“And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him” (Luke 24:30-31).
There is a simple truth demonstrated in this post-resurrection encounter with Christ. Can you see it?
I cannot think of a single Christian that does not desire the blessing of the Lord. We earnestly seek and desire God’s blessings on our life. We want the Lord to bless our spiritual life, our home life, our children, our finances, our churches and our ministries. Is there anything wrong with that? Of course not. But the fact remains that we do not always get what we ask for.
What does it mean to be blessed? The common assumption, I believe, is that when God has blessed a person then they will enjoy physical health, financial prosperity, and a general sense of happiness and well-being.
I want us to see that when Jesus blesses something He breaks it. The blessing results in breaking. The prayer for “more” results in “less”. The request for “increase” results in “decrease”. The prayer for blessing results in brokenness.
Do you want to be a blessing to other people, or a burden? Most Christians would say they want to be blessing to others. So God blesses them and then breaks them.
What is going on here? Simply put, the blessing of the Lord is in being reduced to Christ. Who is blessed? Not the one who is rich in spirit, but the one who is poor in spirit. The poor in spirit possess the Kingdom. Those who are broken are blessed, and those who are blessed are broken.
The heart-cry of a disciple of “more of Jesus”. How do we get “more” of Jesus? By getting less of us. With less of me there is more of Him. As I am decreased, He is increased. This is what it means to be blessed.
A brother in the Lord related the following experience to me. As he was watching television he says he came across a woman who was yelling, “Increase! Increase! God wants to increase you and all you have!” This brother says he staggered out of his chair laughing, and said, “Decrease! Decrease! Keep decreasing me Lord, till all there is left is YOU!” Friends, when we understand the blessing and the breaking then we will find ourselves responding the same way. What I love about this is the brother LAUGHED as he rejected the “increase” and embraced the decrease. This is what it means to take up the Cross.
We cry out for “increase” but God has already (past tense) blessed us with “every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We have the blessing already. What we are lacking is the breaking. We want the blessing without the breaking. But it is not that we need more of the Lord, because we already have all of Him; we just need less of everything else.
After Jesus blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Until you have the blessing and the breaking your eyes will remain closed. Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. Then what we already have in Him will be revealed. Our eyes will be opened and we will see that He has been standing there the whole time.
Do you want to know Him? Do you want to see Him for Who He is? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to have your eyes opened? Embrace the blessing AND the breaking; receive them both. If you are a bruised reed or a broken cistern, take heart, because you are making progress.
Shamim Coulter
9 months ago
The blessedness of brokenness. I had no clue until – my first husband lived the life before me. The grain of wheat has to die in order to live. The alabaster box had to be broken so the fragrance could be poured forth. The gold has to be tested in the fire in order to get the brilliance of the beauty. A broken and a contrite heart He will not despise. AMEN AMEN AMEN
JC
7 months ago
Chip,
You really seem to hit the nail on the head in your articles. I can tell that you understand these principles through experience, more so than by reading.. I am not all of the way there, but have experienced your articles first hand for the most part. It is so invigorating that there is someone out there who will share these principles with others, as most mature believers that I know are so very evasive in sharing anything with others. Breaking and suffering are the main tools in the Lord’s arsenal to refine us, however I know so few who understand what is going on when it is happening, so they miss out on what He is doing in their lives or they simply walk away for something better…Thanks again for the wonderful articles!!
In Christ Jesus,
J.Christopher
BH
7 months ago
I remember the day not long ago when the Holy Spirit spoke those words of Jesus to me, “Take eat, this is my body that is broken for you”…as soon as he finished speaking these words he said, “You are the bread that is broken for them, you are the body that is being broken in trials, temptation and circumstances in order to bring forth the true word (bread) of life”.
I can’t tell you how receiving that understanding helped me to realize the “working in” of the word in our lives and how that word becomes flesh in us.
Just wanted to share this.
Shamim
3 months ago
How appropriate to share this Word today April 12, and I just saw my comment that I left 6 months ago and to have you give me this same Word “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Truly a blessing and a refreshing, I’M SO THANKFUL THAT THE WEBSITE IS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. I’m going to DIRECT ALL THE BELIEVERS ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE TO YOUR SITE, EVEN THE LEGALISTIC ONES AS WELL because they need to be delivered from the bondage of legalism.
Sharon
2 months ago
This breaking is so incredibly painful.
Sometimes I despise myself.
This religious spirit is so tenacious, and hateful.
How I long to be free of it.
Please pray for me.
Beth
2 months ago
I’m kind of amazed at your insight. Jesus’ words are making more sense with your explanations.
Ellen
7 months ago
My mother gave me a taste for spiritual things but since her passing last year, I have been open to others with the same drift. I’ve been reading “My Utmost For His Highest” and these articles which seem to be similar. Also, My Baptist church pastor seems to be earnestly seeking but I know I cannot get all I need just from his sermons and books. Our sunday school class is sincere, informative into scripture and seeking but fellowship is mostly very shallow. Thank you Chip.