Ever trip over shoes and stuff left strewn about? So frustrating! Falling and hollering and “sharing the love.” That happens in relationships too. Things left unsaid, or unwisely said. Pain inflicted or absorbed. Things left all undone and messy that continue to trip us up, and trip others as well.
When things are put away as they should be…not stuffed into random corners out of the way, or crammed under the couch…but truly put where they belong, order and peace are restored.
When things are put away as they should be…not stuffed into random corners out of the way, or crammed under the couch…but truly put where they belong, order and peace are restored.
How I love the word restored! Something put back into its former condition. Made new again. Made whole. No more tripping. A work of the Spirit, but a work we must come to with hands and hearts willing to be made willing. The very same power that brought Jesus to life again alive in us, able to do more than we can ever ask or imagine. And grace in abundance to continue to live with one another’s raw places in compassion, in holy response, with love that will cover over a multitude of sins while He completes the work He has begun.
What need there is for confession! Forgiveness! A willingness to consider another as higher than ourselves, to overlook the slight and pray for the other. What inner battles are they fighting? What were they fighting those many years ago when flaming arrow hit the mark? Did they even see the battle?
We must lay down the pain. "Oh Jesus, how this aches! I am dying inside! Will you take this from me?" Can I rest in my security in Christ and surrender this pain? Be fully comforted? Have hurt put away? My mind set aright? Yes I can. Yes we can.
His grace is sufficient.
We must lay down the pain. "Oh Jesus, how this aches! I am dying inside! Will you take this from me?" Can I rest in my security in Christ and surrender this pain? Be fully comforted? Have hurt put away? My mind set aright? Yes I can. Yes we can.
His grace is sufficient.
I don’t like tripping, but I used to be defined by it. He has healed. He gives nimble feet that do not stumble so readily.
He renews my mind so that I can take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, to put it where it belongs. He is my strength and I need him every day, every hour.
Are there things strewn about in the pathways of your heart? Don’t let them define you. Let Him restore every thought, every relationship, every hurt. But it may take time. A long time.
Will you wait? He will hold you while you wait. Will you press on? He will renew your strength. Will you grieve? Very likely, but He is close to the brokenhearted. He can make sweet wine from the crushing.
It is so good to throw off everything that hinders and run the race marked out. No tripping. I know that in our homes there may not always be perfect order, but in our hearts there can be perfect peace.
Ask. Trust. Be held. Be healed.
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” (Habbakuk 3:19)
He renews my mind so that I can take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, to put it where it belongs. He is my strength and I need him every day, every hour.
Are there things strewn about in the pathways of your heart? Don’t let them define you. Let Him restore every thought, every relationship, every hurt. But it may take time. A long time.
Will you wait? He will hold you while you wait. Will you press on? He will renew your strength. Will you grieve? Very likely, but He is close to the brokenhearted. He can make sweet wine from the crushing.
It is so good to throw off everything that hinders and run the race marked out. No tripping. I know that in our homes there may not always be perfect order, but in our hearts there can be perfect peace.
Ask. Trust. Be held. Be healed.
Write! Write! Write! It's good stuff.
ReplyDeleteGod is so faithful! Thank you for the encouragement, Joe! :)
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