Life
beats us up pretty badly at times, but God is still in control, giving strength
to the weary and power to the weak (Isaiah 40:29-31). Prior to coming to Christ
in repentance, we may suffer a great deal more, because He is attempting to get
our attention off our self and to redirect it to His wondrous face.
After
salvation, God may allow us to suffer bruises, but He never breaks us (Isaiah
42:3), especially if we maintain our trust in Him alone. He gives us treasures
in our darkest times, so that we realize and come to enjoy His presence in us and
His intimate union with us (Isaiah 45:3).
Even
when Satan whispers his lies to our soul, when we have more doubt than trust, when
fear is drowning out our faith, and when we are so weary that we can barely
hold up our head, God is our glory and the lifter of our head (Psalm 3:3-4).
We
often allow obligations, stress, and our own goals and agenda to strangle out
our time and attention on the Lord, and we feel more defeated than ever. Yet,
when we walk in the Spirit and access His power available to us all, we feel
fulfilled from the successes of our day.
We
choose to cast aside the discouragement from the devil, and to stand on the
promises of God's Word. Our relationship with Him allows us to wait patiently
for His intervention in our circumstances. He always hears our prayers; and in
His timing and way, He delivers us out of the quicksand of life.
He
sets us safely on the Rock of Christ - our firm and sure foundation. He puts a
new song in our heart. He uses our trust in Him as an example to other people
of what faith in Christ can do for us all, especially when Jesus is our whole
life (Colossians 3:3-4; Psalm 40:1-3).
Prayer:
Father
God, we often feel weary in life, exhausted from our over-commitments as well
as the pain of our sorrows. Help us to consider our priorities, to evaluate our
schedule, and to remove the inner and outer physical, emotional, social and
relational clutter that bogs us down. We want to enter into Your rest, and to
experience the total freedom in which You intend for us to abide.
If
we will wait on You and live according to the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, You
always equip us and prepare us in body, soul and spirit to face the challenges
of life (Galatians 5:15-25). We completely trust in You to have our best
interest at heart as we abide in Your presence each moment of the day (Psalm
132:7-8).
Thought for the Day:
Life's
circumstances are cluttered with inconceivable hurdles for us to jump over; in
our own strength, we fail every time, but by the resurrection power of Christ
in us, we can do everything that He calls us to do, and we flourish as we conquer
every trial that life throws at us.
