Encouragement for Today
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July 23, 2025 Finding His Goodness in Our Brokenness |
“‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Nathanael asked him.” John 1:46a (CSB)
I strolled along the water’s edge with my friend, watching the waves roll in ahead of the storm. The sky was gray, and wind whipped across my face. My attention turned to the seagulls. They swooped down and soared up — seemingly on repeat.
As I watched, I noticed something fall from their mouths. As if right on cue, they dove down, snatched it back up, soared to a greater height, and dropped it again. One by one, they continued this pattern until they flew away.
“What do you think they’re dropping?” I asked my friend.
“Crabs,” she replied. “They drop them to break them. That’s how they get the good stuff to eat.”
The seagulls knew: Through breaking, they get the good stuff.
I thought of my trials and those of my friends and loved ones as I wondered, Can "good stuff" come from my breaking and theirs? Can anything good come from my broken heart or broken dreams? From a friend’s broken health and another’s broken relationship? Is finding the good possible even in this?
Centuries prior, Scripture records that a similar question was asked — not of a circumstance but of a city, not of a trial but of a town.
Nathanael, soon to be one of Jesus’ disciples, heard of “the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth." At this, Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:45-46, CSB).
Nazareth was known as a small, unimportant city. It was held in low esteem and was the last place one would expect “anything good” to come from.
Similarly, my brokenness is the last place I expect to find anything good. But when I look to God and His Word, I remember that even when my heart aches, my mind can’t comprehend, or my body hurts, He is with me and He is working.
Just as the world’s Savior came out of Nazareth, our Savior’s most beautiful work often comes out of brokenness.
Despite our seemingly broken plans, dreams, and lives, His plan is unfolding and is ultimately good, however painful the present may be. Because He is good. And He is with us.
The next time you wonder — Can anything good come from this? — remember that Jesus proved good can come from Nazareth: the least likely of places. Good can certainly come from your situation and mine.
If the Creator of the seagull gave it wisdom to get the “good stuff” from brokenness, surely that same Creator knows how to bring forth good out of our brokenness. He knows everything, reigns above everything, and uses everything for our ultimate good and His glory.
Good can come out of unexpected towns and unwanted trials. Let’s look to Him in our brokenness, trusting that even there, we’ll find His goodness.
Lord, we acknowledge that You are always good, loving, and present in our lives. Because You are all-powerful, You can repair what’s broken. Help us trust You to bring good from our hardships and beauty from our brokenness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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ENGAGE
Today’s devotion writer, Cara Blondo, is a COMPEL Pro member and a winner of the annual Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. To find out more about COMPEL Pro’s writing challenges and how to become a member today, click here.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 119:68, “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees” (NIV).
Ecclesiastes 3:11a, “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (NIV).
What’s one thing you can do today to remind yourself that God is good and does good?
Take a moment to pray over what feels broken in your life, and ask Him to make it into something beautiful according to His Word, His way, and His timing. We’d love to hear your thoughts — share them in the comments!
© 2025 by Cara Blondo. All rights reserved.
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