Broken Nails

Three rusty nails pierced our saviors hands and feet so violently. Jesus hung on an old rugged and twisted cross, bearing our sins away. A hammer echoed loudly on a hill called Calvary. The sound waves traveled as blows fell. The place of the skull was seen at a distance to all who passed by. Nails pierced our saviors hands and feet for the sins of our lost sinful world. Our sins, being our nails, as we caused the tearing at His flesh then and now. He was being lifted up to draw all men unto Him. A crown of thorns pierced His brow as the blood trickled down the brow onto His hallowed face.

Jesus broke every nail that we hammered into Him and every nail that we carelessly place even today. He broke the bondage of sin upon our lives as He hid our lives in Him. What grace and mercy He brought to us as He broke those nails of bondage that comes into our lives. He tore down all that offends and causes sin to His body. He broke every yoke of bondage from the biggest to the smallest of nature that we tend to carry around throughout the ages.

I lay in my bed this morning around 3:30 a.m. and sought the face of God. I was troubled in prayer for a minor hurt that occurred between my husband and I. I know from His spirit that anger and strife has no place in my life. A life that is now hidden in Christ. I asked God to forgive me of my sin of anger toward the one I loved. He reminded me of how He broke any bondage in my life the day I accepted Him as my savior. He broke every nail that I tend to hammer in to His body from day to day.

This brought me to thinking of nails and their significance. How I might apply them to this teaching as I felt the Holy spirit ministering to me. He came to me in my sorrow and sadness at this time with love. I prayed for Him to help me write this for healing and wholeness to me as well as others who may experience trials from time to time. I can save myself a whole lot of misery by being in prayer and obedience to the Lord in continued prayer. Seeking His face and wisdom of all that Satan may throw at me. Being an over comer in all situations in Christ.

Nails of all sizes pierced the heart of God. I think of one of the largest being a spike. It could do great damage to the corner stone, being God, if we reject Him as He teaches us and ministers His knowledge to us. Large sins can cause great disaster to the Corner Stone that we reject. It will cause our house to fall flat as we seek our own lusts and desires and not the desires of the Lord. We are hurting the very heart of God.

Pole Barn Nails of long length can be very destructive and hard to pull out of the object that you hammer and hammer it into. I think of how we pound away at our loved ones, causing strife and disorder to the family structure. Our lives finally collapse if we do not remember that Jesus broke this yoke of bondage that causes us to sin in our lives. He hid our lives in Him. Why do we not honor Him and be obedient to His leading. I believe that with all my heart Satan can attack with a sledge hammer if we are not on our guard.

There are nails of many weights that pierce the body of Christ. Six penny, eight, or ten weight does their work of damage to the body of Christ. Did He die for us in vain? Hebrews 6:6 explains what we are doing even in a minor sin. There is no big or little sin in the Lord, sin is sin. If they shall fall away, (sin) to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. God forbid us to continue doing this as we let sin rule in our lives.

Finishing nails have their place in this world as they are made to conceal. They do not make the larger holes in the finished product. They are still pooled with the blood of Christ in our lives. They are open to His eyes even though hid from the world. We can not hide nor conceal our sins from Christ for we shall be found out. The finishing nails are applied every day as we let Christ work on us.

Last of all I think of the carpenters tacks. Jesus himself wore a nail apron probably containing these little tacks. They can prick and prick at the heart of God. The little pricks become major problems in our lives if not put under the feet of Jesus. All sin must be put under His feet.

Large, medium, or small nails have all been broken by Christ in our lives. Why do we continue to hammer away at what has been put under His feet at the cross. Colossians 2:14 tells me Jesus, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. And being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. You are made complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.

Colossians 3: 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ with God.

Nails of all degrees broken by the Lord that penetrates His flesh from time to time. Little nails to larger ones, it does not matter. All destroy and hurt the body of Christ. All represent the sins of the world being broken by the Lord as He died for all mankind.

Put away the hammer, the nails, that represent our sins from day to day. We who love the Lord listen to him and refuse to nail Him afresh to the cross, because of His love for us. Because of our love for Him we forgive as Colossians 3: 13 states. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Be thankful for the nails that have been broken by the Lord. Nails that destroy those around us. By hurting and persecuting others we are nailing Him afresh to the cross. Broken nails by putting on charity one toward another as unto Christ.

Written By: Karen Eilleen Armstrong December 28, 2002