A Bruised Reed

​Matthew 12:20 ~ “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.”
 
Oh, broken saints of Christ, do not fear that you’re going to be set aside by the LORD Jesus. The compassion and care that Jesus has for you is far more than you can comprehend. He has taken you into His hands and will not release you. Perhaps you cannot see His tenderness in this moment, but know that it is abiding always and He will never quench the fire of His love for you. You may sense a growing apprehension within your heart, but it is not from the LORD, for His love never ceases as we see in Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” You may have suffered at the hands of this world, you may be in the throws of difficulty, and your strength has failed. Yet you are not forgotten by the Almighty Savior. As our text declares, He will bring justice to victory—and His victory will be shared with all who are His own.
 
As we read in our text today, “A bruised reed he will not break.” Take this to heart, dear ones, for Jesus holds you and will not let you be destroyed. The children, in the days when our LORD walked this earth, would fashion small flutes from the reeds along the shore. They would play them with joy in their adolescent delight. Yet, it was not long before the constant use would cause the reed to grow feeble and weak, eventually becoming flimsy and bruised so that it would no longer play a tune. With little thought the child would simply break the reed and pluck a new one from the rushes to make a new flute. Are you, my friend, a bruised reed? Do you find that your life has little music left to play? Consider the words of Psalm 137:1, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.” Perhaps you remember the days when it seemed that your life was filled with the joy of the LORD and your heart sang for delight in His great salvation. And now your bruised with the sufferings of this world. But take heart, beloved. Your Savior still holds the bruised reed and He will not break it. He will hold you until the day of victory, and you will again be made new in the presence of the King.
 
Or, you may find your mind dwelling on the second part of our text today, “and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” In the night, when the lamps that illuminated the darkness dimmed and the wick was burned down to a mere fragment and little oil could rise up and keep the flame bright, the lamp would smolder and smoke so that it needed to be changed. They would quench the remaining embers of the wick and replace it with one fresh and new so that the oil of the lamp could rise up and again illuminate the room. Has the fire dimmed in your heart which once burned bright with the oil of faith? Has the well-lit flame that broke through the darkness and gave light to all has diminished to a smoldering ember of its former self? You may have given up, but the LORD will not quench the remaining spark that could again be refreshed into a radiant flame. He does not quench even the smoldering wick, and will bring hope again to despair. Hear the words from Isaiah 61:3 as it is promised that the LORD will grant, “the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.” Dear, faint-hearted Christian, there is great hope in the LORD. His Spirit will refresh you with gladness, for Christ has anointed all who belong to Him that that should be forever His.
 
And, even now, by faith you can find your heart renewed in Christ. If you are a bruised reed or a smoldering wick, the LORD Jesus can restore the joy of your heart and the fire of your faith. Consider the words of 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” If you belong to Christ Jesus, then you are held in the hands of the One who does not break or quench His children. He restores. Look to Him and know His love and grace. It is yours in abundance. When you do, you might just discover the music of your heart returning to sing with joy for the LORD and the fire of your faith ignited to burn ever brighter than it did before.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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