Broad Places

Imagine that you’re walking down a hallway. A ridiculously small hallway. A hallway so small that it’s literally only wide enough to allow you to pass through it. Got it? Now imagine that in addition to having to walk down this disrespectfully small hallway, you have some form of weight that you have to carry. Ooh! Let’s also cut the lights in your hallway. The only light that you have is a spotlight that is right above you. Got it? Are you there? Great. Now, as you’re walking, you see a door. This door has your name on it. It’s got a future date written on it too. With you being….you, you probably try to open the door before the date, but it doesn’t work. You try daily, and but it doesn’t open until you finally realize that in order to get through the door, you have to release the weight you’ve been carrying. Then, on that magical day, you open the door, it unlocks with ease, and opens to a broad place. After all of this time spent in that terrible, dark hallway, you walk into the biggest space you’ve ever seen.  It’s like a ridiculously large white room (with excellent lighting everywhere). I don’t know what material things may be in your space, but I know that all of a sudden, you feel revived, refreshed, and restored. You smile a lot more in this broad place. You have more room to move around in this broad place. You may not necessarily have a set plan for all of this space, but you’ll get it with time. For now, you’re just happy to be here. That space is what I want to talk about today. Last week, we talked about the process needed to get to the broad place. Now, I want to try to show you what the broad place is. 

To describe it in the simplest of fashions, broad places are what we call ‘new levels’. It’s a space that God brings us into when the struggle is over. It’s abundant life. A broad place is a place that’s bigger than you. It’s a place that God guides you into, and that you need Him to guide you through, because you’ll mess it up on your own. I’ve read about broad places a few times in the Bible, and here’s what I learned about them. 

 A broad place comes after a fight. In both 2 Samuel 22 and Psalms 18, there’s a song written by David after he finally defeated Saul. In this song, he says that “He (God) also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” Oh to know that God delights in you. When nobody else liked you, when everybody else was too busy fighting you to care about you, when nobody else let you know that you do in fact matter, He delighted in you. Your continued existence is a reminder that God delights in you! Think about it: how many things should’ve taken you out? How many things did you think would actually defeat you? How many times have you been ready to quit, ready to walk away, or ready to just...stop trying and right in that moment, God showed up, and brought you into a broad place? God doesn’t have to do anything for the sake of necessity. He brings us out because He delights in us. He makes promises to us because He delights in us. He provides peace, joy, strength, joy, etc. because He delights in us. So many times, we’re given a picture of an angry, list keeping God that’s waiting on us to mess up so He can send us to hell, but that isn’t what He’s all about. He’s a God of grace. He’s a God of peace. He’s a God of increase. He’s a God of broad places. The sooner that you recognize that He does in fact delight in you, the better your life will be, and you’ll call on Him a bit more (and actually expect a response). 
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     You can be kept from broad places. Every good & pleasant gift comes from Him, but not before we're ready. In Job 36, we get to eavesdrop in on Elihu & Job’s conversation. Elihu says “He would have brought you into a broad place where there is no restraint…but you are filled with judgment…” This showed me that sometimes, you block your own breakthrough. You stand in your own way when you’re so focused with what everybody else is doing that you don’t value or appreciate what God has given you. You block your blessing when your acts appear to be right, but your heart is wrong. You can’t get into broad places with bad character. Actually, you probably can, but you won’t stay there. There’s nothing worse than having your talent, etc. get you somewhere that your character can’t keep you in. I believe that this is why we struggle. This is why we go through bad seasons, because God uses our burdens to prepare us for our broad places. Broad places aren’t meant for those who are greedy, backbiting, messy, or discouraging. They won’t know how to use that space for God’s glory. Broad places are meant for the diligent, the faithful, and the chosen. That may be you. You may have the necessary traits to walk into your own broad place. You may already be there! (woo hoo!) However, I can guarantee you that along the way, something either has come off, or will come off of you that will allow you to use your broad place well. Otherwise, you’ll either lose it, or you’ll fill it with foolishness, and wonder how a space that was once so large became a hallway barely wide enough for you to walk through. 

     Only God can open the doors that lead to broad places. Psalms 118:5 says “I called on the Lord in distress, the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.” What I love about this verse, and every other verse I’ve listed, is that God gets all the credit for the elevation. He gets all of the glory. Please hear me when I say that you walking into your broad place is more about Him and His power than it is about you. We are brought into broad places to show others that it is indeed possible, but that it’s only possible through Him. If you’re standing in a big white room, you’re going to need to add some life to it. You’re going to need to maintain it & keep it clean. That’s a lot harder to do without Him than it is when He’s in you. Never forget that you can do all things (even dominate in broad places) through  Christ who will always give you strength. More importantly, I’ve never known God to start something that He didn’t or couldn’t finish it. So regardless of how fascinating (and slightly scary) your broad place may be, know that if He brought you into this space, He’ll give you everything you need to fill it and succeed. 

     I believe that God is bringing His people into broad places. All around me, I see people shifting into new spaces, new mindsets, and new dreams. People are coming out of pain into purpose, and it’s great, but I realize that everybody may not be in that season. Some of you may be in that cramped hallway. Stress is a tight place to be. You can’t do much when you’re broke, burdened, depressed, etc., but I know that in what the saints of old called ’due season’, God will bring you into your own broad place. I want to encourage each & every person who’s currently in a cramped hallway to trust that God is not just a God of broad places, but that He’s a God of cramped hallways too. He’s the spotlight that right over you, directing you towards that amazing door. I want you encourage you to believe that God has created a broad place for you too. A broad place that will give you more room to breathe, grow, and….be. He’s preparing you for the freedom and comfort that’s found in a broad place. This fight is for your freedom. He’s not having fun with your life; He’s adding integrity to your story. I want you to trust that one day, God will bring you into a broad place that’ll show the world that He’s not just real, but that He delights in you. Be encouraged, suga! 1 Peter 5:10 says it like (kinda) like this: after you have suffered a while, He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you (but we’ll dig into that next week).

Have an amazing week! 

Background Music: Another Breakthrough - Israel & New Breed & I’m Walking in Increase - FGBMC

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