I must distinguish between God’s threshold for sinners and His threshold for disciples. For sinners, God keeps a very low threshold, so low that any person may enter the house of salvation. But disciples have a high threshold to Christian service, so high that none but the qualified may enter. For example, no man could serve as a priest in God’s house who had a broken hand or foot (Leviticus 21:19). That was a reminder to Aaron and all his sons that lameness in walk and slackness in service would not be tolerated by the Most High.
Yet, isn’t it necessary to be broken in order to serve God? Didn’t God make Jacob lame and change him from Jacob to Israel, a prince of God (Genesis 32:24-32)? Wasn’t the body of God’s Son broken at Calvary to provide salvation for all who believe?
I think the difference is this: the disorders of the “natural” man, such as a lustful eye or an irascible temper, must never be allowed in our service for God. But God’s “brokenness” is essential. A man broken by God is an obedient man. Further, he is a vulnerable man, vulnerable to feeling the hurts, pains, and griefs of the people he must serve. God breaks a person, not to let goodness out, but to let goodness in. Something enters him that flavors his whole being, tenderizes his heart, and makes him able to empathize with others.
I think of Isaiah’s broken heart (Isaiah 6) with the resulting cleansing and commissioning. A great servant began a great service with a great breaking! If I am to know success in the service of my Lord, I must know what it means to be broken by His hand. My bread must be broken and my grapes must be crushed if I am to feed a multitude for my God.
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart’” (Psalm 40:7-8).
Daily with the King 