It's never more important to "be still" than when troubles are multiplying, but our hearts instead, often, move to troubled and restless and we stir around and do things, anything, to try to fix it all. We tend to weary ourselves, when what's really needed is to quiet our hearts and seek the counsel of God, who knows the answers! In fact, it can almost feel impossible to be still when our hearts and minds are so burdened. It's in these moments, that it is ALL important, to be at rest, before the Lord. We aren't, likely, sleeping soundly anyway. This is the perfect time for us to get up and in the stillness of the night, to enter into God's Presence, to still our hearts and our thoughts, it may take time, but we must be patient! He knows our struggles, He understands our pain, He knows our anxious thoughts. We must let His Spirit pour over us and breathe! Feel them fall away, as we focus on His radiance, He can meet our needs and carry our burdens. Will you let Him? Put God first and seek him!
Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."(What would happen if we believed this verse and actually did this?)
Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus." (It takes work, on a day to day basis, to live out this verse, we must captivate our thoughts and not allow them to go wherever they will.)
God knows our thoughts, my friend, pour your heart out before Him! Don't tell Him what you think He wants to hear; be honest, tell Him like it is, the truth! He will listen!
Psalm 116:1-2 says, "I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live."
Proverbs 2:6-8 says, "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones."
We can call on Him to search our hearts and our thoughts! We must not hide them from Him, He knows everything about us already. We can come as we are, He loves us unconditionally!
Psalms 139: 1-16 says,
"O Lord, you have searched me and know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in~behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely, the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
God knows all things, everything about us. When troubles are multiplying and we are feeling surrounded with anxious thoughts and fears, ours sins are, likely, multiplying too! (Impatience, frustration, anger, bitterness, depression) God desires for us to come to Him with those too!
We can pray with David,
Psalm 51:1-4, 7-12
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Psalm 119:58-59 says,
"I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands."
We focus on the circumstances, the problems, our own comfort and long for it all to go away, but our suffering is about so much more!
Psalm 119:67-68, 71 says,
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good, teach me your decrees. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."
Psalm 119:92-93 says,
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life."
Dear friend, whatever has drawn you to read this, God knows all that's on your heart! He knows your troubles and He knows mine and He will use them for our good! Maybe, to mature us, to draw us closer to Him; maybe, to show us our sin and to bring us back into fellowship with Him. What if He wants to strengthen you, in your weakness, or display Himself to others, through you and your struggles, for His glory? Can you trust Him with everything, putting Him first and foremost? I know, it's hard, but He longs to take the reigns and carry you, if you will only let Him! Won't you let go and let Him be God? Our struggles are preparing us for eternity!
James 1 says that our trials are testing our faith, developing perseverance and maturity so that we will be complete, lacking in nothing! We can rest, in the Lord, through our trials and view them as a learning opportunity. We aren't expected to be happy for the problems, but we can choose a positive outlook, expectant hope! Entrust it all to the Lord, my friend! James 1, also says that we can ask God for wisdom and He promises to give it, without finding fault, if we believe and do not waver. Let faith be your shield, hold it up! When we choose faith as our shield and hold it up, God promises to give us the wisdom asked for, if we do not waver. Faith opens the door to God's grace!
In Romans 12, God calls us to be living sacrifice and yet, if you're like me, I, more often than not, want to crawl off the table.
Romans 12:2 says,
"Therefore, I urge you, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God ~ this is your spiritual act of worship! Do not conform any longer to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is ~ His good and perfect will."
God's premise, here, in this Romans passage is to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice ~ holy (pure) and pleasing to God! Without blemish, without sin! He requires us to walk different from the world and says that the way we do that is by transforming our minds ~ renewing them. (We hide His truths in our heart that we might not sin against Him.) His truths renew our minds. He says, THEN you will be able to test and approve what God's will is ~ His good and perfect will. His truths teach us MUCH about His will, they keep us from continuing to walk in sin, by showing us the error of our ways. They bring us wisdom in discerning His will ~ they lead us in freedom, as we choose to live by them.
Yes, my troubles are being multiplied too! My husband's illness, inability to work, death, medical bills, household bills, the need for a job, with no real resume, (other than 32 years in the Lord's service as a pastor's wife) and then there's the bad economy. After 32 years of serving along side my husband in the ministry, I don't have much of a resume, but O, the blessings I have had! Is God not mindful of my demise? Sure He is! Is He not pouring Himself over me and carrying me? Every inch of the way! Waiting on the Lord is difficult! I can sit here and sing, "rescue the perishing", but when the waves of grief still are coming, I must sit still and be renewed, refreshed and gain perspective! "God can't steer a parked car!" I pray and then move against the fear to do all that's necessary to discover the path He has open for me, trusting Him to funnel, guide and provide.
My friend, we must not look at what can be seen, the things causing our fears, but focus our thoughts on the unseen! We must expect God to see us through our struggles, even if you're very sick and He's calling you Home! Take one day, one step at a time, asking for His wisdom ~ believing His will is good and perfect!
When I lose focus, like I did last night before bedtime, we only spiral into despair, when we can know joy! When we stumble, He is waiting to take our hand and lead us back into his Peace and Rest! If you are reading this, I covet your prayers! I want to captivate every thought and trust Him completely! I am praying for you, that God will meet your every need and that He will reveal Himself to you in new ways today. I love you, my friend, BUT God's love is an unconditional and everlasting love ~ bask in His Presence and come to know Him! He's inviting you to come!
I have shared with you my quiet time with the Lord tonight, as I met with Him in the night watches; and now, with the sunrise, like you, I need to face the day, in His power! This is not time wasted, but empowerment to the soul, to look to Him today, all day, as we seek His will! With expectant hope, we can walk thru our day today with joy, looking to Him to see us THROUGH the trials with all faith! He is Faithful, we can trust Him! May God bless your day in ways only He can!
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