Unbroken
I’d like to share a fun fact about myself. I listen to music 24/7 and I just can’t help it. I was raised with a mom as the church music director, I was in band all throughout school, and I’m still involved in music today. Very rarely will you find me without music playing close by.
I get in the truck and music starts–I walk in the house from a long day and music is going in my pocket. I could easily attribute this to my upbringing, but I’ve always known it’s deeper than that. Most people would be driven crazy by the amount of music I listen to, but for me good Godly music brings a calm to my mind. I don’t know if it’s the rhythm, melody, or lyrics. I guess some days it's one or the other, and other days it’s all three.
Coming from a long line of mostly quiet men I don’t always have the words to say what I’m feeling or thinking, but I almost always have a song that perfectly describes it. There have been times I go to the prayer room feeling speechless, but the perfect song can help me get the ball rolling. There have been times people have needed advice, and if I didn’t have the right words I definitely had the right song.
Long story short the reason I’m starting here is because this week some lyrics reached out and grabbed me. I was driving down the road going from Etoile to Timpson maneuvering the many hills and curves all while looking at a whole bunch of trees. Normally I would have been driving in boredom, but this morning was just right. These hills, curves, and trees paired with the morning sunlight and song that was playing all turned into one beautiful moment where you just know God is sitting in the passenger seat next to you. This blog isn’t about music, although the music you’re listening to is very important.
This blog is titled “Unbroken”, and I’d like to share the song that was playing the other morning as I had my “Aha, that’s what I’m going to talk about!” moment.
For My Good: Maverick City
When I should've lost my mind
You showed up right on time
And carried me through the valley
All the way on the other side
And when pain tried to take my joy
That's when I felt You more
Now I've gotta testify
God, You kept my heart alive
Oh, yes, You did
I didn't know if I'd survived
I gave up so many times
But You kept my heart alive
–
It was all working for my good
If only I knew back then what I know right now
Nothing is wasted in Your hands
God, You didn't forsake me
And I know You never will
Romans 8:28 KJV says:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
As I was listening to this beautifully written song, I wasn’t in a place of despair. I wasn’t having a bad day. I wasn’t even looking for lyrics to relate to. All I was doing was driving, and God spoke to me through this song.
The Line that stuck out for me is “I gave up so many times, but You kept my heart alive.” When I heard this line I thought “Man, how true is that?” There have been so many times I wanted to throw in the towel on this journey with the Lord, because I didn’t understand his plan and doubted him.
There have been times that I should have lost my mind, but He showed up right on time, and carried me to the other side.
There have been times when pain tried to take my joy—but somehow— I felt Him more, and in these times the only thing left to do is testify. I’ve got to testify! Cause He kept my heart alive and it was all working for my good!
I want somebody to know that we serve a God that will keep our heart alive—He is the pilot light when our fire has gone dim ready to reignite us the moment we turn back to him.
Whether we stray away from him or just go through a spiritual dry season, our Lord Jesus will never leave our side. Through the highs and the lows–the hills and the valleys—He is always there ready to reignite and rejuvenate us. He is our rest when we’re weary and our strength when we’re weak and we can take heart in the knowledge of this and stand strong when we may not feel like it, because we know that all things are working for our good. We serve a faithful God that will see us through every test and trial of life.
I’d like to share a story of a man that stood strong in the face of his uncertainty. In the face of death with seemingly no escape he made a covenant with God to dedicate his life to him. He could have accepted the fate he was about to be given, but there was a God keeping his heart alive.
To clarify here the lyrics of the song, I’d say whenever you think you have no fight left in you, but somehow keep trudging along that is God “keeping your heart alive.”
Sometimes there is no explanation as to how we made it to the other side except for the simple fact we were held in the arms of our savior, and we must give him the glory for that.
Louis Silvie Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II veteran, an Olympic distance runner and a Christian evangelist. He took up running in high school and qualified for the United States in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, finishing 8th while setting a new lap record in the process.
Zamperini was commissioned in the United States Army Air Forces as a lieutenant. He served as a bombardier on B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. On a search and rescue mission, his plane experienced mechanical difficulties and crashed into the ocean. By Day 18 at sea, Zamperini and his fellow crewmates seriously question their unfortunate fate. During a terrible storm, Louis prays, promising God that he will dedicate his life to Him.
On their 28th day at sea, the survivors signal a plane. The enemy plane makes two strafing runs, damaging both life rafts. Louis and his crew manage to repair a life raft, and one crewmate dies soon after.
After drifting at sea on a life raft for 47 days, with two other crewmates, Zamperini landed on the then Japanese Marshall Islands and was captured.
He was taken to a total of four different prisoner-of-war camps in Japan, where he was tortured and beaten by Japanese military personnel—specifically including Mutsuhiro Watanabe—because of Zamperini's status as a famous Olympic runner. He was later taken to a new prison camp at a coal factory, and after much hardship, he was finally released. Following the war he initially struggled to overcome his ordeal, afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. Remembering his covenant with God he rededicated himself and began his ministry.
He later became a Christian evangelist with a strong belief in forgiveness. From 1952 onwards, he devoted himself to at-risk youth. Zamperini is the subject of three biographical films: Unbroken (2014), its sequel Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018), and Captured by Grace (2015).
The films that followed the challenging life of Louis Zamperini are fittingly named “Unbroken”, because the story follows a man that had every chance to throw in the towel. Setback after setback, this man did not give up. From a plane crash, to being lost at sea for 47 days, to being beaten in a prisoner of war camp–Louis Zamperini stood strong.
We could chalk his story up to an American on foreign soil too stubborn to die, but I believe his strength came from the covenant he made with God at sea.
I’m sure he wanted to give up time and time again, but there was a fight in him—a flame that wouldn’t go out, and the flame carried on because of a single conversation with a senior prisoner of war.
In this conversation Louis expressed that he would rather be killed than watch others be tortured. The reply from the other prisoner is that “the only way to beat them would be to make it out alive”, and that’s exactly what he set out to do.
As Christians we must know that it is the enemy’s desire that we fall to the trials and hardship that are being sent our way. Nothing bugs the devil more than someone trying to live for God and succeeding. If hell isn’t fighting you then you’re doing something wrong, but if it is you’re going in the right direction–so keep going!
Stand strong in your faith, because you serve a faithful God that is standing with you.
If you love the Lord and are called according to his purpose—which you are—you can rejoice in the fact that every test, trial, and struggle is going to work together for your good.
Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV says:
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
I believe this ties perfectly to Romans 8:28—because if God never leaves and never forsakes, then we can be confident He’s right there in the middle of our trials, weaving them for our good. Our God is not our servant, but our helper in this journey of life—gently guiding us ever closer to him.
If we turn to Acts 27 we will find another man on a similar journey as Louis Zamperini, that man is the Apostle Paul. Paul was a prisoner in Caesarea traveling to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. This journey was met with many setbacks, but Paul’s faith in God never wavered. We’ll pick up in the middle of the journey during a storm at sea.
Acts 27:20-26, 38-44 KJV says:
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
— 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
As the author of the book of Romans we know that the man that we’re following in this story knows that all things are working for his good, because he writes about it in verse 8:28. Paul was no stranger to difficult situations, but he was fully aware that God would be with him through every one of them.
Paul could’ve given up, but he had a promise from God. The promise being, He would survive and so would everyone with him.
Because of Paul’s faith in God he wasn’t filled with fear, but a healthy trust in God. Trial after trial and storm after storm—Paul remained unbroken. From shipwreck to snake bite to house arrest, he held his head high and simply trusted in God.
It’s important to note that we can take people with us into our victories if we will stand strong in our faith. God didn’t just want to save Paul, but everyone that was with him as well. Sometimes our faith requires us to be a leader and not a follower. Storms may be raging and the ship might be sinking, but God saved those that didn’t jump over the railing trying to save themselves. Paul—a prisoner—stood tall in the face of uncertainty and became a leader to the people around him, because he allowed himself to be led by God.
There will be times in life that you may have to hang on to a board or broken piece, but don't lose the fight within! The enemy and trials of life will try to break you, but you must remain unbroken! You never know if your faith in God is helping to strengthen another person’s faith, so stand strong when you’re at your wits end and let the Lord take you onto dry land.
So, the question is today, “How do we remain unbroken?’ The answer is simple and we can find it in Psalm 20.
Psalm 20:6-9 KJVsays:
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.
Psalm 20:6-9 NIV says:
6 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
A truly unbroken person is a person that puts their full trust in God. These are the people that have been dealt a bad hand time and time again. Yes, there have been times of brokenness in their lives, but there is a God that was there every step of the way keeping their heart alive. Keeping your heart alive!
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God, and that name is Jesus Christ.
We may not know why we’re going through these seemingly endless trials, but God is keeping our heart alive in a way that no one else ever could. The little voice in the back of our minds saying “keep going!” is often The Lord at work cheering us on.
The best way we can combat the attacks from the enemy is to lean on God so hard that no matter how many times we find ourselves in a place of brokenness the flame of the Holy Ghost in our life never goes out. Remember the best way to beat them is to make it to the other side alive and still standing in the truth—the truth that we serve a mighty God stronger than anything coming against us.
I’d like to end by reading the last part of the song that gripped at me this week.
“You kept my heart alive when nobody else could do it! When I thought it was over you never left me in the valley. It was all working for my good. If only I knew back then what I know right now. Nothing is wasted in your hand. God you didn’t forsake me and I know you never will.”
We can remain unbroken, because God is working it out for our good! It’s time to strengthen our resolve more than ever before and decide that no matter how many times we get knocked down, we always get back up! To truly be unbroken is to be too stubborn to quit. We can overcome today, because our Lord overcame the world!
