The Weight of Hell Shifts to the Weight of Glory: Sermon Illustration Tuesday

In her book The Broken Way, Ann Voskamp shares a beautiful exchange between her and her husband (The farmer). His encouragement is for all of us: that God uses the broken things in this world for good.

“You know—everything all across this farm says the same thing, you know that, right?” He waits till I let him look me in the eye, let him look into me and all this fracturing. “The seed breaks to give us the wheat. The soil breaks to give us the crop, the sky breaks to give us the rain, the wheat breaks to give us the bread.

And the bread breaks to give us the feast. There was once even an alabaster jar that broke to give Him all the glory”… He looks right through the cracks of me… He says it slowly, like he means it: “Never be afraid of being a broken thing.” I don’t—I don’t even know what that means. I am afraid. And I think this journey, this way, will not spare any of us. But maybe—this is the way to freedom? I’ve got to remember to just keep breathing—keep believing.

In Christ—no matter the way, the storm, the story—we always know the outcome.

Our Savior—surrounds.

Our future—secure.

Our joy—certain.

…I’ll take his words like a daring covenant, not knowing yet what’s to come: there is no growth without change, no change without surrender, no surrender without wound—no abundance without breaking.

Wounds are what break open the soul to plant the seeds of a deeper growth. I whisper it to the Farmer, one line that unfolds like willing, cupped hands: “Brokenness can make abundance.” And the weight of hell shifts almost imperceptibly to feel more like the weight of glory, even if I’m not quite sure yet if that greater grace will come.

Ann Voskamp, The Broken Way, Zondervan.