For All You Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks Out There
A Wednesday Devotional
Many years ago, when I was a fairly new and un-discipled Christian in my late teens, I failed God in such a big way I thought for sure he’d never have anything to do with me again. How could he, being so holy and all, and me being such a tragic example of Christ-follower? I deserved to be abandoned by the one I claimed to love and obey because if I had truly loved him, I wouldn’t have disobeyed so terribly.
The cloudy day it all went down, I hiked into the woods of Central Alabama as I often did, looking for comfort amidst the tall pine trees with their decaying needles carpeting the ground, giving off a familiar, musky-sweet smell. Sitting on a stump in a clearing left by some logger, I cried, broken and grieving over the loss of my place in God’s family.1
Suddenly, the sun broke through gray clouds, warming my back. I sensed a presence behind me. What felt like a hand touched my shoulder, and I wasn’t afraid because somehow, I knew Who it was.
“You’re still here?” I asked, bewildered.
A still, small voice said, “Yes, child.”
In that moment, a wave of pure love and compassion so powerfully washed over me it evokes deep emotions when recollected even now, as I write this.
I learned something about God I’ve never forgotten, something I treasure and hold onto with dear life, something echoed in the words of Isaiah, words I didn’t even know existed at the time. The old prophet foretold of a Servant, a Chosen One who would come bringing justice and blessing to the world. And this is what he’s like,
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; Isaiah 42:3 (NIV)
The imagery explains itself. Have you ever felt like a bruised stalk, on the verge of breaking in two, or a smoldering candle, the flame of life nearly extinguished? I was both sitting on that stump many years ago. If there’s any doubt about who this tender and compassionate Servant is who cares for such pitiful things, look at Matthew’s gospel. As he watched Jesus feed the poor, show kindness to the outcasts, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and restore the lame (bruised reeds and smoldering wicks were they all), he was taken back to Isaiah. He looked at the prophecy; he looked at Jesus and made the connection.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:17–21(NIV) emphasis mine
That’s who Jesus is and what he’s like. And since Jesus is God in the flesh, that’s what God is like too.
Sometimes, I grow faint when I see preachers or Bible teachers presenting a frightful, God-is-gonna-get-ya kind of gospel. For them, the Almighty is angry, pacing to and fro, searching for followers to punish. For a minute, I might believe it; they’re fairly convincing. But what happened in those woods and what I know about our Father from Isaiah and Matthew calms my fears. Yes, he is holy and just and righteous. But he is also patient and kind and mindful of our weaknesses. He has a heart for broken reeds and smoldering wicks, even if their plight is of their own making. And this makes me love God and want to obey him all the more.
The late Tim Keller, in a sermon on this text, elaborates on what a bruised reed means:
Actually, the Hebrew word that here is translated bruised is also translated crushed. What it’s talking about is a deep contusion, not a break in the skin. No, not a break externally; a deep contusion that has either injured or destroyed a vital internal organ. Therefore, often this word means a deathblow. It’s talking about maybe something that doesn’t show on the surface, but inside you’re dying.
When it gives us the image of a bruised reed, we’re talking about a stalk of grain that has been basically broken. It’s broken at an angle. It’s not broken into two pieces, see. It’s bruised, but because it’s broken at an angle, it’s over. It’s never going to produce grain. Yet this Servant does what no one else can do. He can heal it so it produces grain again. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick [like a candle, a flame just about to go out] he will not snuff out.” What is this talking about? It’s talking about this.
Jesus Christ, this Servant, is attracted to hopeless cases. He loves the fragile. He loves people who are beaten and who are battered and who are bruised and maybe don’t show it on the outside, but inside, they’re dying. He knows what to do with them. Over and over and over again, the Bible says (like Psalm 147 or Isaiah 61) he binds up the brokenhearted, and he heals their wounds…
If Christ never breaks the weakest reed, then I’m not going to break myself. I’m not going to beat myself up. I’m not going to beat anybody else up either.2
So, to all the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks out there like me, know that the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, knows your pain. He’s been crushed, almost snuffed out himself. But he mightily overcame all that, and one day, he’ll bring justice to victory; he’ll redeem us and this corrupt, fallen world. And every tear we’ve shed will return to us many times over as joy, peace, and infinite love for all eternity.
8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book… This I know: God is on my side! Psalm 56:8, 9b (NLT)
Yes, child. It’s true.
Little did I know back then that grief and brokenness over sin is a tell-tale sign of genuine salvation.
Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
From one bruised reed to another, thank you for these words of encouragement. What hope it gives that He never forgets, He is always waiting and willing to begin the restoration process. He always sees beyond our brokenness to a day when we will be made complete and whole and can sing His song of redemption.
You would think that Christians are united by our love, but really it’s suffering that unites us. Thank you for the uplifting devotional.