Bring It to Me When You Feel Broken
This devotional reflection connects Jesus’ command to feed the hungry crowd with a story about a broken lighthouse restored by a father’s patient care. When you feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or beyond repair, the message is simple: bring it to the Lord.
- Jesus invites obedience even when the need feels impossible (Matthew 14:16-18).
- What feels ruined can be restored when it’s placed in the right hands.
- God meets grief, doubt, mistakes, and brokenness with a gracious invitation: “Bring it to me.”
by David Faust
Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what to do, and the problem seemed insurmountable. Thousands of hungry people needed food, and there were no restaurants or grocery stores nearby. As evening approached and the sun began to set, the disciples concluded the only solution was to send the crowds away to fend for themselves. But Jesus said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16, New International Version).
The Lord’s instructions seemed impossible—almost laughable. The disciples pointed out the absurdity of the request. They only had five loaves of bread and two fish (v. 17). A handful of dinner rolls and a couple of sardines were barely enough for a little boy’s lunch, but in the hands of Jesus, those small morsels could be much more.
“‘Bring them here to me,’ he said” (v. 18).
Jesus took the bread and fish, gave thanks and broke the loaves, and the disciples distributed this miracle meal to the hungry men, women, and children. After everyone ate and was satisfied, the disciples gathered 12 basketsful of leftovers. In Jesus’ hands the broken pieces were more than sufficient to feed everyone.
A Broken Light
A friend of mine loves being around bodies of water. His house is located next to a lake, and in the summer he enjoys going out on his boat. He runs a health-care business and uses lighthouses to illustrate wellness and hope.
He asked his dad, a retired carpenter, to build a small lighthouse for a workplace display, and his father gladly obliged. He built a 5-foot-tall tower with a flashing light on top, modeled after a beautiful lighthouse in Long Island, New York.
Later, when the display was put away, the lighthouse fell and the light broke. My friend didn’t have the heart to tell his dad he had broken the lighthouse, so he just stored it in his house’s attic.
Years later, his dad asked, “What ever happened to that lighthouse I built?” My friend was embarrassed, but he had to tell the truth. He explained that it was broken and packed away in the attic.
His dad said, “Bring it to me.”
The son hesitated and said, “No, Dad, I ruined it. I don’t think it’s fixable.” Again, his dad insisted, “Bring it to me.”
So the younger man reluctantly got the broken lighthouse out of the attic and took it to his father. A few days later, his dad brought him the beautiful tower, repaired and freshly painted, complete with a light that worked again. The lighthouse now is bolted onto the deck by the lake behind the family’s house.
A Gracious Invitation
When things look desperate and you feel overwhelmed, God understands. He knows your grief, doubts, mistakes, and brokenness.
You say, “No, Lord. I’ve ruined my life. It can’t be fixed. I’m embarrassed. I’ve made a mess of things.”
And the heavenly Father says, “Bring it to me.”
Author: David Faust
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.
