A Bruised Reed…

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“A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

Isaiah 42:3 ESV

We live among bruised reeds. We rub shoulders with them every day, but do not notice them until they inadvertently show themselves. We look into the eyes of their faintly burning wicks, yet we do not see what’s really going on in the minds behind them.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Hurting people hurt people.” Not every bruised reed openly lashes out at others when under pressure, but some of them do. Others may withdraw from people or situations that only serve to increase their pain.

God has compassion toward those who are weak, vulnerable, broken, or hurting… physically, emotionally, or spiritually. He does not misunderstand them, for He knows where their pain began. He will not lash out in anger against them. He will not crush or destroy them, nor will He turn His back on them. Instead, He sees them through the lens of His own sacrifice, and chooses to gently care for and support them. He heals them and renews their strength.

He Challenges, He Binds Up, He Heals

Of all the things that God is, the one that speaks to me the most is His vulnerability. From this aspect of God’s character flow kindness, gentleness, openness, honesty, forgiveness, and unconditional love.

Yes, He is strong. He is able to “split the sea” and “crush the heads of Leviathan, feeding him to the creatures of the desert” (Psalm 74:13:14). And in His powerful way, without hesitation, He “bends the heavens and comes down,” storming in His greatness to rescue the ones He loves (Psalm 18:9). 

He is in no way “soft.” He challenges and corrects and disciplines His children just like any firm and loving Father would. He has the highest standards that He will never, ever compromise.

But when He takes all of His strength and applies it to vulnerability, His gentleness is evident.

Instead of breaking the bruised, He binds up their wounds and commits Himself to their healing. He is patient and full of compassion. He always makes a case for mercy.

Instead of stepping on faintly burning wicks, He guards them for their own good, seeking out the smallest golden ember and breathing His life back into it. Where can we pick up the flame once again? Where can we begin? He never despises even the smallest of beginnings… or re-beginnings…

We Don’t Have to Walk on Eggshells

Yet He, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; He restrained His anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.

Psalm 78:38-39 ESV

This is how the Lord sees us, for He is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29):

• He knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14).
  
• He knows that we are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).
  
• He is able to forgive us, for we do not know what we are doing (Luke 23:34).
  
• He comes to our aid, lightens our load, and bears us up in our weakness (Romans 8:26). 

If we are the faintly burning wick, as we all are from time to time, we must run to Him, embracing His grace and tender care like our name is written on them. He doesn’t want us crawling to Him on our hands and knees, constantly begging for His forgiveness and love. Jesus died for us to have that! He wants us to “Come boldly before the throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in times of need” (Hebrews 4:16). His ways are higher than ours. If we will allow it, He will scoop us up and show us the way to healing.

If we are facing a bruised reed in some part of our lives today, as we all are… an angry coworker, a harsh or distant family member, that rude someone in the grocery store, a struggling friend… an addict, a prostitute, a homeless person… and everyone in between… It was probably pain that led them down the path they are on. It’s not true for everyone, but it is true for many, and only God knows the difference.

Abandonment, rejection, abuse, harsh treatment, devastating loss, and the list goes on.

I pray we recognize them for who they really are: one who is loved by God, but got stuck in their bruises somewhere along the way.

I pray we pray for them like Jesus would, according to His Word. I pray we have strength to love them, uphold them, and bind up their wounds. I pray we are able to speak the truth in love in just the right God-appointed moments. We can’t always help people, but God can. If we ask Him to love them through us, He absolutely will.