Great Things

Psalm ‭31:19‬ ‭- Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!

Our Lord longs to do great things with each of us. All of creation is for His glory. He has always done great things for those who want Him to. When we submit to Him, give Him our lives, He can do great things in and through us too. It was His plan all along. Now we must seek Him for this.

We just had our floors buffed and coated. We needed help moving furniture. We have some association with Milwaukee Teen Challenge. This is a faith-based organization for men and women (not necessarily teens) who have abused use of mainly drugs or alcohol. It is a year long program where through the love of Christ they are taught discipline through the Word of God until they have recovered. For many, the power of God is undeniably successful. And they begin to see it and live it out.

So we had a group of four students in the program and Mark, the Dean of Men, remove the furniture one day and return a couple days later to replace it. When they were done this afternoon we all went out back on the deck to just enjoy the weather and chit chat. I asked Mark if these four guys were great testimonies. He said, "Yes, ma'am, they are." I did not ask for their testimonies, although it's an encouragement to hear them. Mark pointed to one guy and asked him to give a one minute testimony. And he had the other three do the same. 

The last young man had been the quietest of the bunch. Maybe he'd not been in the program as long. He began his touching testimony. He grew up in a great, church-going family environment. He said he was married to a beautiful wife and had three children. One day she left, leaving the children behind. It was devastating to him. He began drinking heavily. He became silent, turned his head so no one could see him and remained that way for a very long minute. He apologized and admitted he had never told anybody that. I'm assuming the part about his wife and family. Then continued his story about how his mother has been an encouragement in all this and is taking care of his children. I think he apologized again. 

Mark told him it was okay to feel like that. I chimed in that it is another step towards healing. It so reminds me of what Jesus said: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew‬ ‭11:28-29‬)  Jesus is a much better comfort than drugs or alcohol. 

Sometimes we carry burdens we really should let go of. We can shove them so deep within to put them out of our minds. But they never go away. We are told to face the struggle head on. It's all we can do. If we do it with the Lord, He will help us. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2Corinthians 4:16-18)  I think of the three men in the Bible who were thrown into the fire. Their professed faith in God alone saw them through. They came out of the fire unscathed without even an odor of smoke. And bystanders asked who the fourth person was...only three entered. Our God will be beside us in trials if we allow Him.

When we allow ourselves to unearth these hidden things buried so deep and go through the hurt to release them, we begin our healing. We confess our hurts to Him. We lighten our burden. And it's part of why He has given us Jesus. He has told us above to give Him the burden. But that means submitting to Him. 

I think God can do a great work in this young man. He might even have caused him to reveal this secret thing. I know from experience when we admit something a burden is lifted. It's like Jesus is right there ready to start healing. This is an amazing God we have. He can do great things in and through each of us when we give in to Him and give our burdens to Him. He fights our battles. He strengthens. He comforts. After the tears are shed we rest, an inexorable rest. We understand just what the peace that passes all understanding is. I'm praying that Jacob, this young man, will experience this. 

After the guys left I stopped to pray for them, for perseverance in their time with Teen Challenge and after. As I prayed, a scripture ran through my head. God is so faithful. He cares so much about each one of us, more than we can imagine. He will do this if we give our lives to Him, receive Him into our lives and hearts. It's all He wants. I pray Jacob will experience this. The scripture:

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:25‬ ‭- So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten...

You Understand My Thought Afar Off

Psalm 139:2 - You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

Oh, how I know the Lord hears even my thoughts. This is sort of an addendum to the August 27 blog.  Although I struggled with the idea of feeling alone in a congregation, it wasn't the congregation I was feeling alone in...I was feeling out of God! If I had determined to stay home, though I dragged my feet to go to a church God had directed me to, I would not have become aware that I was in a very large, painful wilderness...until last Sunday.

I have tried a couple times to write this but fell short, wandering here and there in my thoughts.

Maybe I should just say this, when we acknowledge in whatever way we can that we will follow Christ, no matter what, it frees us from unnecessary burdens. I mean really frees us.

I also believe because I was obedient in my leaving one church and going to another I was experiencing doubt that only comes from the enemy...and often these trials come just before something big happens in your life. Call me crazy, but something is about to happen...and it's exciting. A breakthrough for me. But I needed to be tried first.

Last Sunday all I had been going through came to a head. Overhearing someone talking about something brought a comment from me that exploded the conversation without my feeling intrusive or changing of the subject. But I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right person and she walked me through a series of questions relating to my complaint, confusion, whatever it was. It ended with an If God chose not to do give you relief from this, would you still follow Him? As difficult as this was, determining whether I would follow God in spite of unanswered prayer I said Absolutely...despite how hard it would be. I knew the reverent fear of God was greater. I knew Him to be the only truth in life...and knowing the only truth also meant having some real idea what real life was all about...real life is trusting God in all things, especially when you don't sense His presence.

After a powerful, weepy day in church I wept going home and wanted nothing more than to be alone with my thoughts and with the Lord, to let all that transpired settle deep in my spirit. I'm certain today it's still settling in. The anguish I'd felt for a very long time, the aloneness I'd felt, the fear that I was walking slowly away from God, the feeling of helplessness, lack of joy and peace, was no more. A huge burden had been lifted.

All because of God's perfect timing. Just when I was certain I'd done something to cause Him to leave me and I was beside myself, He let me know I was not alone...and that others have been where I was. He'd heard my thoughts afar off...even though they may have been verbal as I wandered around the house! He was well acquainted with my tears as well.

Why did I have to go through this? As a test of my faith. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last but maybe I will have an even greater understanding and next time just allow the test to take place, knowing, despite what thoughts and feelings I have (which are not always mine nor His but the enemy's) He is there.

Shrinking back is not an option. But digging in is. Shouting to Him in no uncertain terms that He will always be my God no matter what is what is necessary. That whatever may befall me, I will trust in Him. Only He knows why we are allowed to go through periods of unrest in our lives. It boils down to this: we must trust Him in all things. If we are His children, He has not forsaken us. We are being tested and tried that we might come out of His refining fire.

Hallelujah!

1Peter 1:7 -  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...