Wednesday, May 23, 2007
When things don't turn out like you planned
Jeremiah 12:5
God's Answer
5 "If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country, [a]
how will you manage in the thickets by [b] the Jordan?
Proverbs 16
1 To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
9 In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
Life is just plain hard people! There are good times but there are also some
really hard times. I have a hard time when the rubber meets the road with
trials to not focus so much on how I feel. One thing that really gets on my
nerves (especially in churches and among believers) is when we try to basically
tell people that their feelings don't matter. People are suffering so much from
pain, loss, deep deep hurts and we just spout out a verse as if that would take
all of their pain away and we tell them that they should just stuff the beast
of emotion down. I don't think that is God's agenda for us and I believe that
is why so many people think that Christianity just doesn't work for them. God
created us to feel to be alive...I can't remember the guy who said it maybe St
Augustine...but he said the glory of God is a person fully alive. What we
really long for is Jesus but He also created us with desires that are good like
marriage and children. My heart aches for my single friends who are still
waiting on the Lord to bring their husbands. Also, I have so many friends,
godly friends, that are struggling with infertility...you try to tell them that
they shouldn't hurt over that. I AM NOT suggesting that we operate from
feelings because we need to operate from truth...but it is still ok to feel is
all I am saying. I have been going through a certain trial for the past 4+
years. I am waiting on it to get better but things have not changed. I have a
magnet on my fridge that says "What might have happened doesn't exist so don't
even go there." Sometimes I feel like the enemy lives in my home and taunts me
constantly trying to drag me to the ground. Then is when I have to believe God
BIG TIME...when day in and day out things are the same. What I am trying to say
is that through all of the attacks and disappointments I want to extol Him at
all times and have His praise continually on my lips. I love Jeremiah 12:5 it
says :
5 "If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
I am challenging you as I am myself to persevere and keep in the word and
prayer regardless of your circumstances and you don't have to stuff your
feelings...pour them out to God. Tell Him. Cry to Him. Beg Him to change you
even if no one else changes or your circumstances don't change. Don't let your
focus be so much on how things haven't turned out to where you can't serve the
Lord form lack of focus. Lift up your head for He is the lifter of your head.
Run to Him he is your refuge and your stronghold. Keep believing even when you
feel like you can't take another step. He will use everything to work for His
purposes and we will learn so much about Him if we stick it out and allow all
of our past sins and defeats along with our disappointments to become servants
to us. To use them to reach others with the compassion of Christ. If we get so
worn out with flesh and blood how can we compete with horses? We have some
serious tasks ahead of us for Him. Even when things don't turn out how we hoped
He is still ordering our steps. Hang in there with me!! Let's keep believing
Him together and delighting ourselves in Him to where our desires are His
desires. We will never be able to satisfy our cavernous needs of the soul
without Him satisfying them. I know first hand what it is like to spend myself
in vain only to come up exhausted and empty.
Psalm 119:41-43
w Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
When things don't turn out like you planned
Jeremiah 12:5
God's Answer
5 "If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country, [a]
how will you manage in the thickets by [b] the Jordan?
Proverbs 16
1 To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
9 In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
Life is just plain hard people! There are good times but there are also some
really hard times. I have a hard time when the rubber meets the road with
trials to not focus so much on how I feel. One thing that really gets on my
nerves (especially in churches and among believers) is when we try to basically
tell people that their feelings don't matter. People are suffering so much from
pain, loss, deep deep hurts and we just spout out a verse as if that would take
all of their pain away and we tell them that they should just stuff the beast
of emotion down. I don't think that is God's agenda for us and I believe that
is why so many people think that Christianity just doesn't work for them. God
created us to feel to be alive...I can't remember the guy who said it maybe St
Augustine...but he said the glory of God is a person fully alive. What we
really long for is Jesus but He also created us with desires that are good like
marriage and children. My heart aches for my single friends who are still
waiting on the Lord to bring their husbands. Also, I have so many friends,
godly friends, that are struggling with infertility...you try to tell them that
they shouldn't hurt over that. I AM NOT suggesting that we operate from
feelings because we need to operate from truth...but it is still ok to feel is
all I am saying. I have been going through a certain trial for the past 4+
years. I am waiting on it to get better but things have not changed. I have a
magnet on my fridge that says "What might have happened doesn't exist so don't
even go there." Sometimes I feel like the enemy lives in my home and taunts me
constantly trying to drag me to the ground. Then is when I have to believe God
BIG TIME...when day in and day out things are the same. What I am trying to say
is that through all of the attacks and disappointments I want to extol Him at
all times and have His praise continually on my lips. I love Jeremiah 12:5 it
says :
5 "If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
I am challenging you as I am myself to persevere and keep in the word and
prayer regardless of your circumstances and you don't have to stuff your
feelings...pour them out to God. Tell Him. Cry to Him. Beg Him to change you
even if no one else changes or your circumstances don't change. Don't let your
focus be so much on how things haven't turned out to where you can't serve the
Lord form lack of focus. Lift up your head for He is the lifter of your head.
Run to Him he is your refuge and your stronghold. Keep believing even when you
feel like you can't take another step. He will use everything to work for His
purposes and we will learn so much about Him if we stick it out and allow all
of our past sins and defeats along with our disappointments to become servants
to us. To use them to reach others with the compassion of Christ. If we get so
worn out with flesh and blood how can we compete with horses? We have some
serious tasks ahead of us for Him. Even when things don't turn out how we hoped
He is still ordering our steps. Hang in there with me!! Let's keep believing
Him together and delighting ourselves in Him to where our desires are His
desires. We will never be able to satisfy our cavernous needs of the soul
without Him satisfying them. I know first hand what it is like to spend myself
in vain only to come up exhausted and empty.
Psalm 119:41-43
w Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
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