Wow, where has this year gone? Honestly, my mind is in a jumble. I have been in a fog...
Ever feel that way? I don't like admitting that I've had more downs than ups this year, but it's true. Being real with others is sometimes hard to do. But I want to be real and that means admitting to stumbling around at times.
Thankfully, I am not alone. I know that is true although I haven't had anyone tell me they too have been stumbling around lately. Why is that? None of us wants to admit that we struggle in a very real way. I especially, at my age want you to think that I am doing fine. But I have been lonely, stressed and discouraged. Why do I admit this? Because I want you to know that I have been through struggles and it has made me love Him more.
I was reading Kept For the Master's Use by Frances Ridley Havergal. This little book looks at the song Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. You know that song! You, like myself have probably sung it many times and meant it too! I so much want this for myself and you; to be consecrated to the Lord of Glory!
" Consecration is not so much a step as a course. It is not so much an act as a position to which a course of action inseparably belongs. Insofar as it is a course and a position, there must naturally be a definite entrance upon it and a time when that entrance is made. That is when we say, "Take." But we do not want to go on taking the first step over and over again."
" What we want now is to be maintained in that position and to fulfill that course. So let us go on to another prayer. Having already said, "Take my life, " let us now say - with deepened conviction that without Christ we really can do nothing - "Keep my life, for I cannot keep it for Thee."
My friends, the keeping of my life is not in my hands. Now I have known this. It is not new to me. But, life happens and we can become so weary in it's course that we sometimes forget that the Lord "keeps" us.
"For with the deepest and sweetest consciousness that He has indeed taken our lives to be His very own, the need of His active and actual keeping of them in every detail and at every moment is most fully realized. But then we have the promise of our faithful God, "I, the Lord, am its keeper... I guard it night and day" (Isaiah 27:3)
Meditating upon this thought that the Lord is my Keeper, I began to search scripture for this.
Ps. 121 " I will lift up my eyes to the hills––From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore."
My heart is encouraged. The Lord so kindly has brought me through difficulty again. He is faithful beyond my understanding. I am kept by His gracious, omnipotent hand. Kept to continue on, to press forward and by His keeping to bring glory to Him.
And by the way, Joel is kept by this same One and I have no need to worry about him. My God is able.
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6 comments:
I appreciated this, Marti. It is so good to be reminded that our life is in His hands and that He is keeping us. What a safeguard for our soul.
You are not alone - I'm sure many of us have suffered times of loneliness and discouragement this year. And yet we hope in the Lord too. He will be faithful to His promises, we know this for sure.
I'm glad to see you blogging again, Marti. I've missed you! You are an encouragement to me!
Dear Mommy, I wish I was there to hug you.
I looked up Psalm 121, and our english translation uses the word "LORD," all capital letters. In its literal translation the word would be "Jehovah." Jehovah means that He is the all-knowing, self-existant, covenant-making, and covenant-keeping God! His name in and of itself is assurance that His promise to keep us will not be broken. He is The Great I AM, and He is incapable of not keeping His promises.
Also, I cannot forget what my favorite sister once said to me in encouragement. She pointed out that oftentimes, in my own stubborness to not want to tell others when I am sad,lonely, or need help, I am often depriving others of utilizing their spiritual gifts. I try to keep that in mind when I know that I need someone to talk to and I need to accept the help that's given.
I love you.
Joel has been on my mind alot lately. I have been praying... I love him.
The Lord has been teaching me so much about His faithfulness lately - He is our sure and steadfast hope in every situation! He is a good Father who always richly provides for His children! He is our strong rock and refuge in the storms of life! And that's just a tiny glimpse of how faithful He is...I love Him!
Marti, thanks for sharing. This really spoke to my heart. I've often thought that so often we go to chapel with our best foot forward. We act as if we've totally got our lives together. When in fact, we don't.
One year at Vessels, I decided to be honest about where things were, about some of my struggles. That year, I had some of the BEST fellowship and was so encouraged in the process. I realized that I wasn't alone in these struggles and we were able to remind one another of God's faithfulness to us and encourage one another to press on in faithfulness to Him.
Don't you think that's one of the functions of the body of Christ? To uphold one another in our weaknesses and certainly to encourage on another along in our walk with the Lord in the midst of trials.
Thank you each one for your encouragements. The Lord is indeed The Faithful One. And I know that I don't stand alone. Yes, Kelly, the Lord would have us uphold each other in prayer. We tend to pray more for those we know are struggling and so I think it is good to say "I need your prayers".
But is so hard to say. That I believe is one of Satans tools or lies. We fear if we tell others we have problems they will think less of us or give us advice we don't want to hear.
I have learned so much about having a listening ear to the pains of others. Sometimes listening and praying is the best encouragement we can give. (Not that I haven't been thankful for the advice of many, yourselves included).
I guess my biggest purpose for posting this was to say, even the older saint, the one we often think has it more together still has very real struggles too!
We need each other so very much.
The hug of a tear, a smile, a prayer and yes a great big physical hug.
((((((((((((((((hug)))))))))))))
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