A new Thing
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now is springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43: 18,19
A way in the desert. Streams in the wasteland. Wow. That's a picture.
I love it that the Word of God speaks to me in ways like this. I am such a visual person. I have to see it to understand it.
The past four months have been tough. Not tough in the sense of loosing a spouse or a child. Not on that level tough. But painful.
This walkabout with God has revealed some wonderful things to me. About me.
He has taught me characters about Himself that have blown my mind and that when learning them, I have been healed of the hurt, the pain, the rejection, the loss and especially the fear of it happening again. ( and it will)
If I have learned MUCH, and I am excited to write them out, but the grreatest lesson is this one...
All things come from His loving hand. All things.
All things.
" I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2
It took a while to sink in. But, I get it now.
For me, often, it takes things coming full circle for me to have faith, but it has been wonderful to experience God's presence and peace BEFORE all came full circle. For months we knew NOTHING. We heard nothing. We had no direction. Silence. We prayed. We cried. We mourned. We broke. We left.
He was there. In the midst of the storm. He is true to His character and true to His promises. He doesn't leave. He doesn't forsake. He is "I am."
If ever a time that I felt the support that can come from the family of God it has been now. Rob and I have never experience more love than in these last few months. (Eccl. 8:1)
It has increased my resolve to be sensitive to the hurting around me. And there are so many hurting. It has given me perspective on how to reach out and has taught me what not to say. (Phil. 2)
This time has been sharpening me to not pull back from relationships becuase I fear being hurt. Fear is not from God. Pain sometimes is. But, only because He loves me and because He will not leave me to just be hurt. Fear holds me back from experiencing and from giving love. I won't let the enemy steal that.
It has caused me to be cautious of those "joy robbers".
The big one being the improper use of the tounge. Having felt the ill effects of its improper use in our lives, Rob and I are more resolved than ever to clap that hand over our mouths and promote peace rather than destruction.
" Whoever keeps his mouth and his tounge keeps his life." Prov. 21:21
I have had to be reminded of my committment to hold true to the greatest goal in life . To glorify God. Not by what I am doing, but by who I am identifying with.
Oh, Lord, keep me there.
I am learning that hurt is going to happen here. Loss is going to happen here. Pain is part of the process here. It softens and readies my heart for heaven.
I have also learned that there is joy here. There is great delight in relationships here. There is peace in trusting ( sometimes blindly) in the gentle Shepherd.
I am thankful for this journey. I am thankful for all that has happened. I am thankful for the joy and the hope I have, not from a situation changing, but from my Savior. The One who orchestrated this for me to "conform me to the image of His Son".
Thank you for praying for me. Because of His grace and His love, we are better than we have ever been.
Duet. 8:2b
" The Lord God led you and (tested) you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you...to teach you that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord...know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
Isaiah 43: 18,19
A way in the desert. Streams in the wasteland. Wow. That's a picture.
I love it that the Word of God speaks to me in ways like this. I am such a visual person. I have to see it to understand it.
I can see this.
I am living this.
The past four months have been tough. Not tough in the sense of loosing a spouse or a child. Not on that level tough. But painful.
This walkabout with God has revealed some wonderful things to me. About me.
He has taught me characters about Himself that have blown my mind and that when learning them, I have been healed of the hurt, the pain, the rejection, the loss and especially the fear of it happening again. ( and it will)
If I have learned MUCH, and I am excited to write them out, but the grreatest lesson is this one...
All things come from His loving hand. All things.
All things.
" I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2
It took a while to sink in. But, I get it now.
For me, often, it takes things coming full circle for me to have faith, but it has been wonderful to experience God's presence and peace BEFORE all came full circle. For months we knew NOTHING. We heard nothing. We had no direction. Silence. We prayed. We cried. We mourned. We broke. We left.
He was there. In the midst of the storm. He is true to His character and true to His promises. He doesn't leave. He doesn't forsake. He is "I am."
If ever a time that I felt the support that can come from the family of God it has been now. Rob and I have never experience more love than in these last few months. (Eccl. 8:1)
It has increased my resolve to be sensitive to the hurting around me. And there are so many hurting. It has given me perspective on how to reach out and has taught me what not to say. (Phil. 2)
This time has been sharpening me to not pull back from relationships becuase I fear being hurt. Fear is not from God. Pain sometimes is. But, only because He loves me and because He will not leave me to just be hurt. Fear holds me back from experiencing and from giving love. I won't let the enemy steal that.
" The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Duet. 31:8
It has caused me to be cautious of those "joy robbers".
The big one being the improper use of the tounge. Having felt the ill effects of its improper use in our lives, Rob and I are more resolved than ever to clap that hand over our mouths and promote peace rather than destruction.
" Whoever keeps his mouth and his tounge keeps his life." Prov. 21:21
I have had to be reminded of my committment to hold true to the greatest goal in life . To glorify God. Not by what I am doing, but by who I am identifying with.
" Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant..."
Oh, Lord, keep me there.
I am learning that hurt is going to happen here. Loss is going to happen here. Pain is part of the process here. It softens and readies my heart for heaven.
I have also learned that there is joy here. There is great delight in relationships here. There is peace in trusting ( sometimes blindly) in the gentle Shepherd.
"In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength." Isaiah 45:24
I am thankful for this journey. I am thankful for all that has happened. I am thankful for the joy and the hope I have, not from a situation changing, but from my Savior. The One who orchestrated this for me to "conform me to the image of His Son".
Thank you for praying for me. Because of His grace and His love, we are better than we have ever been.
Duet. 8:2b
" The Lord God led you and (tested) you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you...to teach you that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord...know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
Comments
Post a Comment