GOD USES BROKEN CRAYONS TO COLOUR THE WORLD

MOMENT OF ENCOUNTER DEVOTIONAL
By Prophet Dr. Abiodun Adesida


MESSAGE

Our world loves finished products. Bring your achievements, hide your wounds, polish your photograph, and pretend your life has never needed repairs!

Sometimes, even in church, we applaud the testimony but feel uncomfortable with the person still passing through the trouble.

Thankfully, God does not inspect His instruments with society’s rejection list. Broken crayons still colour in His hands.

When David entered the Cave of Adullam, those who gathered around him were distressed, indebted, and discontented (1 Samuel 22:2). What a congregation! If some modern committees had screened them, the recommendation might have been: “Please return when your life is more presentable.”

Yet these troubled men became part of David’s growing company. The cave was a place of refuge and preparation. David’s story reminds us that a difficult beginning need not determine the final chapter.

People may see a collection of problems; God sees lives worth redeeming.

Jephthah was driven away by his brothers because of his mother’s identity. Later, the elders came looking for the man they had rejected (Judges 11:1–11). Society can be wonderfully selective: yesterday, your background made you unacceptable; today, their emergency makes you indispensable!

But Jephthah’s later rash vow also warns us: being used by God does not make every decision we make wise. Grace calls us to grow, not merely to become important.

Jacob deceived, struggled, and eventually limped away from his encounter with God (Genesis 32:24–31). His new name did not require a flawless walk.

Some of us want a new destiny with our old pride intact. We want God to change our address without touching our character!

David sinned grievously. When confronted, he needed repentance, not a publicity team. Psalm 51 is the cry of a man who stopped defending himself and began seeking mercy.

A broken heart before God is more valuable than a polished excuse before people.

And Peter? He denied Jesus three times. Yet the risen Lord restored him and entrusted him with caring for His sheep (John 21:15–17).

If failure automatically cancelled every calling, many pulpits would be empty and the congregation might also need a head count!

But hear this clearly: brokenness is not an excuse for remaining careless, cruel, or unrepentant. A broken crayon can still colour; it should not insist on damaging the picture.

God’s mercy restores us and teaches us to live differently.

Also, not every wound is punishment, and not every tragedy is something God inflicted to teach a lesson. Daniel entered the lions’ den because he remained faithful. Paul carried treasure in an earthen vessel, showing that divine power belongs to God (2 Corinthians 4:7).

You can be obedient and still face opposition. You can be loved by God and still need healing.

Your pain does not prove that God has abandoned you.

Beloved, stop treating your scars as a certificate of uselessness. Seek healing. Receive wise counsel. Make restitution where necessary. Return to prayer. Take the next faithful step.

Your wounds may become places from which you comfort others. Your mistakes, honestly repented of, may teach you humility. Your losses may deepen your compassion.

God does not require you to pretend you were never broken. He invites you to place your broken life in His hands.

The world may admire the crayon’s packaging. The Master knows what colour remains inside.