The Design of His Heart
“But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart through all generations.”
When He made you, He knew you wouldn’t be perfect. He knew you would mess up. He knew you would turn away. He knew that your free will would get in the way. He knew you would get wrapped up chasing your dreams instead of His. He knew your ideas, your goals, and your plans would send you down the wrong path sometimes. And yet,
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
This is the plan of the Lord, the plan that stands forever - the design of His heart for all generations: that everything would work for the good of those who love Him.
God, in His infinite wisdom, plans for us a life that offers free will, a life that plans and anticipates our wrong turns. He takes the crooked way and makes it straight. (Luke 3:5) It’s incredible. This promise is incredible. In a beautiful mystery, He designs a life for us that always says, “Yes” to the ones who love Him. For those who love Him,
He makes broken things beautiful.
It’s like Kintsugi - the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics. The Japanese call it the art of precious scars.
Kintsugi literally translated means, “Golden Repair,” and the artist uses liquid gold (or silver) to meld the pieces of pottery back together again. It creates a more beautiful work than if it had remained whole by highlighting the broken places.
God does the same with us.
He takes our broken pieces and puts us back together more beautifully than if we had remained whole.
When the fall happened, we were shattered. But with the resurrection, we were redeemed. Jesus poured Himself out - as liquid gold - to put us back together again. To show Himself through our broken places. Jesus shows His strength in our breaking points. Where we are weak, He shows Himself strong. Where we are broken, He shows Himself victorious.
That has been God’s plan all along, the design of His heart. The design of God’s heart has always been to make us one with Him again, to make us whole again. His design, His plan since the fall, has been for Jesus to be our “Golden Repair.” God isn’t scared or intimidated by our brokenness. He created us that we might show His glory. And He will not be moved by our weakness. He is even more eager to show us His victory. The greater our areas of brokenness, the greater a Savior He gets to be.
But to truly repair, we must let the Father handle our broken pieces. We must allow Him to put us back together. He promises to work for the good of those who love Him, and we must love Him enough to trust Him with our brokenness.
Father,
Come like liquid gold to repair our broken parts. Come pour out Your goodness over us - that Your victory over our weakness would shine out like the golden seams of a restored piece of pottery.
Father, help us to give You permission to handle us. Please come with care and gentleness to restore us. Father, remind us of Your plan that stands forever. Remind us that the design of Your Heart has always been and will always be love because that’s who You are.
Father, we give You everything we are. Help us to let go, and let You.