August 8-9, 2017
Worship: God Bless the Broken Road as sung by Selah
I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love, along the broken
road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to
you
Every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like
northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
And led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent, just passing
through
I'd like to take the time I lost, and give it back to
you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of this grander plan, that is coming true
Every long lost dream, lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were just
northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
And led me straight to you
Now I'm just rolling home
Into your loving arms
This much I know, is true
That God blessed the broken road
And led me straight to you
Yes God blessed the broken road
And led me straight to you
Writer(s): Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna, Robert E. Boyd, Marcus Hummon
Witness:
I know this isn’t a worship song. It isn’t even a Christian song per se unless you want to make it one. Yet this song ministers me as I look back on my life. I do not pretend that everything in this song applies to my life, nor will I try to force it out of the song. Yet there are sign posts in the song. Mile markers that point to certain times in my life.
The very first line points to the beginning of my Christian journey when I received Christ as my Lord and Savior. I started out on the narrow road that leads to life. It was filled with good intentions and a belief that I was called to full-time service for the Lord. The third line is an understatement. I didn’t just get lost a time or two. I veered completely off the path I intended to take. The funny thing is that I believed I was still on the same road. I was still trying to pursue the ministry. Yet, I kept meeting with roadblocks placed in my way by my own doings.
There was the roadblock of fear. Fear that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough or gifted enough. Fear of confrontation by those who God had placed under my shepherd’s staff. I don’t like confrontation and tend to run when I see it coming. Fear of failure, as I racked up one failure after another.
There was the roadblock of the flesh. This is a hard one to talk about, and I do not plan to go into details. Suffice it to say that it took over much of my dating life with my future wife. Instead of developing a close spiritual relationship with her, I let my flesh get the best of me. No, we never went all the way, but we went too far and too often. This followed us into our marriage. My wife would point to other things that caused her to leave me, and I will not air those reasons. Suffice it to say that if our relationship had started out and continued with Christ as its center, these issues she had probably would never have been an issue.
There was the roadblock of finances. We got married between my junior and senior year in College. I had to work and go to school. I made very little money and my grades suffered at school because I had to work to support my wife which was my first priority. I am very poor steward when it comes to finances, and I have struggled with this to this day. Add six kids into the mix, and the pressures increased. I tried home missions but failed at that adventure and sunk deeper into debt. Finally, I put the ministry dream on the back burner and just sought to take care of my family. Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying they were part of the broken road. No, they were the blessings along this broken road I was on.
But,
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you
Yes, every roadblock, every failure, and every blessing were a sign pointing me back to the road God wanted me on. Yes, I know God is sovereign, and everything that has happened in my life is part of His plan. But I will not speak of the secret things that aren’t for me to know. I will only speak of that for which I am responsible for knowing (Deut. 29:29). That is, His revealed will and I ignored the signs that pointed to God’s way and ultimately to God Himself.
I have spoken of the roadblocks of fear, flesh, and finances. They were put there by my own actions and attitudes. But God also placed roadblocks in my life to discipline me and give me direction, but I was too blind to see them as such until it was too late. My “lost dreams” were just lost dreams. I didn’t look up and see them as the “northern stars” to lead me back to the Lord. Mind you, I wasn’t a heathen in my actions. I wasn’t into drinking or drugs or pornography. In fact, I lived a somewhat pharisaical life. But my heart was far from God, and I didn’t even know it.
So, in addition to the roadblocks I placed in my way by the permissive will of God, ones that led to failure in my life, God added other roadblocks that added to the disappointments and debt I had already accrued. I experienced a job loss after 18 years in a career I thought I would have until I retired. It was a job with a Christian Bookstore, and it sufficed as a full-time ministry. I also tried the music ministry and youth ministry on the side but ran from one when it got too confrontational and time-consuming, and I was fired from the other because I was too “1st Baptist” as they put it (they were a small country church). Add to that, I had a stroke in my early fifties. God was merciful, and I suffered only minor side effects which are still with me today but don’t impede my ability to work. This led to a demotion and more debt and finally a move which ended up being part of the reason my wife left me later. And when she did, that was the final blow in which God finally got my attention. He could have rejected me. He could have passed me by. Instead He “blessed the broken road that led me back to” Him.
So now I do “think about the years I spent, just passing through.” And I do wish I could “take the time I lost, and give it back to” the Lord. And I see as it were, the Lord smiling as He takes “my hand.” I can imagine Him saying that He has always been with me and He does “understand.”
And He wants me to understand that He has been guiding and directing my life all this time, and in the end, I need to trust Him that it’s “all part of the grander plan,” His grander plan, “that is coming true.”
So, Lord, I’m “rolling home into [Y]our loving arms.” And “this much I know, is true,” “that [You} blessed the broken road and led me straight to [Y]ou.”
Amen
Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love the house where you live, O LORD
the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I lead a blameless life;
redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.
NIV (’84)
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Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love your sanctuary, LORD,
the place where your glorious presence dwells.
9 Don't let me suffer the fate of sinners.
Don't condemn me along with murderers.
10 Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
and they constantly take bribes.
11 But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
So redeem me and show me mercy.
12 Now I stand on solid ground,
and I will publicly praise the LORD.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Ps 26:8-27:1
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
KJV
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Ps 26:8-12
8 O LORD, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
ESV
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Ver. 12. The song began in the minor, but it has now reached the major key. Saints often sing themselves into happiness. The even place upon which our foot stands is the sure, covenant faithfulness, eternal promise and immutable oath of the Lord of Hosts; there is no fear of falling from this solid basis, or of its being removed from under us. Established in Christ Jesus, by being vitally united to him, we have nothing left to occupy our thoughts but the praises of our God. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, and when assembled, let us not be slow to contribute our portion of thanksgiving. Each saint is a witness to divine faithfulness, and should be ready with his testimony. As for the slanderers, let them howl outside the door while the children sing within.(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The psalm begins in worry – “vindicate me…test me,” and ends in worship – “I will bless/praise the LORD.” And not only in worship but in witness. For David does not keep his gratitude a matter of private devotion but a matter of public display. As Calvin observes:
And as he knew that it was the hand of God alone which enabled him to stand, he therefore addresses himself to the exercise of praise and thanksgiving. Nor does he merely say, that he will acknowledge in private the goodness of God bestowed upon him, but in public also, that the assemblies of God's people may be witnesses of it. It is highly necessary that every one should publicly celebrate his experience of the grace of God, as an example to others to confide in him.
(from Calvin's Commentaries, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Not only were his words a witness, but also his works. Does not this psalm in some way illustrate our Lords teaching in Matthew 5:14-16?
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
NIV
David’s life of separation and devotion was a light that led others to join in praise to the LORD! But be warned there is a way to act or speak that is done to gain the focus and worship of man. The Lord tells us in Matthew 6:1 not to act in this way.
Matt 6:1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.NIV
Matt 6:1"But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.Weymouth
Matt 6:1 "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Therefore, let our words and works be a witness to the grace of God in our life and our worship both private and public be grace filled words of gratitude to the Lord, to whom all glory, honor, and praise belong.
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