Jesus submitted to a crucifixion in order to prove to us that we are valuable in His sight. Even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), He suffered and gave up His life for us. Our Father God cares about every aspect of our life (1 Peter 5:7) and loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
When we are broken by life’s circumstances, He calls us by name, rescues us, and heals our brokenness (Isaiah 45:3). As we patiently wait on His intervention, He hears and cares about our cries to Him. He lifts us out of the slimy pit of depression, and He places our feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:1-3).
Jesus is our Rock of Salvation, our solid ground. He puts a new song in our heart, and He fills our mind with songs of praise and glory to our Father God. Those who witness our attitude during tribulation are inspired to also put their trust in the Lord during their times of brokenness and despair.
Satan attempts to influence our mind, emotions and choices by whispering his lies to us, discouraging us, causing us to feel weary, disheartened, and despairing of life. He makes us doubt our right to live, our place in God’s Kingdom, and our value as individuals.
These are flat-out lies. How we respond to our pain is voluntary and dependent on our choices. We can choose to draw near to God and resist these lies, and Satan has to flee from us (James 4:7). Often, we merely need to take a few steps forward or backward or sideways, and we are free from the darkness nipping at our heels.
As we take hold of our pain and struggles, we learn from them, and we develop a deeper intimacy with God because of them. We use the wisdom that God gives us through these issues to change our life and to share with others who are traversing a similar path to ours.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for using our trials to draw us closer to intimacy with You and Your peace, joy and love. Pride no longer props us up or hinders our walk with You. You hear us when we call out to You, help us to change our focus about our circumstances, give us Your wisdom to make better choices, and breathe Your life into our spirit, body and soul.
You care about our broken health, wounded heart, and intense sorrows and tribulation. Like the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, Jesus is right there with us, making sure that we come out of the fire alive and virtually untouched by the incident. You heal our brokenness; and through it You give us more compassion for our self and others. Teach us to trust in You with our whole heart, and not to depend on our human reasoning (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Thought for the Day:
When we choose to trust in God with our whole heart, He leads us through the darkness, teaches us faith as He heals us, and comforts our heart with His wisdom and care; with our feet firmly planted on Christ, our Rock, we can weather any storm and serve as a beacon for others to stay away from the rocky shores.
