November 12, 2018
“I waited patiently for the Lord, He turned to me and heard my cry, He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
Out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a solid rock and gave me a firm place to stand,
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” – Psalm 40
If you really knew me, you know that I am an avid coffee drinker. I developed this habit very quickly into my “adulting” life stage. Nothing drains me more than when I have to live a day without having some type of coffee in my life. Call me basic, but it is true. Coffee keeps me going. I survive and thrive on a cup of the sweet stuff; I need that fix in the mornings to get me through the day. If you are anything like me, I’m sure you can relate to the feeling of needing to depend on something to keep you going. (#Mondays, ammirite?)
Do you ever find that sometimes coffee (or insert your vice here) is not enough to keep your soul from being tired? No amount of caffeine can cure my weary soul. As adults, I think we have learned to mask our struggles very well. We have learned to numb ourselves and adapt so that everyone believes that we are fine. <insert Ross from Friends with a margarita here, “I’m FINE.”>
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to feel very overwhelmed, confused, and discouraged. When the going gets tough, it seems to just keep going and run us over 12 times in the midst. So you keep putting Band-Aids on the source of the pain. One more cup of coffee at a time. One more foot in front of the other. This world is overwhelming, confusing, and discouraging…and we are all facing something. We sing out a song of struggle. Our hearts cry out in question and anguish because we simply do not understand why.
The beautiful truth is that this world is not our home. John 16:33 says,
“In this world, there will be many trials and suffering, but take heart because I have overcome the world!”
We are not promised a perfect world. We are not promised that we will live a perfect life. We are not promised an abundance of coffee or Band-Aids to cover up and run away from our problems – these things run out eventually. However, we are promised the love of a perfect Savior. We are promised that God will give us the strength to overcome anything that we are faced with. You see, He doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. He can give us the strength to get through anything. With Christ in our corner, we can overcome anything because He has already overcome it.
So what song have you been singing recently, friend? Has your heart been singing a song of hardships or depravity? Take a moment to be still and take off your mask. God knows your heart and He knows what troubles it. Take a look at Matthew 7:24-27. A house built on a solid foundation cannot be shaken. Let Christ be your foundation. Allow God to fill your heart with promises and love. If you can believe that Jesus healed the lame and made the blind man see, then why can you not have faith that He can lead you out of your struggles and hardships? One of my favorite quotes is, “A yielded heart does not whine or rebel when the going gets rough. It musters up the courage to thank Me even during the hard times.” Yield your heart to Christ. Rest easy in the knowledge that God can lift you out of any slimy pit that has been placed along your path. When your hallelujah gets tired, let God write you a new song. Just keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and pursue Him, He will deliver you.
Lots of love, hugs, and #blessings,
Kayce