When we trust in
people, we invariably feel disappointed at one time or another. People are
human and cannot meet our expectations all of the time, nor can they meet all
of our needs.
At times, we
even feel like God let us down. He allows an illness, a death, a separation, a
heartbreak, etc., that we counted on Him to prevent. These issues traumatize
and radically change our life, and we blame God.
These two truths
cause us to build walls around our heart to prevent future hurt. We attempt to
control life in order to keep more trauma from entering our sphere of the
world.
This ends up
thwarting God's ultimate plan for our life. We stubbornly dig in our heels and
refuse to allow Him to budge us into the way, which He knows is in our best
interest (Hebrews 4:15).
We live in a
downward spiral, getting dizzier by the moment, because in our human
understanding, we lack God's wisdom concerning our future. Yet, through our
times of rebellion and protective maneuvering, God sees us and calls us to yoke
up with Him (Genesis 16:13).
God encourages us
to place all of our burdens on Him, because He really does deeply care about
every facet of what we are facing each moment of every day; and to take His
yoke upon us, which is light, rather than the yoke of our own making, which is
heavy and overwhelming (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:29).
God puts us in
His Body to offer us companionship and encouragement during our times of trial
(Hebrews 3:13). We point one another to Christ and His truth, exhorting each
other to keep from wallowing in self-pity and self-centeredness.
We are never
really alone in our suffering and trials. God abides in us and walks with us
through every one of them - even those we cause by our attitude or behavior. He
shines His light in our darkness (Ephesians 1:18).
Prayer:
Father God,
remind us to give testimony of times when we forgave others for letting us down
and You forgave us and showered our life with Your blessings (Matthew 6:14).
Jesus is our divine example of forgiveness as He hung on Calvary's cross and
looked down on His persecutors (Luke 23:34; Hebrews 12:3).
As we mature
spiritually, we learn that the devil constantly seeks to devour Your Saints and
to sidetrack us or derail us from following hard after You (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Help us to see the need to walk circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15-20), alert and
present in each moment of time, because of spiritual warfare that rages all
around us (Daniel 10:13).
Thought for the
Day:
When our burdens
are overwhelming, and Satan is working overtime to discourage us, the
encouragement and sympathy from our fellow members of Christ's Body will go a
long way to affirm that "this too shall pass" and that we can
persevere through the ability and power of Christ in us.
- 2
Thessalonians 3:5; Philippians 4:13
