... Letting Go and Letting God...

So I've always wanted to have a place where I can put my thoughts, and be able to refer back to them besides my devotions journal, so I'm gonna try this!

It's been one of those weekends, where you have a lot to do, but simply cannot make yourself do any of it. It's also been one of those weekends where I've been on edge, simply overwhelmed by emotions and frustration, but also a lot of excitement. So since I'm not usually a girl that gets emotional or gets irrational very often, I allow myself a "girl weekend" to simply let my emotions and irritation get the best of me, and try to avoid as many people as possible. Well that didn't exactly happen this weekend. I got to spend some amazing time with my friends, as well as spend a lot more time in The Word, trying to figure out the RIGHT way to deal with these frustrations.

So today I was reading in Isaiah, starting with chapter 9. The very first verse of chapter 9, hit home! "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress." Umm, hello! Me and my "girl weekend" are apparently getting kicked in the rear! It goes on to talk about how "[The birth of Jesus] has enlarged the nation and increased their joy." How amazing! Oh but we're not done yet, "you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor." So what this is all saying is that in the midst of all our "girl weekends", ps. guys have them too, the birth of Jesus Christ, came into these weekends or seasons of our life and increased our joy, and shattered the burdens which were oppressing us! Wow! Then it keeps going, it says, "... every garment rolled in blood[or any garment that was used in battle] will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire." Meaning everything that causes our seasons, or "weekends", of irritation, sadness, despair, or frustration will be used to fuel the fire inside of us. You know how we always wonder why God "allows" bad things to happen to us? Do you think this could be one(of the many) explanations for such a thing? We tend to see everything that is even a little painful as negative, and maybe it is, but can we recognize that maybe God is trying to help us, and teach us through such situations? And I'm sure it's not every time, but a lot of the times I feel like it is the case. [Reference: Isaiah 9:1-7.]

"Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise--may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation." [Reference: Psalms 35:7-9.] The context of this Psalm is that David is being pursued by his enemies, by which he did nothing wrong. The pursuit is being, wrongly, led out of jealousy and anger. However, as David is one man against an entire army he is trusting and believing in the power and justification of the Lord Almighty. He is absolutely sure that he will be safe from such an impossible victory but only by The Lord Almighty. "You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and the needy from those who rob them." [Reference: Psalms 35:10.] The Lord is just. From this we NEED to know that when we are following Him, even if the world is against us, and victory seems impossible, He will not let us fall.

Going off of the same psalm, 35 that is, David continues to humble himself before his enemies, and repay their evil with good, repay their hatred and mockery with love, and although their motives are false, and their accusations are preposterous he continues to be humbled and love those who continue to persecute him. He doesn't retaliate, and prove them wrong, instead he asks the Lord to contend for him, and rise to his defense. "Vindicate me in your righteousness, Oh Lord my God." And after asking the Lord for his own reconciliation, he says, "May those who delight in my vindication shout for jay and gladness: may they always say, 'the Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.' My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long." After The Lord reconciles he still does not gloat of those who took enjoyment in his pain and suffering, instead he just praises the Lord. I am forever encouraged. This psalm hits close to my heart. I suffered through a tough high school career, and in the midst of it felt like David. I am not going to say I was completely faultless, but as I walked around as a stranger in my own high school I felt abandoned, and continually hurt by person after person. I wish my approach to such suffering was nearly as righteous as David's. I wish I could have disregarded that which i knew were fallacies, and humbled myself as David did. But I know that I did one thing as David, I turned to the Lord for help, because I had no one. If you don't believe that God will strip you of all you have to get your attention, trust me, he will. And he had to because I wouldn't listen otherwise(that's why we cannot wait to give Him our all, we have to start now). As the Lord did strip me of every friendship and everything that I thought made me happy, I learned to seek happiness and satisfaction in Him, in the ONE who will NEVER let you down. [Reference: Psalms 35:1-28]

:)

2 Corinthians 12:9