His Broken Treasure: Chaparral Hearts

By Kathryn Breckenridge

We've all felt broken or unvalued at times, but His Broken Treasure helps take readers deeper into the themes of Kathleen Denly's Murmur in the Mud Caves and remind them how treasured they are by the One who matters most. These thirty-one devotionals will ask readers to consider: 

• Unconditional Love
• Our Purpose
• True Strength
• Shame, Guilt & Forgiveness
• Adoption
• & more!

Designed to allow concurrent reading with Murmur in the Mud Caves, each section of His Broken Treasure is labeled with the chapter of the novel that it addresses. Reading this devotional will help you more easily recognize the beauty in God's broken treasures.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathleen Denly
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223569541

Kathryn Breckenridge

About Kathryn Kathryn Breckenridge is the author of devotionals on her blog at kathrynbreckenridge.com. Kathryn Breckenridge is the pen name for Kathryn Hughes.  Kathryn was a contributing editor of devotionals for Moms In Touch International (now Moms in Prayer International). She received her B. S. Degree in Ornamental Horticulture. She is a contributing writer for the Poway Progress newspaper, which features her “Farm & Garden” column and her historical fiction series: “Rebecca” (1997 to 2005), and its sequel “The Exciting Adventures of the Trent Twins” (2005 to present).  Kathryn lives in Southern California with her loving husband. They have two adult children. Kathryn enjoys hanging out with her family, writing, teaching (as school librarian and gardening teacher), quilting, singing, gardening, history, and reading.  Please come by Kathryn’s website where you may read more devotionals, gardening articles, and historical fiction at https://kathrynbreckenridge.com

Book preview

Day 1. Adoption

Murmur in the Mud Caves, Chapter 1

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12–13 (ESV)

In Murmur in the Mud Caves ( MITMC) Bridget Biddie Davidson was adopted by Henry and Cecilia Davidson, whom she calls Father and Mother. Her Pa deserted her and Mama when Biddie was four years old, taking her sister and brother with him. Mama was a baker before she died, as were generations of her family before her. Biddie meets with Mr. Green, who tastes some of her baked goods as he considers investing in a bakery. Biddie desires to run the bakery, and to eventually save enough money to buy the bakery from him.

MITMC Page 2

Mr. Green took another bite, his expression inscrutable.

Biddie swallowed down the urge to jump with excitement. This is it, Mama. I can feel it. Mama would be so proud of her. So would Mother and Father.

From the first, her adoptive parents had encouraged Biddie to follow in Mama’s footsteps as a baker.

MITMC Page 5

Biddie smiled, recalling the contents of the letter Mr. Green referred to. Father had been hesitant to write the endorsement, not understanding her desire to do this on her own. Only after she remained adamant that she wished to accomplish this dream without his financial aid did he finally write the letter. When he’d shown her the words expressing his unhesitating confidence in her abilities, tears of joy had leaked from her eyes.

Adoption has a special place in God’s heart. His love is so great for us that He adopts into His family those who receive Him. Just as adoptive parents welcome a child into their family with joy, our Heavenly Father welcomes us! He loves us!

When children are adopted, they take the family’s name, just as Biddie took the Davidson surname. Adopted children share in the inheritance alongside any children that may be born to the family. They legally are part of the adoptive family.

Likewise, God’s adoption of believers brings us into His family. Just imagine, we are called the children of God! We’re not just people who populate the earth, but we have the ability to come into our Creator’s presence and call Him Abba, Father, an intimate expression like Daddy. The Lord wanted us as part of His family before we even knew Him. We share in the inheritance of Jesus as joint heirs with Him, for we are heirs of God.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:14–17 (NASB20)

Being a co-heir with Jesus Christ, we share in His inheritance of everything in existence (Hebrews 1:2), including His riches (2 Corinthians 8:9), His kingdom (Matthew 25:34) and His glory (John 17:22).

Let’s reflect on what being adopted by Almighty God means to us. How does the intimacy of a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father affect our daily life?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the adoption into Your family that You made possible for those who receive You. Help me to become more like You, and to reflect the birthright I have by being part of Your family. Amen.

Day 2. Repaying God

Murmur in the Mud Caves, Chapter 1

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

As parents, we love our children. We don’t want them to feel that they owe us for everything we’ve done for them through the years. We want them to accept our love for them, and to love us in return.

Biddie refused her adoptive parents offer to purchase the building for the bakery. She wanted to obtain financing and do it on her own. While it may seem commendable that she wants to be independent, Biddie seems to have difficulty accepting Mother and Father’s help for another reason. She thinks she needs to repay them.

MITMC Page 2

Any money spent on her would take away from the good works they did through the Davidson Home for Women and Children....Her parents had sacrificed enough for her. This bakery was her only hope of beginning to repay them.

MITMC Page 20

Pa may not have cared two bits for her, but Father would sacrifice his last shirt to keep her warm and safe. In fact, once, he’d done just that. Which was why Mr. Green’s agreement to invest in her bakery was so important. It was past time she stopped taking from her parents and started repaying everything she owed them.

God calls us His children. He is extravagant in His love for us. Yet too often, we feel like He doesn’t truly love us. Rather than accept the lavish love of God, we refuse it. We may feel that we must repay Him somehow through our actions and service.

Perhaps we have trouble understanding why God loves us. We may not understand the depth of His love for us. God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him. He loves us so much that Jesus sacrificed His life to pay for our punishment of our sins.

Jesus has done so much for us that we may think we must pay Him back through our service. If we drop from exhaustion from serving at church or in our community, will God love us more than He does already? Is our teaching a Sunday School class, singing, or feeding the homeless done because we want to do it for God or because it just needs to be done?

Do our activities replace time spent with God?

Everything is already God’s. We can never pay Him back for what He has