He crossed the expanse between heaven and earth. God became flesh.
He overcame in the wilderness, He walked the dusty roads, and He crossed the stormy seas. He walked on them. He spoke to them and He calmed them.
He taught in the fields and fed thousands. He ate at the tables of sinners.
He shared and laughed with people in their homes, on the streets, by the well, on the shores.
From home to home. Town to town. City to city.
Each place bringing Him closer to the hill of Golgotha.
The CROSS.
The path was always leading Him to that hill, the hill where He would be crucified.
He knew what was coming, yet He stayed the course.
What lay ahead for Him did not deter Him from seeing those He would encounter on His way.
His eyes met with the eyes of those for whom He’d give His life. Some would love Him and follow Him. Some would betray Him and curse Him. Some would have ears to hear His Father’s heart and eyes to see His Father’s love. Some would close their hearts, their ears, their eyes and turn away with bitterness, hatred, and denial.
He still went to the cross for each of them.
All along His journey He healed, He taught, He delivered, He spoke, He forgave, He saved.
And as He approached the garden outside of where He knew He would be crucified, He prayed and He wept.
And then carried His cross up that hill, wounded for our sins, beaten for our burdens, whipped for our wrongs, crushed for our iniquities, stripped for our shame.
He bled. He cried out. He died. For the joy that was set before Him, you and me, He endured!
He went into the grave so WE could be brought out of our own.
His love didn’t stop there though.He crossed that chasm once again as he did His greatest work in secret.
Beyond the tomb when all was dark, when others thought all was lost and hope was gone, Jesus was still at work. It was in that place, between the crucifixion and the resurrection that Jesus conquered sin and death.
In times of crisis, when everything around us feels absolutely out of our control, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, can all make their way up out of our hearts and to the surface. Times of shaking begin to shake loose the things we have been holding onto, areas we have falsely placed our identity and security in, and at times those beliefs that have become quite foundational to our lives without realizing it. We are faced with the reality of what we value, what we treasure, who we love, what we believe, and the condition that our faith is truly in.
Questions arise in our hearts. Some are deep, and some may seem quite shallow and ridiculous, but they are still questions that rise up and require a bit of thought and hopefully an answer. What is important to me? Have I loved well? Am I doing what I am am meant to be doing? Do I enjoy my life? Am I making the most of this life I am given? Is there anyone I need to forgive or apologize to? Am I eating well and taking care of myself like I should be? Should I have spent my money better or saved more or invested? Do I need to give more? Do more? Be more? Do I believe in God? Do I trust Him? Am I loved? Am I happy? On and on the questions pop up, and we are faced with having a bit of a “reality check” of our lives.
Certainly doesn’t feel like the time to be “lying down in quiet pastures”! But it certainly is a time, an opportunity to sit and evaluate and search our hearts for answers. We may be pleasantly surprised that we are content, that we have loved well, handled our finances with wisdom, working in a job that is fulfilling, and strong in our faith. And then we may be quite discouraged with some of the answers to these questions, finding ourselves disillusioned with life, not sure if we are really doing enough, out of shape, faltering in our faith, financially broke and emotionally broken. Regret, fear, disappointment, confusion can come crashing in on us like a tidal wave. Self evaluation isn’t always fun, nor does it always make us feel like we are shining stars or conquerors of mountain tops, but it is good …. It is good when we remember that no matter what we find, WE ARE NOT STUCK THERE.
I have to admit that during this pandemic I have been a little shocked at what all has surfaced in my heart. My biggest disappointment is that I have felt so much fear surface. Some of my foundations I have discovered, have not been built solidly on God’s strength and power and trusting in Him, but more on what I can do in my own strength and in my own power. That illusion of CONTROL has often reared its ugly head as something I am building my life on. And when it’s smoothed over with a layer of PRIDE that says, “I got this!”, it gives the illusion of being strong and ready for anything! All seems right as I think I can handle whatever comes in my own power, instead of really leaning into the strength of an Omniscient and Sovereign God. It’s all good …. Until the shaking comes and then all of the cracks in my thinking and my plans begin to show.
I’m sure that is why God seems to continually give me Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE SHALL direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.” It is the daily reminder that I am meant to trust in a God who is powerful and mighty, not in my own strength or anyone else’s for that matter! He knows all, loves me well, and is 100% FOR ME!
I can trust him with what I don’t understand, but sometimes the real challenge is to trust him and not even lean on those things that I do understand. I have found in this time, that the key to overcoming my fears and facing the issues of my heart that have been surfacing, is in the ACKNOWLEDGING HIM part. It’s an action! A choosing! Intentionality! Acknowledging Him in every area of my life. Acknowledging Him as I answer each question that rises up. Every attitude, every doubt, every fear, every anxious thought. Every fact and every feeling, I am called to acknowledge Him. I do this by declaring who HE IS.
I acknowledge that He is God and I am NOT! I acknowledge that He is Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Faithful Father, Loving, Kind, slow to anger, compassionate, Healer, Deliverer, Sovereign, and Good. I declare His goodness over my life, over my past, my present and my future. I declare and acknowledge that He is still sitting on the throne. He has loved me from the beginning, forgiven me, and has filled me with the same power that resurrected Christ, His Holy Spirit. I give him the reins and declare that HE REIGNS! As I “acknowledge Him”, I feel Him directing my heart, my thoughts, my emotions, leading them down a path of FAITH, STRENGTH, LOVE, AND HOPE! He leads me beside still waters and causes me to lie down in green pastures – places of peace and places that refresh my heart.
SO NO MATTER WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE TODAY IN THIS SEASON, NO MATTER WHAT IS RISING UP IN YOUR HEART AND MIND, GOOD AND BAD, THINGS WE UNDERSTAND AND THINGS WE DON’T, BEGIN TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD. LET HIM SHAKE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE SHAKEN – FEAR, PRIDE, PAIN, HOPELESSNESS, DOUBT …. AND THEN LET HIM RESURFACE YOUR FOUNDATIONS WITH HIS LOVE, HIS STRENGTH, HIS POWER, HIS PEACE, HIS FAITHFULNESS, HIS PROMISES. HE IS GOOD! HE WILL DIRECT YOU AND BRING HEALTH TO YOUR BODY AND STRENGTH TO YOUR BONES. HE WILL DIRECT YOU TO THOSE PLACEA OF PEACE – STILL WATERS & GREEN PASTURES. ♥️
In our search to understand who we are, we must walk in discernment & supernatural wisdom, as to not fall for finding our identity in a counterfeit formula or way.
If anything tells us that who we are is now static & unable to be anything different, then it is not truth. We are told biblically that we have the renewing of our minds, we are being transformed into the image of God, we can go from glory to glory, we are bearers of Christ’s image, becoming more like Him and new creations in Him. We are called to die to self, deny self, lay down self, just as Christ did for each of us. The danger is that we become lovers of self, self-absorbed, self-focused, instead of fixing our eyes on Christ.
If we begin to find our identity in any other book, belief, system or person other than the Word of God and in God Himself, we will never be fully satisfied or ever feel fully loved. We are not told to find ourselves, figure ourselves out, understand ourselves, know ourselves. We are called to find God, know God, seek God, trust God, confess God, believe God. We are also called to love others, bless others, give to others, heal others, forgive others. We are told to love ourselves, but that can only truly be done as we get to KNOW GOD and His love. Read the word. The more we discover God, the more we discover ourselves – not the other way around.
Food for thought:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. II Corinthians 3:18
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:35
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
When life gets hard
When I am feeling down
When the wrestle is real
When my shoulders feel heavy
When my knees are feeble
When I’m feeling unsteady
When joy is hard to find
I look to my Savior.
I don’t have to strive
I don’t have to pretend
I don’t have to muster up strength
I don’t have to put on an act
I can be real with where I’m at
Because It’s HIS JOY that STRENGTHENS ME It’s HIS JOY that CARRIES ME It’s HIS JOY that LIFTS ME It’s HIS JOY that wins the wrestle, lifts the load, relieves the heaviness, clears the fog, and steadies my feet on the path.
THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH. He has plenty of it. And as I focus on this truth, I am reminded that I AM THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM AS HE ENDURED THE CROSS. WE ARE HIS JOY.
And then, I begin to feel His delight, His joy over me. It covers me. His love covers me. And we walk down the path, towards wholeness & healing together, hand in hand – Me being real and Him pouring out His very REAL LOVE & STRENGTH. He leads. I follow. Down the pathway to JOY.
Life Interrupted 