Trials were our focus this past week. Many of us are presently enduring trials. I hope and pray that each of you has someone with whom you can talk and pray.
Those of you who have contacted me, please know you are held in prayer, beyond today, and our conversations can continue, through email only. Some things are not meant for the internet. I ask all of us to pray for the community reading and responding to this blog. We can pray without knowing all the details, just know there is a prayer need!
There are presently many, many people enduring trials. Accompanying these trials is often excruciating pain. Pain of the heart can tear away at the soul, if left untreated. Such pain can serve as a cancer. Beginning with just a some cell, dividing into more, and growing expotentionally, until it can no longer be ignored. Do not let it steal life!
God truly cares about the things we endure. He cares about our hurts and pain just as much as He cares about our physical needs. We know that God wants to provide for believers physical needs.
He also wants to provide for our emotional needs. Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As a nation, we tend to ask God to provide for our physical needs but shy away from any emotional requests. Do we decide to deny ourselves God’s help because we think we can handle it ourselves? Or, do we think those needs are insignificant and we do not need to take them to God?
Psalm 56:8 “Record my lament, list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record?” God desperately wants us to openly communicate with Him about every aspect of our lives.And, we know this, but it bears repeating, He already knows our needs: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
He wants you to invite Him into your world. Not just thanking Him for His great provision of food and health. But He wants asked to share in our struggles- the ones others do not see. The ones we feel fully responsible for, the ones slowly eating away our soul. He wants us to ask Him for assistance and healing of our hearts and souls. God waits patiently on us to ask, He will not push in abrasively. But He will hold us accountable to His laws.
King David was called “A man after God’s own heart”. King David often tried to live a life of obedience. David also knew he was human. He realized when he had sinned and was separated from God by that sin. He also realized how greatly he needed God’s attention and affection. He realized how much He needed God’s healing hand for emotional well-being. He knew he would not be emotionally well until that relationship was restored. Psalm 51:10-12 “ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me, the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.”
If you ar hurting because of a sin in your life, take it to God. Openly confess your misdeeds. Ask for forgiveness, and for strength to resist temptation in the future. Then, allow the peace of God to wash over you. Do not allow Satan to serve it back to you on a platter.
If you are hurting emotionally because you are watching others make poor choices, know those choices are also breaking God’s heart. He appreciates your love and concern, and He loves and is concerned with those you love; but He also loves and is concerned about you.
Recognize you need His peace. The situation may not change today, but your reaction to it can. Allow God to grant you that peace which passes understanding. He loves you! He wants to help you!
Reflections:
1) Do I tend toward asking God for only physical needs, abandoning my emotional needs in His presence?
2) Do I fully understand God’s desire to meet ALL my needs?
3) Am I prepared and willing to be THAT open with God? Remember, God is faithful and will never, never, forsake us!
4) How can we emotionally encourage each other? Please share your thoughts in the comment section! We can all benefit from your ideas!
Thank you very much for reading! Please return Monday, April 30, for the next post.
At our house as well. The devil had a good time for awhile, but we’ve put him in his place. Hope he leaves you alone as well. Sandy
Thank you for you affirmation! We need to claim the promises in Scripture and not assume we need to live with whatever we are thrown. This covers all areas, physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual. The answer may not always be what we hope for, what we prayer for, but we can believe God will use the answer for good!
Thanks for your input!
Stefanie Lynn