Your encouragement is as sand falling through open fingers & you feel helpless.
It's a lonely place & your heart hurts.
For them & for you.
All too often we want to "do" something to "fix" the problem and the person.
You feel angry at the deceiver.
You long for their joy to be full again.
You simply want them to see God clearly.
The temptation to get frustrated is very real.
You become weary.
And in all essence, you are on the threshold of giving up.
Satan whispers in your ear, "Why try? It's obvious what you are doing isn't working..."
For a moment you listen...
You contemplate...
You resist his tactics and in turn, he must flee. God's Word say it & God's Word is Truth.
It's when you're in this arena that God intervenes...
I am a student-at-heart who loves to learn through any & every situation...especially things of God. I'm not a fan of fiction books, plain & simple. I don't judge/condemn people who read them by any degree (simply a personal preference/conviction) but when I take the time to read something, I want it to change me from the inside out. I want it to be real. I want to walk away enriched & stronger in my walk with Christ. For Christmas Kyle added another book to my "teaching Mendi's heart collection". ;) I had never heard of the book or the author so when I picked it up for the first time a week or so ago I figured I would read a few pages & get bored with it. Probably because of where I'm at in life & that blah mode I have been residing in, my heart was captivated from the first chapter & I have simply devoured it. I am always amazed when God divinely orders something very unexpected and yet it lines up with exactly where I'm at spiritually. This book is no exception.
Since the first of the year, to correlate with the Wednesday evening class I am leading, I have been doing an in-depth study on intercessory prayer. Subsequently I have also been pursuing a personal study in regard to the armor of God which is our sole protection when we enter into spiritual battles. Amazingly God has intertwined both studies beautifully with my current read. It's as if it's another color of thread has been added to pull the tapestry together.
As I sat & read yesterday morning, these words were absorbed by my eyes & planted deep within my heart, "When we intercede, instead of physically jumping in to save the day, we allow the Holy Spirit to direct, correct, and clarify desires and circumstances. Perhaps the reason this type of prayer is diminishing is we become so busy trying to rearrange the circumstances that as we gather the burden into our own packs, we then forget to strap that pack onto God's back. If we try to carry the pack, backs will break and hope will shatter."
It's taking that person's burden, pain & struggle on as if it were our own, yet taking it on in order to give it over to Christ.
Not jumping in to be the hero.
The savior.
The "fixer".
Jumping in to carry the weight of their load to the cross...
...especially when they have no strength left to carry it themselves.
All is grace in God's perspective.
Nothing is wasted.
No pain.
No heartache.
No trial.
He promises to work all things for our good & all things for His glory when our hearts are bent toward Him.
That's a promise from His Word.
His Word is Truth.
Truth I will stand on.
