Hey, welcome to some encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread.

The reading for today titled Brokenness That Blesses was written by Arthur Jackson.

His back is hunched and he walks with a cane, but his many years of spiritual shepherding

are evidence that he leans on God, the source of his strength.

In 1993, the Reverend William Barber was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that causes

the vertebra of the spine to fuse together.

In a not-so-subtle way, he was told,

Barber, you probably going to need to figure out another thing to do besides pastoring

because the church ain't going to want someone disabled to be their pastor.

But Barber overcame that hurtful comment.

God has not only used him as a pastor,

but he's also been a powerful, respected voice for underserved and marginalized people.

Though the world may not fully know what to do with those with disabilities,

God does. Those who value beauty and brawn and things that money can buy can miss the good

that accompanies uninvited brokenness. The rhetorical question of James in James chapter 2, and the principle

underneath it are worth considering, has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the

world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him. When health or strength or other

things are reduced, one's faith needn't follow suit. By God's strength, it can be the opposite.

Our lack can be a catalyst to trust him. Our brokenness, as was the case with Jesus, can be used of him

to bring good to our world.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from James, chapter 2, verses 3 through 6.

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,

...