I had found myself in a very familiar place. Something that I thought I'd already dealt with and was done with came back, and I found myself face to face with very familiar pain. Feelings came rushing back. Hurt was brought to the surface. What I thought I wouldn't have to experience anymore was reappearing all over again.
As I faced this once more, I remembered my response to God the last time I dealt with this situation. I remembered how mad I was at Him for not doing things the way I'd wished He would have.
A week ago at church, the pastor was talking about praising God. One of the things that stood out most to me was when he said that sometimes we don't praise God because we think that He could've done something about our situation and things didn't turn out the way we'd hoped for.
That was me.
The last time I was facing this situation, I was mad at God because I thought He could've done something to make things better. He didn't handle things the way I wanted, though, and I was mad. I was hoping for a miracle. My desire was that He'd restore what was broken instead of telling me to let it go and having Him restore me instead.
God's done a lot of growing in my heart since that time thankfully.
This time, when that oh so familiar pain was back, I had a different response to God.
I no longer was looking to God hoping that He'd do things my way. My heart had changed, and instead of being mad at God for my circumstances, I fell in love with Him even more than before.
My pain was turned to praise.
What God began to give me revelation about was how true it was that my circumstances weren't something I should be mad at Him about. Rather, my circumstances were the exact things He was wanting to comfort me through. He began showing me that He wasn't sitting in Heaven watching my pain and doing nothing about it. No! He was there with me longing to be my Comforter.
The thing that God showed me this time in my painful situation was that although the world and everyone in it may fail me, He never will. Although I may be abandoned by others, I will never be abandoned by Him. He has unfailing love for me.
We all long to be loved, pursued, and wanted. We want someone who will choose us no matter what. We want the security that we will never be alone.
God is that someone.
I started out in such pain, but I ended in such praise to God. I couldn't wait to get to go help lead worship last week after having a battle going on Spiritually and having God come to my rescue. I knew for one that praise is one of the greatest weapons we can use. I also was longing to pour my love out to the One Who comforted me through my pain.
I've come to find that in our pain it's easy to run from the One Who can heal us. It's easy to blame God for our troubles rather than running to Him for shelter from our storms.
Perhaps there's some kind of pain in your own life that you are mad God didn't handle your way. Maybe you lost a loved one. Perhaps a relationship you hoped for restoration in still ended. Maybe you feel your cries to God went unheard.
I'm here to share that being angry at God isn't the answer.
I don't know why things happen the way they do sometimes. It doesn't make sense to me some of the things that happen that seem so unfair. Something I do know, though, is my God. The character of God is such a comfort to me. When I speak His different names, I find peace. Prince of Peace; Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end; the first and the last; Lord of Heaven's Armies; Savior; Comforter; Healer; Provider; Friend.
Sometimes I get so caught up in wondering why God isn't doing things my way instead of resting in Who He is.
This past week when I was faced with pain, that pain turned to praise when I remembered that God is my unfailing love.
I don't know what you're facing today. Whatever it may be, please go to God not seeing all your problems but rather being able to focus on Who He is.
But money is tight... God is our Provider.
But a relationship just fell apart that I hoped would last forever... God is our Comforter.
But my loved one just passed away... God is our Healer.
But what that person did to me wasn't okay... God is the Lord of Heaven's Armies.
Life doesn't always make sense, but we can either allow our pain to turn to anger toward God, or we can experience what happens when pain turns to praise.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You've been showing me recently how much You really do love me. The more You show me that, the more I'm able to let go of focusing on my circumstances and begin to find peace in knowing You instead. It's easy for me to get wrapped up in wondering why bad or just difficult things still happen when You can do anything . If I focus on that, I get mad, but when I remember Your character I realize that my circumstances don't change Who You are. Just because someone does something unkind to me, it doesn't change the fact that You are my Vindicator. Remind me to keep my focus on You... not on my circumstances. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.
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