About Mindful Monday Devotions

As we enter a new season of celebration with Tell the Wonders He Has Done, we continue in our prayerful focus as we look to the months and years ahead with thanksgiving. Join us as we remain in God's strong Word each Monday morning.

This week's devotion is authored by James Blake, prayer co-coordinator for our ministry expansion campaign.

Broken and Redeemed

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold…



And all through the mountains, thunder-riven,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a cry to the gate of heaven,

"Rejoice! I have found My sheep!"

Hymn • The Ninety and Nine

by Elizabeth Clephane,1868

"His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death ... He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light." • Job 33:22, 28.

Search the words “broken” and “pit” in your Bible app, and you will find a meaningfully large number of verses to read through, particularly in the Psalms. It may be one of the reasons we could benefit as a community to spend more time in the Psalms — every emotion we experience in life is dealt with honestly and openly right there in our hands. It stands in stark contrast to waking up early every Sunday morning to make sure our family is put together and looks its best.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with looking nice for worship, but let’s remember that many of us were once that one “out on the hills away.” As a church and as a community in relationship with one another, do we speak enough of our personal brokenness? Does our message stay locked safely inside the brick walls of our sanctuary? The most important question to ask right now is: Do we look too put-together so that one of our own doesn’t feel comfortable enough to cry for help? (Psalm 22:1-2).

Therefore, let’s do something different. We were chosen before our birth to be put into this particular time in relationship with one another. We were called to freedom and given a command (Galatians 5:13). And it’s okay to celebrate our pieces by accentuating our “golden repair." Everyone should know that the Lord put us back together and holds our form to His purpose.

As Paul — the namesake of our church and community — states so brilliantly in his letter to Timothy, let’s rejoice for the One who paid our ransom in the same breath that admits our brokenness (1 Timothy 1:12–16; Job 33:24).