November 8th, 2022
Psalm 43:5
Why, my soul are you down cast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him my savior and my God.
Lord, with the issues of life that come against me I choose to rejoice. The Psalmist says in Psalm 118:24 in the (NIV) translation This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. In the Passion Translation, it reads a bit differently it says, “This is the very day of the Lord that brings gladness and joy, filling our hearts with glee”. As I was typing the Lord pressed upon me to go and look up the definition of Glee and it says Great Delight. Joy and gladness are what I desire again, bring it Lord Jesus, and cause it to change the course of my life from this moment on.
Isaiah 43:19 says
“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and, and river in the desert.
Lord Jesus set our hearts ablaze with fresh fire. Release a word that will change lives forever, and deposit in us your wisdom and knowledge needed to tackle every battle that has been sent our way. Help us to fully understand that when you went to the cross that was a dominant love expression that only you could have done to wipe our tears away. But also, you did it without hesitation because of everything you knew we would face on this journey called life. Give us peace God because we need it now. I seal this prayer in the matchless name of King Jesus, the Holy, Blameless one. Grief has brought on this load that many were never meant to carry. Isaiah 53:4 says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrow and acquainted with grief”. If you skip down to verse 10 it reads “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief.” When I think about this burden it was not meant for me nor is any human being strong enough to carry it but what we are to do is remember what God spoke to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Be strong, you have to be strong is something that I heard often in the days following the passing of Joshua. In the Book of Joshua verse 1:6 it says “Be strong and of good courage” for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. And while I do believe that being strong is very much required in a trying time. But I began to wonder if the world’s meaning and what God was speaking when he told Joshua to be strong were coming from two different angles. And I only ask this because of something the Lord spoke said to me while I was writing that got me thinking what if I have been seeing this all wrong? God spoke to me “tell my Children how demonstrating strength in times of weakness is encouraging, but one must draw one strength from me who is the giver of true strength, or else they will find themselves in undesirable circumstances. “Health is wealth” I hear God say, many of my people are dealing with serious health issues because they will not release their burden to me. God loves us so much I don’t even think we truly understand how much, and I can also see why some might struggle to see it, especially when some of us have had to endure some really hard seasons.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I was led by the Holy Spirit to read an article on the Canadian Cancer Society website and will share the link at the bottom of this post for those that are interested in reading it. The title of the post I was reading was “Does Stress Cause Cancer” it starts off by claiming that when you live with a lot of stress “You are at a greater risk of developing cancer? The next section is called “The Truth” I will not write out all that was spoken of but what I do write will be written in the original form in which it came. It reads “The connection between your emotional (Psychological) health and physical health is very complex”. Some studies suggest a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer. It goes on to also say that there are 3 cancer risk factors linked to stress and that Stress may lead to unhealthy behaviors. Such as overeating, smoking, and heavy drinking and are all lifestyle factors that increase cancer risk. https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/myths-and-controversies/does-stress-cause-cancer
2 Corinthians 10:3
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
Now we all know that tough situations are unavoidable because this is just how life goes but as I was writing I heard God say “Stress is manageable and we should not let it consume us. I hear God say ask them what tools I have given them to deal with annoyances, unwanted gestures, and issues that come their way. The first thing that came to my mind was to apply the word to whatever circumstance has arisen, but then I heard my father say “this week I want you guys to think beyond the surface level. You see many of us are dealing with the branch but not laying the axe at the root (Matthew 3:10). He went on by saying that many of us can tap into resources whether it be from our Healthcare provider or benefits provided by our place of employment. With just one phone call we could be connected to the next available Therapist, Personal Trainer, or even Grief Counsellor that would be able to help us work out the issues of life. I know someone who said when a family member passed on they never sought help and looking back they regret not getting the assistance when it was being offered. But listen it is never too late, and I only share that to emphasize that some things are not meant to be handled alone. Sometimes we need that outside voice to listen and break down what it is that we are exactly feeling. I for one can’t tell you the number of times that my counselor was able to pinpoint exactly what it was that I was feeling. I am grateful that God placed him in the midst of my storm.
I believe in the saying ” if I am not good, I can’t be good for anyone else. So, I now work out 3 times per week, and this has not only helped in improving my physical health but also strengthen my mind. As I mentioned before I have a grief counselor and I attend my regular sessions and has been crucial because sometimes the emotions flood in like a river and I just need to talk to someone who understands what it is that I am feeling in the moment. But my walk with God has been the most helpful part of this journey. Attending church weekly has not only kept me grounded and anchored in my faith, but I have also been able to connect with a few people that know what it is to grief the loss of someone in their immediate family and just watching how God was able to be the good Father to them, I know that I too will come out of the furnace not only stronger but spiritually nourished. There is this stigma that floats around spewing this lie that if one cannot manage difficulties the way they see fit that you are somehow weak. But this is a lie and God does not want us to believe it. If someone is offering you help please take it. Grief is not an easy thing to deal with. If God has sent help in the form of another person why not take it? Throughout scripture, you see that no one was able to make it alone so much so that God sent Jesus to bare the brunt of it.
Psalm 19:7-8
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Numbers 23:19
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
I am here listening to this Christian artist name Jordan Welch singing her rendition of this song called “Nothing Else”. And as she was singing the word just began to flow through my room shifting everything that needed to be shaken (Hebrews 12:25-27) Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Closing Prayer
The words in the song Nothing else are “Oh, I’m not here for blessings Jesus, you don’t owe me anything. Lord, you came spotless, pure, and Holy, unlike nothing that man could be. And you saw a need that no amount of money can fix. God, I am just the writer as you speak I record so that those reading will understand that we have a great savior. I am asking that you would break the lies that the wicked one speaks making us think that accepting resources are only for the weak and to desire healing means that there could be something wrong with us. Break this lie Lord like a teacup that shatters as it hits on the ground. Bring light to where darkness has been living Psalm 36:9 says For with you is the fountain of Life in your light we see light. Heal us, God, we need you and no longer want to continue like this. We permit you to intervene now and reveal what steps need to be taken so that we can come out healthier, stronger, and with a sound mind. I call on the name of Jesus on behalf of those who feel too weak to cry out and say, “Come Lord come”.
Isaiah 66:2
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
Lord, we tremble in awe of you. Blow fresh wind back into the places that may have become dry and speak to those dead bones commanding them to live (Ezekiel 37:1-10) please read and draw strength from the scripture from which all life flow (Romans 11:36).
Friends, I want you to know that we are all in this together and I pray that one day God will open the door so that I will be able to see your faces. But please don’t lose hope, the ship has left the dock and we are sailing to the other side. The waves of the sea are crashing against the ship causing us to sway from side to side, but we can have confidence that we will not sink because the caption of this ship is King Jesus. Who not only knows the sea but his father controls it.
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