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September
EMBRACED
... Knowing God is Holding Me (You) Close
2019
Part 3:
EMBRACING
Him
in the Midst of Hurt & Heartache
Devotions #49-75
(#71 - 75 in this week's post)
| 71. "Wisdom and Humility" Proverbs 11:2 |
| "A wisdom like none other can arise from those hard places that bring us low." |
| 72. "I'm Really Afraid" Psalm 34:7 |
| "Sometimes living in fear of what might be causes more stress and anxiety that actually facing what we fear." |
| 73. "Holding on to Truth" John 8:32 |
| "Our souls were formed to recognize and respond to the calm assurance of Jesus." |
{how beautiful written, Lysa! this truth is.}
| 74. "Pressing through the Pain" James 4:8 NKJV |
| "If we avoid the hurt, the hurt creates a void in us." |
| 75. "Devastated but not Destroyed"Psalm 46:10 |
| "God loves us and He will not leave us." |
{5 really great truths on page 235 that we must cling and hold to ...}
So, so often, I have felt devastated and thought I was destroyed or my future will be, mostly because of my insecurities, maybe I was (am) really afraid, BUT God ... He helps me press on through the pain as I hold on to His Truth, trying desperately to not let the lies of destruction and the enemy of my soul destroy me, with God's wisdom as I learn humility and lean into Him ... so as you can see all of Lysa's devotion titles tell my story too, of hurt and heartache.
Without being able to EMBRACE God in the midst of them, I don't know how I would fare, or pray through getting beyond these obstacles trying to hold me back or crush me with their weight (not sure how anyone that does not have a relationship with Jesus ever does face their hurts and heartaches, maybe they don't, maybe they just stuff and think they've dealt with it by never dealing with them or facing them, maybe they don't care if they ever heal ... or fester others by their wounds, because we've all heard "hurt people hurt people" but "healed people heal people"). I prefer to be the second kind. Yes, I'm guilty too of stuffing or trying to move on (run from them) and forget the pain, the problem, the storm ... but it doesn't work for me. It's sure to resurface until I face it and deal with it. God's Word is a soothing balm and guide for me, offering unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness, with much wisdom and His healing touch. As I invite Jesus into my pain, my hurts, my heartaches ... I find that He helps me through in His strength (not mine), with His comforting EMBRACE.
Without being able to EMBRACE God in the midst of them, I don't know how I would fare, or pray through getting beyond these obstacles trying to hold me back or crush me with their weight (not sure how anyone that does not have a relationship with Jesus ever does face their hurts and heartaches, maybe they don't, maybe they just stuff and think they've dealt with it by never dealing with them or facing them, maybe they don't care if they ever heal ... or fester others by their wounds, because we've all heard "hurt people hurt people" but "healed people heal people"). I prefer to be the second kind. Yes, I'm guilty too of stuffing or trying to move on (run from them) and forget the pain, the problem, the storm ... but it doesn't work for me. It's sure to resurface until I face it and deal with it. God's Word is a soothing balm and guide for me, offering unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness, with much wisdom and His healing touch. As I invite Jesus into my pain, my hurts, my heartaches ... I find that He helps me through in His strength (not mine), with His comforting EMBRACE.
HE is
more than
enough
HE really does know our pain and our heart
PSALM 91
(another YouVersion reading plan I'm doing)
is one of my favorites and Lysa's too.
In fact, on page 232, in devotion #74, Lysa shows us
how to prayerfully invite God into our pain
through this Psalm.
Lord, Draw me close. ... You are my everyday dwelling place,
my saving grace!
Lord, Draw me close. ... You are my everyday dwelling place,
my saving grace!
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Previous blog posts of Part 3:
EMBRACING Him
in the Midst of Hurt & Heartache
3-1 Devotions #50-57
3-2 Devotions #58-65
3-3 Devotions #66-70
plus this one for
Devotions #71-75
