I had the opportunity to share what God has been speaking to my heart with some incredible women a few nights ago and wanted to share it with you. It encouraged me so much, especially right now when my heart has been juggling more than it can process. Take some time today to read this and allow it to settle into your hearts.
We often talk about the verse, “Jesus wept.” as an indicator of Jesus’ humanity, but I also believe that it’s a beautiful symbol of how deeply He cares for us. That He was weeping not only for the friend he was grieving, but also for the grief of his friends and the grief and loss he knew we would all encounter in this life.
God knows how deep the well of grief can go but His love goes so much deeper and can reach us in our darkest of nights. He’s our comforter, our strength, our silent-tear wiper, and our joy-restorer. Because He cares so deeply for us, He’s declared promises of restoring-exchange in His Word.
I realized all of this is an exchange of our brokenness for His wholeness…
In Isaiah 61:1-3, it says:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
As I read this, I realized all of this is an exchange of our brokenness for His wholeness and the only way we can receive His beauty, His joy, His garment of praise is when we give Him our ashes, our mourning, and our heaviness! And this type of exchange can only happen in His presence!
What heaviness are you holding onto that our Father is saying, “Give that to me! Give me your sorrow! Give me your fears! Give me your heartache and stress and disappointments. Give me all of you so I can give you ALL OF ME!”
Children of our Most High God, our Father is still moving. His presence is still with us and He is ever so near. God cares so much about my heart and my pain, AND He also cares so much about YOU and what you are and have walked through!
“We stand in awe of You!”
That evening we sang the lyrics, “Not by might, not by power, by your spirit God!” and “We stand in awe of You!”
You God!
There is so much happening right now that is trying to switch our focus to the darkness around us–to the fear, the grief and the anxiety that may be gripping our hearts. But I declare WE WILL NOT stand in awe of darkness, but of you God! The God who cares! The God who loves us! Our Father, Savior, Shelter, and Comforter. To quote Miley Cyrus, 2020 “came in like a wrecking ball,” and knocked many of us on our butts, BUT I am still hopeful.
You know why?
“Not by might, not by power, but by your spirit God!”
I will walk in faith and not by sight. I will not walk in the spirit of fear but in the certainty that you are guiding every step I take. I will forgive! I will have joy! I will be healed! I will have hope! And I will do all of this by YOUR SPIRIT, not my strength, not based on my understanding, but because I know you are a good, good God and your spirit resides within me.
There’s not one thing that you’re walking through that your Father doesn’t care about and hasn’t already created provision. Sit with “The God Who Cares” during this time and exchange your brokenness, your fears, and everything weighing on you for His beautiful, extravagant wholeness.
~Candace
Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash
Leave a reply