Read Psalm 34:18,19 AMP
“The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent. Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
A Psalm of Joseph when he was in the wilderness of Brooklyn...and in-between jobs. A prayer.
I feel like I’m literally in the middle of the ocean
with nothing but ocean and sea as far as the eye can see
generic mountains shrouded with fog and ominous clouds in the distance
indistinguishable from the next
no landmarks to speak of
or maybe there are and I just don’t recognize them as such
when I perceive that something could be a vestige, I doubt myself
maybe I perceive it to be a landmark because I simply WANT it to be a landmark
something that will affirm that I’m going the right way
I wish for signs
I hope for a boat to come save me
take me; sail me the rest of the way
my arms feel weary
but I’ve truly gone too far to turn back
turning back may be the death of me
so what have I got to lose.....besides my life and wasted time
the latter being more terrifying
loss of life would mean a peaceful slumber
but loss of time???
Well....it’s just time lost
Savior, save me!!!
help me, please.
sustain me.
chart my course and grant me wisdom to decipher Your direction
be my Compass
show me where north is from south
give me the strength and tenacity to swim despite what I see
despite what the voices in the wind and sea tell me
let the breath & wind of Your Word push me towards land and safety
my Rock of Gibraltar
my Savior
my Hope rests in Thee
Following God's way often means some rough times, man. Wow....what an understatement! But true! Some real bumpy, turbulent waves OR some still, lonely waters can be exactly where God wants you to be. Trying circumstances, ostracization & rejection, resentment, loneliness, etc - can and most times are all part and parcel of walking in step with the Most High. Following His Way, in faith, may mean being out there in the middle of the proverbial ocean for a season...alone without any affirming landmarks or mileposts other than the peace that comes with knowing that you’re in the eye of His will AND the certainty that, in Him, there is truly safety. There are no cheerleaders. There are no neon signs avowing that you're headed in the right way. Just you and the Son. Whether your on the road or in the ocean, our Heavenly Father takes us through those valleys of the shadow of death in order to break us down (of self-reliance, pride, self-centeredness, immaturity and anything that's unlike Him) and builds us back up to ultimately make us more and more into that which He desires...the image & likeness of His only begotten Son, Christ. (Romans 8:29)
Look...affliction is normal. Suffering, is normal. Heck, we know it’s normal because Jesus, Himself literally assured us we'd have it when He explained to His disciples:
"....I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" ~ John 16:33 AMP
See, we gon' have trouble, fam! It's a fact. We gon' have fatigue and all that come along with being His and living for Him. (John 15:20) We gon' have frustrations and those rough seasons if for nothing else than the fact that we live in a fallen world that is infected and affected by sin. (Romans 8:20,21) But see, we’re already promised that we have ultimate victory over all of it because our beautiful Savior - our Advocate - has already overcome this world. And by & through relationship to Him....so have we! And that's where (and who) our hope rests in. You see...our struggles as Christians simply push us towards the grace of God. The truster AND follower of Christ has hope IN suffering....NOT INstead of suffering. And that ain't just some positive affirmation, either...but rather a hope that we can bank on. This hope is the root of our joy. This joy is the power of our endurance. And this endurance is the means by which we continue on to that which God has called us to do and to be. So.....just keep walkin': right foot in front of left foot in front of right foot in front of left foot. And just keep swimming...just keep swimming...swimming, swimming, swimming....;-)
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"For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:13 (Amplified Bible)
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