side to this ‘working together’ carries with it the things we do not welcome. Some call the despair and gloom we experience during these latter circumstances ‘the dark night of the soul.’

I heard the Spirit of God say clearly ~ even loudly ~ to my spirit: “Brokenness is your friend.” Those words challenged every thing within me. My heart and mind revolted as I argued against brokenness, a strange friend. Don’t we throw out things that are broken? Don’t we devalue things that don’t work for us anymore? How could anything good come from some thing or out of someone who was broken? Who wants to nuzzle up to that which breaks us?

Elijah’s emotions came crashing down not long after a major victory over the prophets of Baal. [1 Kings 18:22] He ran to the cave convinced he was the only prophet left in Israel. He was in a spiritual drought; he was broken. The Lord fed him and spoke to him words of encouragement. God was using ‘all things’ to strengthen Elijah’s weakened soul.

Paul teaches us that God’s power is made great in our weakness. [2 Corinthians 12:9-10] That’s being our Friend. David wrote that Father is near to the brokenhearted. [Psalm 34:7] That’s being our Friend. Deep in the recesses of our brokenness is our Friend whose power and nearness redeems our lives from the pit, the cave, and the broken places of our lives. Brokenness releases His power from within that place of humanity where and when we realize we cannot put the pieces back together again because Humpty has had a great fall.

‘All things’ means ALL. Nothing wasted. Nothing discarded. All redeemed by the hand of the Living God. So, for brokenness to become my friend, I have to learn that the ‘all things’ are permitted by God who transforms the soul. Whatever instrument He uses to chisel my stubborn clay or to construct the shattered pieces of my heart is needful. Therein brokenness becomes my friend.