Each and everyone of us knew that we had run away with a fortune, didn't steal it... it was rightfully ours, but splurge was in our DNA. We just needed to sow our wild oats, every one does it at some point in time... right? Live it up was our mantra! (And we never meant to hurt anyone).
The most dangerous place for indelible scars would be our minds, for where the winged fortune took us to live it up... we will never live it down. The distance we traveled in the wrong direction was far greater than any of us had anticipated. It cost us way beyond the lint in our pockets, and was keeping us painfully longer than we had planned. We found ourselves in the midst of a treacherous, tempestuous sea of battles and the enemy constantly snarling in victory over our purchased scars and chains. The moldy crumbs of the bread of sorrows upon our blood stained fields have now become our daily hidden portion. And our "NEW" name which should declare victory, now seems to be inscribed in the mire of wasted time.
As these days of storm and wind beat upon our souls, we stand alone on the shore of a dark, distant, and merciless land. With our hands up-raised ... Just hoping ... Just longing ... Just desiring but denying ... the tender arms of Home that seem one step beyond our hope and miles beyond our willingness to believe.
We are a powder keg of anger and expressions of disappointment with Eternity's delayed response , and the constant "never" that explodes from our heart and through our lips -- are now our habitual negative reflexes to - "GOD WILL DELIVER US". Our crushed and wounded hearts reflex "never" with a snarl. Oh the pain added to the thought of answered prayer and fulfilled dreams... as We curse any offered encouragement when it is meant to bless us.
STOP ABUSING YOUR LIFE WITH NEGATIVE SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY - JESUS TRULY WANTS TO ACTIVELY LOVE YOU... BELIEVE!
"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses." 107: 6, 13, 19, 28 (4x the verbs are repeated) -- heart of the content: While wedged into a very narrow, stressful, pain-filled place, the cries for help will always be imperfect but stingingly honest. Regardless...God's rescue is not based on the degree of our measured honesty, it is based on the massive goodness of our God; He is waiting and ready to execute a "snatching away" rescue at the first childlike cry.
Problem: Your ever looming enemy ...brings you face to face... with a dagger of "THE FEAR" (a fear that your heart gravitates and even cultivates) stabbing you with a hopeless and believable outcome that paralyzes you. The enemy is a formidable foe who has always tramped around in the compromised battle zones where we didn't utterly decimate this insidious and ancient giant...and his threats are loud and ring true with our fear; but his threats it do not ring true with the faithfulness of our God.
Who is our champion ... Who of our choice? Fear or God? Why do we refuse to rely on the courage that comes from Above... From our identity with Jesus? Why do we let our fragile fluctuating self confidence from within speak words of fear and failure into our days?
IF WE MUSTER UP ENOUGH COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT PAIN RICOCHETS FAILURE BACK THROUGH OUR ACHING FRAME AND WE FALL ... We could be done!
And if we refuse to be "Spirit" encouraged, then we have nothing from Him to take steps of faith forward ... We could be done ... UNLESS "WE" ARE WILLING TO CRY OUT!
"Then they cried out UNTO the LORD in their trouble, and HE delivered them OUT OF THEIR DISTRESSES."
---I am standing here...please hold me so that I know I am held by You -- and then please fight my battle... LORD Jesus, AMEN.
HLFA,
Jeff