Last night or really very early this morning (and honestly for many nights for some time) I went to bed pleading with the Lord for and about some things, literally begging Him for answers, for His presence, for Him to rebuild some things in me that Satan has torn down over the last year and a half or so. As I prayed I pulled up the Bible App on my phone and began to read my Bible reading plan. At first it was just reading. There were several chapters from Isaiah. Then I got to Isaiah 40, which on the app is entitled "Comfort for God's People". In this chapter He began to speak to me right where I am. Isaiah 40:4-5 "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed...." then Isaiah 40:29-31 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Those verses I prayed and clung to for Josh after he was injured, but now the Lord was showing me that I must believe them for myself. Then my last chapter for that reading was Isaiah 41, where he led me back to some verses He's been bringing to mind lately and added some that I'd overlooked. Isaiah 41:10, 13-20 "So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, you worm of Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you," declares the Lord, YOUR REDEEMER the Holy One of Israel. "See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel. The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on the barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it." So, I was finally able to go to sleep around 12:30 with some peace that He was answering me. Then I woke up at 4:00. Not a good thing since I had to be up by 6:30 and have a very busy day, but I decided to make the most of it and get up and get some things done, but first I decided to go ahead and do my Bible Study for the day while it was quiet in the house. I've just begun a Bible Study Book in the "A Woman After God's Own Heart" Series by Elizabeth George entitled Walking In God's Promises. It's a character study of Sarah. I began to read lesson 2. Most of this lesson was a reminder of Sarah's lack (bareness) and God's promises to her and Abraham. In the middle of the lesson it asked that you identify the lack, sorrow or missing element in your own life. Then at the end of the chapter it asked that you revisit whatever you'd identified, read verses of promise and apply them to your situation. It is here that I knew He was meeting me....reminding me of promises that I'd let go of or had become distant to me. I wept as I read them and wrote my applications. Psalm 23:1, Psalm 34:8-10 and Psalm 84:11 all reminded me that He WILL meet my needs. Then came the verses that I will be clinging to and reminding myself of as He walks me through this process of healing and growing: Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminded me that He WILL make EVERYTHING beautiful in HIS TIME and He WILL put eternity in my heart. Philippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me...(even walk through this process in His timing) and 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has OVERTAKEN you, except what is common to man, but God IS faithful, who WILL NOT allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation WILL also make a way OUT (the way of escape) that you may be able to bear it." Which reminded me that even though I have felt consumed and defeated at times, it's not true because He will not allow me to be overtaken.
Honestly, I know I still have a long way to go. I am a work in progress and this is part of my process, but I was reminded that He will answer me, it may not be when I want it, but it will come in His time and my friend, He will do the same for you.
(P.S. If you know me well, then you know that He often speaks to me through music and oftentimes words trigger the memory of songs. I thought of several as I posted this, so I'll post those lyrics or youtube videos in seperate posts.)
No comments:
Post a Comment