The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes is a book based on a series of messages he gave in the 1600s based on Isaiah 42:1-3. The book is about suffering, and why God sends suffering in the lives of His blood-bought children. I wanted to share Sibbes’ quotes about what it means to be bruised, who is bruised, why he or she is bruised and who does the bruising. Let us see the struggles in the lives of the youth we serve through these lenses.

What It Is to be Bruised:
“The bruised reed is a man that for the most part is in some misery, as those were that came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as the cause of it, for, whatever pretences sin makes, they come to an end when we are bruised and broken” (pp. 3-4).

“(The bruised reed) is such an one as our Savior Christ terms ‘poor in spirit’ (Matthew 5:3), who sees his wants, and also sees himself indebted to divine justice. He has no means of supply from himself or the creature, and thereupon mourns, and, upon some hope of mercy from the promise and examples of those that have obtained mercy, is stirred up to hunger and thirst after it” (p. 4). This hunger and thirsting is a hunger and thirst for God that is brought on by the bruising.

Who Is Bruised and Why?
Believers and unbelievers are, at times, bruised. The unbeliever is bruised “so the Spirit may make way for Himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature…It is a very hard thing to bring a dull and an evasive heart to cry with feeling for mercy” (p. 4).

The believer is bruised because, “After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such brusing may help weaker Christians not to be too much discouraged, when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). This reed, till he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than pith when he said, ‘Though all forsake Thee, I will not’ (Matthew 26:33)…The heroic deeds of mighties in the church do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do” (p. 5).

Who Does the Bruising? God!
Be encouraged that your bruising (your crushed heart, your fleeting joy, your struggle and pain–whatever it may be) is given by a loving hand so that you would be binded up again. Fight for it. Pray to God with regard to it. The bruising is not ultimate, but it is done with a divinely appointed aim in mind. It is from a kind hand that our suffering comes. Let us say with Job, “God gives; God takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord'” (Job 1:21).

Listen to Ms. Sibbes once more:
“Hence we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgement upon ourselves or others when God exercised us with bruising upon bruising. There must be a conformity to our Head, Christ, who ‘was bruised for us’ (Isaiah 53:5) that we may know how much we are bound unto Him. Ungodly spirits (people), ignorant of Gods ways in bringing His children to heaven, censure broken-hearted Christians as miserable persons, whereas God is doing a gracious, good work with them. It is no easy matter to bring a man from nature to grace, and from grace to glory…” (p. 6).