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June 6 - June 7, 2020
‘I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.’ Psalm 120:1.”
“You’re mad because God didn’t answer your prayer back in the cave the way you wanted him to. You asked him to rescue us—but you meant without any wounds.”
“But you might consider that God uses our wounds to heal us. Make us stronger. And give us compassion for those who are also wounded.”
“I’m not wounded.” But he was angry.
So that others might live.
“Make our steps safe, and go before us. Finish the task you’ve pressed us to.”
She wouldn’t rescue herself . . . but maybe God didn’t base his actions—or his love—on what she thought of herself.
In Christ alone, my hope is found . . . He is my light, my strength, my song’
“Make our steps safe and go before us. Finish the task you’ve pressed us to.”
“To carry all that anger around inside you. It’s like . . . it’s like you drank poison but you expect the other person to die. You’re the one who suffers.”
“Or, he chooses you because he has amazing plans for you, but you need to walk through that fire first. You need to contend with the darkness in your heart, learn to forgive, and realize that it’s not about you. It’s about who you could—will—be. Because of your suffering. And because you came through it.”
“Consider this, bro. Jesus hung on the cross. In front of him, he had betrayers and accusers, and beside him, a murderer and a thief. He, however, was innocent. And yet he hung there and suffered because he knew the future. He knew it would save us. He looked out at that rabble and he said, ‘Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.’”
“God brought you up on this mountain not to betray you, but because you matter very much to him, Ry. He does not want you to stay in your anger, does not want you to hide from your calling. And if getting you to face your fears is what it takes—making you helpless and letting you discover he’s still with you—then that’s what he’ll do. Even if you have to suffer.”
“Yes, life is unfair, and we will always have people who will hurt us. Who don’t know what they do. But God wants you to let him handle the justice . . . you just give him your heart. Because that’s what he’s really fighting for. He wants to wash it free from the anger and fill it with his lo...
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“God is contending for your heart. And so am I. Because neither of us a...
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We don’t stop living life just because bad things can, or will, happen. We just keep going forward, trusting in God’s plan for us, even if bad things happen. God is still there, still in control. Still saving us. Still protecting us.”
“God doesn’t guarantee that we won’t have trouble, Jenny. But he does say that he is with us in our suffering. And ultimately he has a plan that, despite the hurt, can be used for our good.”
Don’t assign truth to experiences, or your faith to your feelings. You have to base everything on who God is. Good. Loving. Our rescuer.”
“Because love causes all sorts of pain. It requires us to believe, and forgive, and put aside our own justice and our own desires. Love is painful . . . especially when you think you might lose that love. Or cause hurt to someone you love. Or even be required to love someone who has hurt you.”
“What if God lets us suffer so we can reach out to him for comfort and in that moment receive everything he wants for us? Freedom. Hope. Love. The things we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have him. He is just that relentless in his pursuit of your hearts. Maybe it’s time you let him catch you.”
But that’s what happens when God does surgery on your heart. It’s painful.” Aria smiled. “But you do get a new heart.”
“The more you fill up your hollow spaces with other things, the less you’ll see God. Sometimes we have to be desperate to finally figure out he is all we have left. And he’s enough.”
Evil always seeks to betray. To destroy and separate and instill fear. And, on that day, evil won. But that doesn’t mean we surrender the battle. We will not dishonor those who paid the ultimate price for freedom by giving up. Evil wants to shut you down. Shame you. Destroy your relationships. Keep you from being the person you can be. Don’t let it.”
What if God brought us—all of us—onto that mountain because he really does want to set us free? Isn’t that what this trip was all about? Rising above the traumas that try to hold us hostage? And maybe we’re not stronger than we think. But . . . what if God is? What if he makes us brave?”
