Brokenness & Light

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” –Lamentations 3:22-23

Lent is a season of repentance. In many ways, that means the act of embracing the brokenness both within and around us. We look around and see mental health problems, addiction and relational conflicts. We wrong our neighbors, friends and families. Our callous hearts keep us from mourning with the grieving, and our jealousy obstructs the overflowing of pure and shared joy when hearing of a friend’s success. We pass by the homeless when they ask us for food and warmth. We are broken. 

In the midst of all the brokenness and sin, despair and hopelessness may take root in our hearts. Maybe we’re on the verge of giving up. It’s too dark, and the way out is hard to see.

Yet even during the darkest and lowest point of our lives, Jesus’s light shines on us, and His love surrounds us. Amid our sin and brokenness, He gives us the freedom to turn away from those things and fix our gaze upon the cross. He promises us His mercies, which never come to an end. As surely as the sun rises, so His mercies are renewed each morning. 

And one day, that sun will never set, and “there will be no more night. [We] will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And [we] will reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:5). While this doesn’t teach us that our downcast souls will suddenly be filled with overwhelming joy, it does mean that we may find the light within darkness, take heart and hope for the perfect world ahead.

Lord, I bring You my broken and contrite heart. I pray that my heart will be flooded with light so that I can understand the confident hope You have given to those You call (Eph. 1:18). I know that even today, I can hope in the truth that Jesus came to this world to save me. Father, look at my brokenness and make something beautiful out of it. I pray that I might reflect Your glory, that Your love and light will be made known through me. Amen.