Broken or Ground?

Luke 20:17-18 “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

As a young Christian, I first read this passage and did not understand what Jesus had meant. It all seemed a riddle or to have some hidden meaning. Then I read:

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

My prayer at that time was for God to give wisdom and understanding to know what His Word meant and more specifically – what it meant for me.

As I studied, I began to see that Jesus was the stone that the builders had rejected.

Psalms 118:22 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees of that day, He gave illustration as to what they had done to all the prophets; sent by God to tell of the coming Messiah. In their rejection; whether by mistreatment or murder, they cast out every one that God had sent – and they would do the same when the Father sent His Son.

As I grew, I realized that Jesus was the Rock; that stone of which this verse spoke. But then, it was that action of either casting myself upon that stone to be broken or having that stone roll over me and be ground to a powder.

The act of falling that they speak of here is one of my own will; not by accident, not by someone pushing me. But, one where I fall willingly upon this Rock to be broken. It is an act of submission. It is and act of surrender.

What is broken is my will, my dreams, my way. Those parts and pieces are then placed back onto the potter’s wheel and remade into a better vessel. But it still has remnants of the old form.

Then it says that on whomsoever this Rock will fall, will grind them to a powder. It can mean an overtaking of such magnitude that what is left no longer has its previous form. I see it as my complete submission and surrender to be utterly and totally remade by God into what He sees fit.

That powder had lost signs of its previous form. It now can be made into whatever the Potter desires it to be.

Falling on the Rock can be seen as partial surrender. Grinding to a powder as complete and total surrender. In falling – I have control. Grinding – the Rock is in complete control.

We often make deals with God about what it is He asks us to do. We hear His call to go to the mission field, but we want to choose where. He reveals His will to preach and we define the terms of surrender. He commands us to be a witness but refuse to open our mouth thinking the change in my life is enough.

I was saved at age 31 – much later in life than most. I saw firsthand what my choices brought me. I saw the fruit of what happened when I was the one in control. But whether you are saved at 5 or 50, it all becomes a matter of the will as to whether we will be broken or ground.

Fear is a powerful weapon of our enemy. But God has a remedy for it.

2 Timothy 1:7-8 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;”

Fear does not come in times of peace and prosperity. It comes in adversity. It comes in the storm. It comes when we are weak or when our faith is waning. The key to eliminating fear is faith. Trusting God has got this and has my best interest in mind.

The process of breaking will continue throughout your life. The grinding will produce something that God can continually mold and shape IF it remains pliable. When our will rises up to say how we want to be formed or how we want our future to turn out; those rigid parts need to either be broken or ground again.

I never saw myself as the man I am today. I never dreamed I would be doing the things I do for God. Allowing the Rock to roll over my life and completely remake who I am into what He desires me to be has been a beautiful and wonderful process and continues to amaze me.

As you read this today, may I challenge you – what will it be for you?

Broken or Ground?