This sweet memory popped up for me today out of my Facebook photos, and I can do nothing else but think of all the ways the Lord has been faithful to us these last five years. 🙏 I had no idea what the path ahead would be – but HE did.
Me changing my sweet son just before he turned a year old
“God’s grace to sustain us through painful circumstances is stronger and is mightier and is much better than any deliverance out of those circumstances.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
🙌 Amen!
God’s grace these last 5 years as I have learned more deeply what it means to be a wife, a mother, and most importantly a disciple of Christ – has been life giving!
God’s grace is greater than any diagnosis, financial difficulty, broken expectation, or hurt. Insert your own hard into this fill in the blank:
God’s grace is greater then my ——————-!
God has great compassion for His children 👇
“but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:32-33 ESV
God allows for us to suffer for a little while so that we will be strengthened and so that our HOPE will rest in Him 👇
“My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Psalms 119:71 NLT
God answers prayer 👇
“Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” Psalms 119:50 NLT
Share His hope and testify of His goodness 👇
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT
Experience the Joy that is ONLY found in God’s presence 👇
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11 NLT
While everything else will fail you and waste away – Jesus can be trusted 🙌
REST in HIM!
👉 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.❤️ My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
”Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”“ Genesis 1:26-28 NIV
Our worth comes from the ONE in whose image we are made.
I can distinctly remember the moment that I realized God from the beginning created us to subdue our surroundings… and this command extends to our thoughts and experiences.
”The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.“ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV
I am so thankful for the advocacy of the Holy Spirit, without whom I would have never been able to see that I had elevated the trauma of my life, over the fact and truth that I am an image bearer of God.
Secular therapy, psychology, and pharmacology has thrived off of the idol of trauma.
I choose the word “idol” here because therapeutic intervention says, “work through these experiences and address your trauma in order to be able to ———“. At the onset your trauma and experience is placed at the highest level of priority and thus elevates itself above God, and your relationship with God. It points you back to yourself. How can we be both be our own problem and our own solution?
The Imago Dei tells us from the beginning that we can subdue our environment, scripture further tells us:
Jesus is greater than any experience we will encounter in this world. (”You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.“ 1 John 4:4 NIV)
God is close to the brokenhearted and dries up all of our tears. (”The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.“ Psalms 34:17-18 NIV) (”Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll— are they not in your record?“ Psalms 56:8 NIV)
The Lord continually renews us with His spirit everyday. ”because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.“ 2 Corinthians 4:14, 16 NIV)
Jesus heals us and is our place of safety. (”“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.“ 1 Peter 2:24-25 NIV)
Friends, if you’re hurting bow down to the only ONE who heals, redeems and restores LIFE! It is only through Jesus that all of the dust and ashes from our past can be made into something new and beautiful. (”He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.“ Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 NIV)
We are seeing “mental health” crises at an all time high. And although I do believe there are certain situations that may need medical or professional intervention, majority of what we are seeing is people being given over to their brokenness, they are hurting and lost. They are grasping at interventions that keep them digging holes while being told they are wells.
Only one fountain can satisfy this type of thirst.
”On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”“ John 7:37-38 NIV
And finally when we are grieving, we have these promises:
”“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.“ Matthew 5:3-12 NIV
These verses contain more wisdom than all of the doctors, therapists, and DSMs combined.
When we repent and seek Jesus: The blood of Jesus will cover your past addictions. The blood of Jesus will cover your past assaults and abuses. The blood of Jesus will cover the abortion you had and deeply regret and hurt over. The blood of Jesus will cover the horrible things your have said to loved ones. The blood of Jesus will redeem your sexual sin. The blood of Jesus will redeem your life. The blood of Jesus will bring reconciliation.
Jesus gets us… but more importantly He changes us. All of these tears and turmoils pale in comparison to the future glory of those who love the Lord.
This Father’s Day, now yesterday, I found myself thinking about how good God is. This Father’s Day, I loved on my husband, and our precious son. We went to Sunday morning service and were blessed by an incredible teaching through Romans chapter 2. It was as we came to this verse, “4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
I remembered God’s faithfulness in my own life, a time that I did not know who He was, as in I did not know His attributes or characteristics. A time that this day caused a deep pain and suffering, a day that almost rendered me incapable of anything. Verse 4 highlights some of the characteristics of God that at that time I did not see: God’s kindness, God’s forbearance, and God’s patience.
You see, I grew up in a home where I was so aware of the brokenness of sin that I knew there had to be a good God… but I did not exactly know how to reconcile those two things.
In my home my earthly father did not love me as a father should. The hands that should have protected and nurtured instead hurt, hit, and in the darkest parts of the days and nights did even worse.
This went on for several years. As I grew up, I was able to confront the abuse and recognize the dysfunction that was present in my own life, sin is never a one and done, the ramification’s are far fetching. However, I did not have other believers in my life. The church I had been attending did not do well in teaching or leading those who had experienced deep trauma or hurt, this resulted in me being outcasted. Naturally, the secular world was ready and waiting. It was as I embarked on this therapeutic journey that I came dangerously close to redefining God and the Gospel to be what I felt safe with.
If you have experienced deep hurt or abandonement from your Father, I am so very sorry. If you have experienced this, chances are you too have wrestled with the idea of God being a man, you have probably wrestled with the idea of the Trinity, and maybe friend you still are and that is ok. Thankfully, God is so patient with us and He knows our hearts AND our hurts. It was during this phase of therapy that my therapist, who had a theology degree and identified as a christian, said ” Maybe you should view god as a spirit form, or as ANYTHING you want. God doesn’t have to be male…”
At first this prickled my ears! I mean this sounded good! It sounded EASY! But… God gently called out to me, a quiet whisper in my heart, “You know this is not true” “You were made for more, you were made for ME”.
What my therapist was suggesting… Well this was the very thing, the very tactic, that satan used in the garden with Eve… But did God really say? This tactic was effective then and remains effective today. Our current culture will have us read all the self help books and take all the personality tests, we are eager to do this even! But what if… the best measure of knowing who we are is to know WHO God is? You see I had a big problem with trying to make God more like me, when in reality I need to be more like Him. The enemy is so tricky because this same snare is what allowed for me to view my good and perfect God, through the relationship I experienced with my sinful, evil, and broken earthly father.
The enemy told me God was the same as my earthy father.
God’s word told me: Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
We were made in the image of God. We are made to know Him, and we are made to reflect His image to the world around us. Knowing God is critically essential to having a foundation in our relationship with Him. It is essential to grow in our knowledge of Him in order to live the Christian life. It is of significant importance because the way we view God (or do not view Him) impacts every other area of our lives; relationships, sin, worship, and healing. So it is no wonder that the very first thing the enemy wants us to call into question is who God is. If satan can distort this one area than the entirety of our belief system is on sandy ground, our faith will be shaky. If satan can cause us to question who God is then we will call into question God’s word.
God’s word is the very thing by which we come to believe and to know who He is and who we are, and of equal importance who we are not. The gospel is the very best Good News ever!
I want to share with you some of the things that helped me the most during my crisis of faith, the TRUTH’s that God used to draw me back to Him, to stay.
First thing, recognizing that the Bible is compromised of 66 books, with many stories, that make up ONE big story. The story of God’s love for us. When I discovered the metanarrative of the Bible it gave me an outline for development of my theology. As I studied individually and collectively the acts of creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration, I began to clearly see God’s mercy. In the stories that before seemed horrible and sad, say the entire first five books of the Old Testament, now were overflowing with God’s patience and mercy for His people. Instead of feeling confused about God sending Adam and Eve out of the garden, I could see the truth of His love for them and His protecting them from eating of the tree of life and thereby permanently separating mankind from Himself. When I read about how God clothed Adam and Eve, I now seen that the Lord Himself committed the first blood sacrifice for us, He loved us that much! When the Lord cursed the serpent, He also gave His best promise of a future redeemer who would put all things right again. I began to see Jesus throughout the whole Bible. OK, I recognize I am straying off my main point but I get so excited thinking about those early days of discovering God’s word being alive and active in my life and everyday moments.
The next area of study that was integral to my growing in the Lord and being submissive in what He was showing and saying to me was studying HIM. Studying His characteristiscs and attributes, clearly defining terms per His standard, as He is the creator of all things. Here is where I realized just how misled I had previously been. I began to realize the way I used terms like goodness and justice were really subjective because I hadn’t fully identified an objective standard for them. When pressed my faith was called into question because my foundation had significant damage… Below are just a few of the attributes that made an immediate difference in my ability to recognize a good God, a good FATHER, despite the suffering I endured by my earthly father. Now, I do want to be clear, knowing these things did take time to live out. It was painful. I spent equal amounts of time crying out to the Lord. This time though, I was humbled and submissive, I wasn’t asking for any “thing”. I was asking for more of HIM – for Him to show me how to take all the pain I had experienced in my life and turn it into an offering of praise. And that my friends, while it is so difficult for us is only a small thing for our lord, He is faithful to do so much more than we ask for…
God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. (Psalm 53:2)
FAITHFUL – God is incapable of anything but fidelity. He is loyally devoted to His plan and purpose. Scripture References: 2 Tim 2:13 / Deut. 7:9 / Heb. 10:23
OMNIPOTENT – God is all powerful. His strength is unlimited. Scripture References: Mat. 19:26 / Job 42:1-2 / Jer. 32:27
OMNIPRESENT – God is everywhere. His presence is near and permeating. Scripture References: Prov. 15:3; Psalm 139:7-10 / Jer. 23:23-24
HOLY – God is undefiled and unable to be in the presence of defilement. He is sacred and set-apart. Scripture References: Rev. 4:8 / Lev. 19:2 / Hab. 1:13
INCOMPREHENSIBLE & TRANSCENDENT – God is high above and beyond human understanding. He is unable to be fully known. Scripture References: Ps. 145:3 / IS. 55:8-9 / Rom. 11:33-36
IMMUTABLE – GOD DOES NOT CHANGE. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Scripture References: 1 Sam. 15:29 / Rom. 11:29 / James 1:17
SOVEREIGN – God governs over all things. He is in complete control. Scripture References: Col. 1:17 / Ps. 24:1-2 / 1 Chron. 29:11-12
JUST – God governs in perfect justice. He acts in accordance with justice. In Him, there is no wrongdoing or dishonesty. Scripture References: Is. 61:8 / Deut. 32:4 / Ps. 146:7-9
LOVING – God is eternally, enduringly, steadfastly loving and affectionate. He does not forsake or betray His covenant love. Scripture References: Jn. 3:16 / Eph. 2:4-5 / 1 Jn. 4:16
This is just a short list that in itself could be hours and hours of study. I hope this is helpful to you and I pray that wherever you are in you journey that the TRUTH of God’s word comforts you and leads you to your good shepherd, to our good Father. As God’s creation, we were made for worship. We will worship, whether it is for His glory or our destruction, we get to decide. I pray that today you will find Him in the quiet moments, the loud moments, the hurting moments, and that you too will ask Him to turn your sufferings into offerings of praise. I pray that you will use the low place you may be experiencing as a new viewpoint for looking up at the cross.
God is and will be faithful to do far more that you can ask.
Studying in Joshua this morning and it gave me a great opportunity to reflect on how we (society) define leadership and success in the world, versus how we define these two things Biblically as Christians.
God gave success to the Israelites when they obeyed His plan and not their own.
Victory came when they trusted in the Lord; not in their own military or material wealth.
Just this week I had the opportunity to present for a speaking engagement as the Executive Director of the non-profit I work for. The group we were speaking for had chosen three non-profits to present and one of those would be awarded a nice donation to their program.
Leading up to this event I found myself asking the Lord to use this as an opportunity to glorify Himself in some way. I asked the Lord to help me lead with grace and humility and for His Will to be done EVEN IF that meant my program not being chosen.
In the past, I had the tendency to only consider an opportunity successful based on the accolades gained. I would burn myself out from exhaustion and the pressure to perform perfectly to a standard that no human is capable of. Thankfully, Christ has freed me from all of that. It is not through I but in Him that all things are accomplished.
I did lead with grace, the Lord blessed me with wisdom, and my program DID NOT get chosen for the award but the program who had the greatest need DID. After the presentations and awarding I was able to genuinely congratulate and celebrate the winner, something that I noticed not every leader did. As I was packing to leave several individuals came up with personal donations of their own to my program and while this amount was less than what the award would have been, the hearts behind the giving was MORE.
Isn’t that just like God to double the blessing, to take what little we have to give and to fill our cups until they are overflowing.
It is key that we pursue God’s standard for success rather than the world’s. Worldly success is subjective and never satisfied, success in the Lord is true and never changing.
D.L. Moody wisely said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”
Success equates obedience! Success is not controlling others but it is allowing yourself to be controlled by God! Our examples of success comes from God’s word. Biblical success is evidenced by humility, grace, wisdom, and patience.
This mornings passage also gave me some reflection on leadership. Joshua is an example of an excellent leader. Joshua was confident in God’s strength and this made him courageous in the face of opposition and kept him seeking God’s advice!!
Strong leaders are led by God.
Joshua taking over as leader following Moses’s death had to be difficult for the people; as it is for any of us when we go through leadership changes. As a society we have seen the difficulties of leadership changes nationally – and locally. With this we have seen how those of the world have responded and the contrast of how those who are in Christ have responded. Christians have the hope that is stored up in Christ, Christians have the cross.
A few Biblical principles that we can remember when we are struggling with what the world is calling “leadership” and “success”.
1. God’s leadership can always be trusted. (Isaiah 48:17-18).
2.Whomever He appoints over us, we are called to pray for them. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
3. We are called to submit to God’s Word as the ultimate authority, be subject to our governing authorities, (Romans 13:1) and follow godly leaders as they follow Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Act today on what you know God has said, and He will assure your success in carrying out His purposes!
Joshua 24:15, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”.
Joshua 9:1-18, “7The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” 8They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?…14So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. 15Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. 16Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!
Reading through this passage in Joshua made me consider the amount of times that I am caught up with myself and what I think is best or right – that I FAIL TO CONSULT THE LORD!
There is a ton going on in this passage. We have a group of Kings joining together to come against Joshua and the Israelites, then there is the people who are in the land afraid, and then we have Joshua who is now leading the Israelites and constantly assessing their state of affairs and their next moves, both militarily and practically.
When the Gibeonites came proclaiming to be from a distant land, the Israelites sampled the provisions BUT did NOT consult the Lord (Joshua 9:14). Because they failed to consult the Lord they were unable to see through the deception. Israel’s leaders were deceived. Despite the fact that God had already specifically instructed them not to enter into any treaties with the inhabitants of Canaan (Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2; 20:17-18).
Joshua knew enough as a strategist to consult the Lord before going into battle – but the peace treaty (covenant) seemed innocent. However, by failing to go to God for guidance they ended up dealing with a lot of angry people and an awkward alliance.
Joshua failed to consult the Lord.
How often do you do the same?
For me personally, I struggle in new situations or changing situations to take the time to slow down and consult with the Lord. So much so, that sometimes I do not even realize the situation at hand is the vehicle God is using to answer my prayers. I forget about the promises God has already given me. I start hustling and depending on my self before I even realize it.
I do not intentionally not consult the Lord.
However, I can fail to be Intentional in consulting Him.
Therefore, I must be intentional with my attention, and actively look for, wait on, and be still for the Lord.
In the example we see here in Joshua, God uses this situation for good even still! Just like He has done for me and probably you too so many times! Such a merciful God!
Romans 8:28-29, ” And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn.
Joshua reminds us that even the best human leaders are fallible and fall short. God was setting the foundation for His Son Jesus, whom would come to be the perfect Prophet, King, and Priest.
Because of the treaty entered into between the Gibeonites and Israelites, the Gibeonites had
The opportunity to come to know God.
The Gibeonites got to experience God’s grace by the security and protection they now had from the Israelite nation.
Because of this covenant the Gibeonites turned from their false gods and came to know the God of Israel.
We share something with the Gibeonites in that we too experience God’s mercy and grace – through our salvation found in Jesus Christ. While we were still sinners He sent Jesus for us (Romans 5:8).
We have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as our Savior. (see John 3:16)
We get to experience God’s grace when we accept His Son, Jesus, as Lord of our life. This grace is sufficient in all things. (see John 1:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
Because of the fulfilling of the law, through the death of Jesus on the cross, completed in His resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin and death but have been born again through the Spirit (see Romans 6:11).
While Israel needed to be made right with God again and again (Jos. 24), Jesus died for all who would trust in Him to be made right with God forever (Jn. 3:16).
The work has been finished (Jn. 19:30); when life gets busy or your mind is overwhelmed by the chaos, in ALL things, go to the ONE who holds ALL things together.
When we consult with the Lord, we find peace. In His word we find life and wisdom. When you intentionally seek Him – He will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in UNFAILING love… this is your God who brought you out of Egypt.
Just a few days ago I found myself in the book of Nehemiah. This is not a book that I am familiar with and I was struck by the people’s prayer and confession of their sins in chapter 9. Their confession comes AFTER reading God’s law, for three hours they read and for three hours they confessed. Then they prayed! It was during their prayer that I felt tears well up in my eyes. My tears began to fall as I read the history of Israel and of the works God had done, this was an efficient way to remind the people of their great heritage and God’s promises. Isn’t it just like US to forget?
I was humbled by the reality of God’s goodness, ready to pardon our sins, when we appropriately come to Him in humility and repentance. I was taken back in my memory to the times God has pardoned me; taken back to times before I knew Him personally and I was relying on my SELF. The Israelites were no stranger to periods of intense rebellion and sin, yet they also were no stranger to God’s unfailing love, goodness, and mercy either! The same for me. Perhaps, this is true for you too?
Nehemiah 9:33, “Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Wow! Feeling convicted? I know I was! I unknowingly often forget the amount of times God has forgiven me, and how reckless I can be with that forgiveness.
Ruth Schwenk puts it this way, “Yes, sometimes my experience of God doesn’t match my expectation of God, but that is not evidence of the absence of God.
I have a deep history of trauma that includes sexual abuse, trafficking, drug addiction, and self harm. I have been clean and sober for 14 years now thanks to the GOODNESS OF GOD! But the journey to get here, like the journey of Israelites, could have been so much shorter had I been obedient and faithful; had I been trusting the Lord FULLY. It took me a long time to understand why when I prayed to be free from drug addiction I did not receive a radical transformation; yet, when I prayed for deliverance from my self-harm I did receive a radical deliverance. I received FREEDOM. This is by no means a blanket statement on the greatness of God’s sovereignty, I share as a caution. A caution to reflect on yourself and posture before the Lord. Are you wanting deliverance in order to step more fully into God’s design for you or are you seeking deliverance so your life can be easier.
For me, drug addiction was a nuance and a complication, I could see it hurting others around me in a practical way. I could also hide it and excuse it away. For self harm, my posture was very different. I was afraid I would loose my life, I was afraid of the scars and marks it was leaving all over my body. I was afraid that the act of self harm was more offensive to the Lord because of the work He done on the cross to PARDON ME! I prayed consistently for a year solid, I offered the Lord all I had at the time and that was humble, raw, and honest prayer. I lamented, I yelled, I pleaded, and I BOWED down. I remember very clearly when the Lord gave me a message, dropped right into my heart.
I have come to learn that this is called a Rhema word, in Greek this literally means an “utterance” or “thing said”. He gave me a word and after, in His sovereignty, it was confirmed even more when a stranger gave me a verse.
He spoke into my heart, in the firmest but gentlest voice, “Were my wounds not enough for you?” What seemed like the next day someone handed me a folded piece of paper with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That day my soil became more fertile, the seeds of the yester-years sprouted forth. I never self harmed again. I would continue to struggle with drug addiction and relapses after that, but I can now see how my choices put me in the wilderness and how the Lord worked those things for my good. I grew in grace, I learned to trust in Him more fully, I learned WHO my Heavenly Father was. And let me tell you, He is so much more than I realized! I also learned that the Lord truly will provide all we NEED. Notice I said “NEED” not want.
Like the Israelites, it serves us well to remember our personal history. This will help us to avoid making the same mistakes of our past and equally important, I think it serves as a reminder to our spiritual growth and can help us identify patterns, recognition of these things will help us to become the kind of person God wants us to be.
God puts no limits on the amount of times we can come to Him to obtain His mercy – BUT – WE must Come, in order to receive it.
Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
We serve a gracious and merciful God – this should cause you to take a look at your own life, sometimes we take for granted today’s provisions and today’s grace.
If you have something in your life, a addiction like me or a reoccurring difficulty continue to to ask God for help AND be prepared to make changes! Changes in BOTH attitude and behavior. God will meet us where we are BUT He does not expect us to stay there… your hurt or your trauma may not have been your fault but it is your responsibility to go to God for healing, to receive the grace, mercy, and most importantly the freedom He has for you.
I like the way Matthew Henry puts it in his commentary on Nehemiah 9, he says, “Let all remember that pride and obstinacy are sins which ruin the soul. But it is often as hard to persuade the brokenhearted to hope, as formerly it was to bring them fear…”
Jesus paid it all on the cross. Your sins have been paid for in full. Approach His throne today and receive the grace and the healing – THE LIFE – He has for you!
We have a God who is ready to pardon, the ransom has been paid, do not let your sense of unworthiness keep you away.
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.” Habakkuk 2:4
It has only been this year, that I have begun to read through some of the smaller, often overlooked books of the Bible. Habakkuk has been a blessing and an opportunity to learn so much more about God and His relationships with His people. This book also highlights something we can all be guilty of, and that is, reasoning from the position of God when we are not content in our circumstances. Faithfully, God responds with great mercy and patience to Habakkuk – God walks with the Prophet through his doubts and confusion. The Lord wants us to take our questions to Him; our questions can often serve as the very vehicles needed to gain a better understanding of God’s character, growing in faith, and trusting more fully in the Lord. Practically, this gives us permission to ask God questions with faith that He will provide answers.
This book is unique in that it is a book where the Prophet Habakkuk makes an appeal to the Lord on behalf of the suffering people. Whereas typically we see God use the prophets to deliver His messages/will to the people. Habakkuk had no small task in crying out to God or in pleading for God to bring justice to His people. Everywhere Habakkuk looked he was seeing immorality prevail: theft, deception, violence, pride, greed, corruption and so forth. I do not know about you, but I have certainly cried out to the Lord asking, “How long Lord?”, as the events of the last few years have played out in the news and in our daily lives.
A simple outline of this brief book:
Faith tested (1:1-17)
Faith taught (2:1-20)
Faith triumphant (3:1-19)
God responds to Habakkuk by giving him a vision of five woes that could be outlined as follows:
Habakkuk 2:6-8, Greed and oppressive financial practices.
Habakkuk 2:9-11, Prospering through dishonest means.
Habakkuk 2:12-14, The use of violence and slavery to build cities.
Habakkuk 2:15-17, Indulgence in drunkeness and lewdness.
Habakkuk 2:18-29, Practicing idolatry.
At the end of these woes, Habakkuk responds by acknowledging God is HOLY. By the end of the book, Habakkuk offers up a final prayer to God and resolves that his strength is from God.
Some of the things we can learn from this book: YOU can Trust God’s justice in the midst of injustice. YOU should Hope in God when life feels hopeless. YOU can Find joy in God’s salvation when we feel stuck in our pain. YOU can and should keep running to God even when we don’t get the answer we expect. YOU should Wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled even when our suffering feels endless.
These are important reminders in a time such as the one we are living in. Habakkuk’s conversation, seen here with the Lord, is a good reminder that our faith walk often involves lament, complaint, and raw emotions poured out to God. Questioning God and/or His ways, when done with the right heart posture and attitude, can often lead to a deeper faith, a greater understanding of God, and a more fuller relationship with HIM.
True faith leads to boldness before God – but we must also remember to come humbly before Him and in submission to His sovereignty, even when we do not fully understand.
How it started: Fourteen years ago, TODAY I was lost in addiction, self-harm, living a sin-soaked life and daily wondering will this get better? I now know I was asking spiritual questions but was looking to the world and man’s answers trying to find the cure. Fourteen years ago, today was the last time I used.
How it’s going: TODAY I am walking with the cure! And His name is Jesus!
The greatest physician, counselor, father, all sufficient God who sees me, created me, & loves me.
Today I am not seeking the next fix – I am seeking Him! A closer relationship to Him and getting to know Him more all the while learning to DENY myself. I am learning that in obedience to Him, I have ALL I need; He is sufficient!
Are you asking yourself the same spiritual questions?
– When will this get better?
– Will my marriage continue to fall apart?
– When will the world no longer be broken?
Ask Jesus – Ask Him to show Himself to you, invite Him into your heart, & admit how much you need Him. In your rock bottom, you can rebuild with a stronger foundation, and Jesus is that foundation, the cornerstone on which ALL stands & is held together. He loves you; He will receive you and deliver you!
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NLT
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NLT
This is HOPE, this is REDEMPTION, this is the GOSPEL.
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
Matthew 7:24-25, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (NIV)
Psalm 40:1-2, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (NIV)
The Meek Momma 