Discouraged and Weary?

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

Dear friends,

Forgive my long absence from blogging here, I have been weary and heavy laden.

God in His faithfulness has been ministering to me and bringing me back

to His side, encouraging me as well as gently rebuking me to get up again.

The main thing that God is calling me back to is prayer... over a period of time

I poured out all I had, I crossed the finish line, and collapsed.

At that point, I am ashamed to say,

my ministry of prayer did not continue.

Therein lay my real problem, I did not continue to come to Him, to lay those burdens down.

I did not come to the Water of Life and drink deeply.

Situations arose that burdened my heart,

some that wounded my heart, some that left me stunned.

Do you know, beloved friends, God knew all of that... ahead of time.

And do you know that in His faithfulness He afflicted me?

Why? So that I will begin to count all things as loss and gain Christ,

so that as I share in suffering I will begin to be conformed to His death.

(Philippians 3:7-11)

Ultimately, these burdens, wounds, and disappointments should drive me to my knees,

in humble and persevering prayer for His power, His healing , His grace.

He is able, I am not... He is God, I am not.

He simply says, "Come to me... I will give you rest."

O Lord, I do come, I need Your rest, Your mercy, Your refreshment.

I need You. Lift up my eyes to You, my help, my hope, my Redeemer.

Thank You for calling me, I am grateful for Your faithfulness.

Amen.

Affliction

Growing up I was very close to my grandparents. My grandma had Multiple Sclerosis and was eventually confined to a wheelchair. As I grew up in strength and years, my grandma grew weaker and less able to care for herself. Eventually she lost the ability to use her arms and hands which meant she was totally dependent on those around her for simple every day tasks and needs. One very distinct memory of mine is of her sharing a verse from scripture over and over, "I know, O LORD, that Your judgements are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me." Ps. 119:75

For years I have thought about that verse and my grandma's attachment to it. Lately it has been in the forefront of my mind too. The afflictions in life can be the means that demonstrate God's faithfulness... God in His faithfulness allows afflictions in order to refine us, purify us, and glorify Himself. God, in His wisdom, knows what we need in order to become more like Him, to become more equipped to serve Him. Affliction, when entrusted to the mighty hand of God, yields results that far outweigh the struggle of the challenge itself. It is then that I begin to know God's faithfulness.

In Ps. 119:71 the Psalmist states, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." Pondering this verse, I realized that during times of trials and affliction I am more prone to run to the Word of God for comfort and guidance. The dominating theme (context) of Psalm 119 is the Word, a deep longing for it. The psalmist uses eight different terms to refer to scripture: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgements, word, and ordinances. He obviously understood the value of God's word and it's vital purpose in life.

Romans 8:18 tells us, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. "

Lord, may I consider my earthly trials and afflictions as nothing compared to Your glory and the glory that is to be revealed in me through them. Amen.