Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker

Psalm 96:6

I woke up one morning with the line, "I'm just a beggar in the presence of a King" going through my mind. These words are from the song, Broken Things, by Matthew West. It caught my attention because I don't think of myself that way. I think of myself as a daughter of the King who has instant access to Him. I honestly wanted to understand why Matthew West used the word "beggar." The song is written for Christians who feel like they don't have enough to offer God and struggle to believe that God wants to use them with all the mistakes they have made. They think they have little to offer. The song reminds us that God uses broken things and people. We do not have to be "good enough" to be in God's presence because the Bible tells us Jesus is good enough and when we accept what Jesus did for us, God declares us righteous and adopts us into His family. Being good enough is never the criteria. When we reject what Jesus did on the cross, there is nothing we can do to be good enough because God's standard is perfection. Jesus is the only way to God.

When you start reading the Bible, you come across stories of people God used. You will see that God doesn't only utilize people who think they have it all together. We can look at David and say of course God used him...look at the faith he had when he faced Goliath. I don't have that kind of faith so I don't think God can use me. Or we look at Paul and think God used him because he had so much passion and zeal. I don't have those things so how can God use me? God never asks us to compare ourselves with those in the Bible or around us. Both David and Paul had every reason to wonder why God would use them. David was a shepherd boy and an afterthought when Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the next king. Paul used his zeal to torture Christians. But God was greater than their weaknesses and failures, and He is greater than ours. It is God that gave David and Paul faith and passion. It is God who will give us what we need to accomplish what He asks us to do. But we must first come to God and say, "If you can use me, here I am!"

God's grace is available to us at all times. His grace is greater than our sin, any need we have or problem we face. God's grace is bigger than our guilt or shame. And His grace equips us to obey His Word and any assignment He gives us. It is because of God's grace that we can be used.

I can easily get down on myself because of my weaknesses and failures. I can fall into the trap of thinking God doesn't use me because I don't have such and such ability or passion. My faith isn't strong enough. And the list goes on. But it's a lie. God uses broken people who are surrendered to Him. Listen to the following verse:

God blesses those who are poor in spirit and realize their

need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Matthew 5:3 NLT

God uses people who don't have it all together. We may not understand how or why, but as long as we come in humility and a willingness to be used by God, we can know He is using us. We may show up as a beggar, but we are there in His presence. Coming is an act of humility. We might not feel like God is using us, especially if we tend to compare ourselves with others or we believe lies about ourselves. But our feelings don't always reflect reality or the truth. Even those that we see God using in significant ways might not feel qualified. Listen to what the artist of the song, Broken Things, says:

“I had a hard time getting through the writing and recording process on this song without choking up – it brings me to tears and into a place of worship. The fact that God still uses me blows me away. There are a lot of times that I feel broken and unqualified for God to use me, but day after day He invites me into the gates and says ‘I’m going to use you in a powerful way’ because our God is in the business of using broken people and broken things.” – Matthew West

West doesn't deny God is using him; rather he says he is blown away by what God is doing through him. He is humbled and grateful. He comes to God in worship. Remember, it's not about how put together you are, it's about how willing you are to let God use you. You can come into His presence at any time! You can come to the throne of grace as a "beggar" in humility, worship, and gratitude or with confidence as a son or daughter to make your request known to God (Heb 4:16).

Behind the Song, Broken Things

#BrokenThings #beggar #God #King #truth #weakness #struggles #Jesus #humility #willingness