To Encourage You
I’m so thankful for quiet moments. For it’s then I can hear the Spirit speak to my heart the most clearly.
Last Sunday night during our chapel service, we sang the chorus to a song I used to sing a lot when my girls were little. Surely wasn’t expecting to be triggered by it but I was. I had to stop singing because the words couldn’t get passed the giant lump in my throat. Memories flooded my mind within seconds and I was taken back to a different time and place in my life. Back to a place that held such promise of the future. A place of love and security. A place of everything my heart ever dreamed of having.
It’s been a few days since that trigger experience and I’ve had some time to think about it.
The tears that fell weren’t ones of regret. They were simply tears of sadness for what used to be and what could’ve been had the man I loved not made the life choices he did. Even after four years post divorce, my heart is still saddened for how everything in my life changed in an instant.
Although I do not regret the choice of divorce in my situation nor would I ever go back to that life, there are just some times my heart becomes overwhelmed and the tears fall.
I’m thankful God gave us tears. They cleanse us from the hurts we experience in this life and somehow enable us to continue on in the fight.
I’m looking forward to the day I stand before my Savior in heaven and He gently wipes every tear from my eyes. No more sadness or grief there.
What a day, glorious day that will be!!
I was feeling down a few days ago so I started scrolling through my Instagram feed in hopes of seeing something encouraging pop up.
When I saw the quote above, I lingered on it for quite some time.
As I read it over a few times, my thoughts took me back to some past memories when I had felt the Holy Spirit presence well up inside until I was completely overwhelmed. I then realized those were times of great grief; times when I couldn’t express how I was feeling.
But Jesus knew.
He knew how to bring comfort to my heart and I didn’t have to utter a word.
Jesus knows and understands grief more than anyone else every could. He knows ours as well.
He knows what has hurt us.
He knows who has hurt us.
One of my favorite Psalms is 139. I love how David pours his heart out to God and how his words resonate in my own heart so many years later.
Jesus knows everything about me. He is acquainted with all my ways. He knows my thoughts from afar. He knows the words I’m going to speak before even one is formed on my tongue. He knows when I lie down and rise up. He goes before and behind me. And I, like David, am completely overwhelmed by the knowledge of how very much Jesus loves me.
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot contain it.” ~ Psalm 139:6 ESV
Since Jesus knows everything about me, that means He also knows what makes my heart ache and only He can bring the comfort and healing it needs. After all, He created it.
Oh, how I love Him!
I do not have to explain anything Him.
He just knows.
And I am forever thankful He holds my heart.
I had a trigger moment yesterday.
Although they’ve become fewer and further between, they still hit me from time to time.
I was driving to a dental appointment and all of a sudden, sadness had its grip on me. Then the tears came but not violently. They just spilled out gently onto my cheeks.
I was just sad. Not over anything in particular. Just sad for how things ended after a 35 year marriage.
I went to bed with the same sadness gripping me, praying it would be lifted in the morning.
I have a devotion journal called Write the Word. I’ve had this journal for a very long time but don’t always use it as I should.
Today, I took it off the shelf and opened to the next devotion.
The previous date in this book was March 22, 2020. Twenty-one months ago TODAY was the last time I’d opened it up.
The picture below is the scripture I wrote into the journal today.
“Remember not the former things; nor consider things of old”… (Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV)
I do not believe in coincidence. God knows all things and knew this would be my devotion on this day. He knew this was the scripture I’d need to encourage me after yesterday’s trigger of sadness.
This scripture not only encouraged me with hope and peace but it also reminded me that God cares about the things that affect me. He is my constant Friend and my Refuge!
If you need encouragement this day, look no further than God’s precious word! It’s our reminder that He never leaves us or forsakes us and is a very present help in trouble!
To Him be all the Glory!!
Several years ago, I sang a song by Kathy Troccoli entitled How Would I Know?
The words of the chorus have echoed through my mind so many times during this transition period in my life.
“How would I know You could deliver?
How would I know You could set free?
If there had never been a battle, how would I know the victory?
How would I know You could be faithful to meet all of my needs?
LORD, I appreciate the hard times.
Otherwise , how would I know?”
Back then, I had no idea the road ahead would hold betrayal , grief, and loss. Yet, I believe God gave me this song then because He knew I’d need it now.
Today, these words bring comfort because I have lived them and know they are absolutely true.
As I reflect back, I can see the many times God delivered me; even though I didn’t know I needed to be delivered. I can see the many times God set me free from bondage; even though I didn’t know I was enslaved. I can see the many victories God won through every battle I faced; even though I was unaware of my enemy.
God is so faithful!!
What about you? Are you tired and weary from a battle that’s been raging? Are you wondering why God allowed the battle in the first place?
We may not understand the reason why God allows certain things to touch our lives but we must trust that He sees into the unknown. He sees what we cannot. He is right there in the middle of the pain, in the middle of the questions, in the middle of the uncertainty. He not only wants to show us what He can do, He wants to show us Who He is!
I can honestly say I am thankful for the past four years and everything He’s allowed to touch my life. I’m thankful for the tears, for the loneliness, and for the things I still don’t understand.
Otherwise, how would I know?
TRUST in the LORD with all your heart and do not depend on your finite understanding of the situation God is allowing to touch your life right now. Acknowledge, accept, trust, and embrace that He is Sovereign and doesn’t allow anything to touch your life that hasn’t been filtered through His loving hand first. Then He will direct your decision making and keep you on the right path He has planned for you.
This is my paraphrase of Proverbs 3:5&6.
Although it’s a bit wordier that what King Solomon originally penned, this is how the Holy Spirit speaks this scripture into my heart. In the past, I’d try to figure things out on my own then get frustrated when God didn’t bless my plan. However, over the past 4 years, God has taught me how to trust Him first instead of trying to figure it out on my own and going to Him last.
This past week, a situation presented itself that could possibly jeopardize my job and I had a choice to make. For me, there really wasn’t a choice because it’s something I have very strong convictions about; with no room for compromise. So, the only option I have is to surrender the situation to God and trust Him with the details. Should my employer enforce this new policy and not grant an exemption, I could possibly lose my job.
But I’m not worried.
Since starting life over as a single woman, God has never ceased to provide for me and He’s not about to stop now. This situation is not a surprise to Him and I know…I KNOW…He will take care of me.
No matter what happens.
Is there something God is asking you to trust Him with?
Do you have decisions to make that could have an impact on life as you know it?
No matter what we face in this life, God wants us to trust Him, even when it’s hard; even when it hurts. He wants us to trust He has a plan in place and that, in His perfect time, He will let us in on the details.
In the mean time, when you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.
It snowed in Alabama last week.
I grew up in the Northwest where snow days were fairly common during the winter. When I lived in Alaska, we had snow days about 9 months out of the year. But when it snows in the South, life actually comes to a stand-still! Schools are closed for days on end, entire sections of major roadways are closed and blocked off, businesses close, and no one goes to work.
When we first moved here, I thought those were pretty extreme measures to take until I had to drive somewhere. Suffice it to say, since snow is very rare in the South, most people do not know how to drive when the roadways become blanketed in white.
Since the quarantine last March, I’ve been working from home, and since I don’t have to drive to the office every day, I got away from tuning into the local weather forecast. When I opened the living room blinds last Wednesday morning, my eyes were met with a beautiful blanket of white in my back yard. I was elated!
I don’t know what it is about snow but it has a calming effect on my soul. It just feels as if time has stopped and a quiet hush is ushered in. It was so peaceful.
One morning, as I was having my quiet time with Jesus, I looked up for a moment and my eyes were captured by the glistening view I was seeing from my bedroom window. I sat there quietly for quite some time, admiring the beauty of the blanket of white that had covered my yard.
It was then I heard Him whisper.
The snow covering my back yard is how God sees and covers us. The dead grass, weeds, and dirt were underneath but all I could see was a unblemished covering of white.
When God sees us, He doesn’t see the things in our lives that we see (the weeds, the dirt, the dead grass). Nor does He see what the enemy constantly throws up in our face to keep us bound. The only thing God sees, is His child, covered in the blood of His precious Son, Jesus.
We’re covered! We’re surrounded and protected by it and completely forgiven because of it!
What an amazing and awesome God we serve!!
God’s love and grace so overwhelm me at times, it’s hard to put my praise and thanksgiving into words. I’m so thankful He knows my heart and knows in my human, finite way, there aren’t enough words to thank Him for all He’s done. On this side of eternity, I don’t think mere words will ever express what my heart truly feels. However, as long as He sees fit for me to dwell here on this earth, I will always do my very best to praise and worship Him with all that is within me. He deserves nothing less.
“Bless the Lord, my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
Who pardons all your guilt,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with favor and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
~ Psalm 103:1-5 NASB
This beautiful scripture has been going over and over in my mind the past few days.
As I’ve pondered them, the words gave me pause.
May the words I speak out loud and the things I allow my mind to dwell on, be what You, LORD Jesus, want me to speak and dwell on…because You, Jesus, are my Rock and my Redeemer.
When I really stop and think about what this scripture is saying, it means I must be very careful what I allow my mind to think about.
Do I allow the enemy to invade my mind with thoughts of doubt, or worry, or fear? OR do I choose to trust my Rock and Redeemer with every situation I face?
Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) Which means, whatever is in your heart, comes out of your mouth when you speak.
Am I taking in and speaking out words of truth and light or words of fear and darkness?
We (and I’m talking to myself first) need to keep our minds focused on Jesus, our Rock and our Redeemer. I know it’s hard when the evil in our world seems more rampant than ever before. I’m right there with y’all. I feel it, too.
But, I also know and believe that our Rock and our Redeemer is in control of all that is going on and His truth and justice WILL prevail! We must trust His timing.
So, what do we do in the mean time?
We wait. We watch. We trust and we pray. We stand!
We mediate on God’s precious word and encourage others around us with hope. We allow His word to penetrate our hearts and our minds so the words we speak out loud, are pleasing to Him and encourage those around us.
What are you allowing your mind to mediate on this day?
Just a thought…
How many of you feel this way today? I know I do.
God’s ways are not our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:8&9) He sees everything at one time. He is the Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End.
We may not understand why God does things the way He does nor why He allows certain things to happen but we must trust Him. He is in control of ALL that is happening in our world right now. Don’t listen to the mainstream media as they do the enemy’s bidding. Ask God to reveal the truth to your heart and He will. And, after you have done everything you can, stand.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
~ Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV
After you’ve done all you can, stand.
That’s what God wants from His children right now.
Stand! Pray! Wait! Watch!
“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
~ Exodus 14:13&14 ESV
God is in complete control.
Do you trust Him?
I made this promise to God right after I filed for divorce. It was the lowest and most broken I had ever been and I didn’t understand why God would allow something so grievous to touch my life. My heart was completely shattered and the pain that ensued in the aftermath was so deep, I didn’t think I’d recover. It was a very dark and lonely time for me.
Yet, even in all that sorrow, there was peace I could not explain. I know now, it was something only God could make possible. I knew I had to choose if I wanted to stay grief stricken with Him or without Him. I knew I would not survive it without Him so, to me, the choice was obvious. I chose Him and I chose praise.
But choosing praise, then actually putting it into practice, are two different things. It wasn’t easy at first. There were so many times I just wanted to wallow in my grief and sometimes, I did. But the more I chose praise, the easier it became. The more I chose praise, the more I felt His presence. The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people”, and He certainly does! He met me…right in the middle of my mess.
Sometimes, I really don’t know that I’ll ever be completely healed, this side of heaven. The wounds have scarred over but they are, and forever will be, part of me…and they still hurt from time to time. But I choose not to let them define who I am. Whenever something triggers the pain from my past, I switch my focus to Jesus. Whether it’s through a song or a prayer, or just closing my eyes for a moment. When I focus my thoughts on Him, I am reminded that He never leaves me alone. He is always there.
I do not know what you’re trying to process this day but I do know this…He’s there and He will meet you right where you are. He cares about what hurts you. He wants to bring peace to your heart in the middle of whatever pain you’re experiencing.
It takes faith. It takes trusting Him when you don’t know the outcome.
Choose to praise Him. I promise, you will never regret it.
Choose to praise Him…
…even when you don’t understand.
“You’ve kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You’ve stored my many tears in Your bottle, not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in Your book of remembrance.” Psalm 56:8
He sees you. He knows what you’ve been through. He feels your sorrow. He knows the scars you carry on your heart.
He is your Comfort when you’re hurting. He is your Refuge when you’re afraid. He is your Defender when others mistreat you.
He keeps track of all the tears you’ve shed or will shed so not one is lost or wasted.
He sees you.
He loves you.
He will never let you go!
Change is so difficult. Especially when something completely unexpected happens and the change was seemingly forced on you. You know there’s nothing you can do to change the situation before you and yet, something within you cries, “This isn’t fair, God! Why did this happen?”
Ever felt that way? I know I have…many, many times.
So, how do you deal with it?
The easy answer is to say, “Just give it to God and He’ll take care of everything.” Which, by the way, is very true. He will take care of everything. But, in the mean time, how are you? Angry? Sad? Disappointed? Confused? Perhaps all of these at the same time?
I get it…I really do.
Every single day, we make choices. Where to go, what to do, what to eat, what to clean, etc.
It’s no different with our mind…our thoughts. We choose what we think about. We choose what our minds dwell on. We choose where we shift our focus.
You can choose to think about everything that’s going wrong and how broken you are OR you can choose to think about how far God has brought you in your healing and everything you’ve been blessed with.
There have been many times over the past 2 1/2 years, I’ve been stuck thinking about all the hurt and pain my heart has known but I’ve learned a secret that has truly helped me in those desperate times.
Once I realize I’m stuck in a pattern of thought, not meant to help me in my struggle, I start praying, “take every thought captive, Jesus…every thought captive.” And it works…every single time!
It’s the enemy inflicting your mind with constant reminders of what you’ve lost or how much pain you’ve endured but it’s Jesus who wants to set you free and heal your broken heart.
I know I make it sound easy to do but it’s not. It’s very difficult. But, I can assure you, once Jesus fills your thoughts, you’ll definitely feel amazing peace and comfort, and, what’s more, you’ll know you aren’t alone in your struggle. He sees you. He sees your heart and He knows where you hurt. His word says “He is close to the brokenhearted” so never doubt His presence. Even when you can’t feel Him, He is there.
It’s a choice.
What will you choose?
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ~ Psalm 34:18
This pierced my heart this morning! While I believe have forgiven and moved on, are there some lingering traces of bitterness in me? Perhaps. Have I been fooling myself to believe the resentment is gone and I’m ready for the next step forward? I’m not sure.
This was a wake up call for me. I am so thankful for God’s faithfulness to remind me to examine my heart daily. To not let emotions like bitterness and resentment get a grip on me that will only land me in a pit designed by the enemy.
What about you? Where is your heart today? Have you allowed the Spirit to speak to you and reveal any emotion that needs to be taken captive by Jesus?
Oh, dear Jesus! May our hearts be an open vessel to You. May Your precious Holy Spirit reveal anything inside that keeps us from stepping forward in Your plan for our lives. We want Your very best for us. Help us to be still and listen for Your still small voice. For only then, will we be able to know what needs to be confessed and forgiven so we can step forward into all You have ahead. Thank You, Jesus, for how You love us. Nothing else can ever compare.
"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 10:5
Have you ever wanted something so badly, you’d do anything to get it? I never, ever thought I’d even consider lypo suction surgery in order to gain acceptance of someone and yet, I did just that. I was so desperate for love and validation, I was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it. Ultimately, my plan backfired on me because he never accepted me and eventually, walked away from me and into another’s arms.
As I sit here now, thinking about that time in my life four years ago, I truly thought being with him forever was what I wanted. But I can say now, with every fiber of my being, that I am very thankful I did not achieve my goal to win him over. Because that is not love. That is abuse. To be made to feel you have to look a certain way or be a certain size and be someone completely different than who God created you to be, is abuse. Plain and simple.
However, I know a man named Jesus who loves me just the way I am and I don’t have to do anything to achieve it. He just loves me!
And He loves you, too. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. He just does. He just loves you. Because that is who He is. LOVE.
God knows what is best for every single one of us. His ways are not our ways and we might not understand why He allows hurtful things to touch us. But even when they do, He is is faithful and true. He can be trusted with every detail of our lives.
I don’t know what you’re facing this day but Jesus does. Trust Him. Ask Him to show you what He desires for your life. And I just know, with all my heart, when He brings those desires to you, you will be grateful.