Sunday, November 25, 2012

God Will Loosen Your Heart from Your Troubles


Danny and I went to a friend’s funeral yesterday afternoon. It was a great tribute to a man who was known and loved by many. It ended up that we were after dark getting home. Since we had a houseful of family there, we couldn’t wait to get home.  Driving along at a pretty good pace, suddenly we realized that the interstate traffic was shutting down.  I was concerned about the trouble up ahead. But I was also frustrated that we were stopped less than a mile from our exit. Everything was fine and we were within reach of our destination when it all changed.  Road rage won’t work and sports cars can’t race when the road is ground to a halt. No matter who is in the vehicle, all have to stop. Inching our way along with sports cars, SUV’s and semi’s we finally made it to our exit. As we crossed the Interstate we noticed the traffic was stopped all the way to Caddo Valley, blue lights telling the tale of an accident up ahead.

We are a people in a hurry. We love the Interstate travel in life. Get on the road, get your speed up and sail on through.  Most of the time it’s an easy road, because all travel is going the same direction in your lanes. Occasionally, without warning, things happen. We have no control over those things, so we get frustrated and concerned. We wonder if we are going to make it through to clear sailing again.  Sometimes problems are cleared up quickly, other times we’re bogged down with them for quite some time. We feel that if we just had more power or leverage, we could get ourselves out of the situation. But regardless of who we are, when problems come, we all grind to a halt.

Are you wondering this morning why you have to be in such a mess? Are you concerned that you won’t make it home? Do you feel that you’re running out of time and you don’t know how you’ll ever get out of this trouble, this problem, this wreck in your life? Maybe you’re in a rage because you can’t control the situation.  You may feel abandoned, left in the dark, stopped dead in your tracks. You may not have caused it, but you’re certainly stuck in the middle of it. Is there no way out? Will help ever come?

Oh beloved God is with you! Let Him soothe you’re troubled heart. Let Him lift you above your circumstances. He speaks so gently and loving.  Even in the midst of troubles, He wants to speak Truth into your heart, your life, your situation. He says to you this morning, I AM with you. I AM fully aware of the situation and I’ve got it all under control.  Look to Me instead of your circumstances. As long as you concentrate on the circumstances and the feelings they bring, you can’t see Me clearly. Even when you can’t see Me, I AM with you. Let Me loosen your heart from the trouble ahead and adjust  your thinking. Rage won’t change a thing, speed won’t make up for lost time – for both are dangerous to your life and Our relationship.  Because I AM with you, I AM the One who will make a way for you to arrive safely at your destination! Lean on Me and let Me take the wheel of your life and together we will get through this and on to better days and smoother roads. I AM always going to say I love you, I AM always going to be with you. So you can Trust Me as I lead you. And as I lead you, you will find rage and malice, anger, dread, fear and frustration melt away to be replaced by My peace.

Trust God! Let Him take you beyond your circumstances. For He loves you enough to stick with you and He’s for you enough that He’ll get you through it. Rest in His promises for that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 34:19  The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

Psalm 119:50  Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

Psalm 138:7  Though I am surrounded by troubles, You will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of Your right hand saves me.

Psalm 120:1 I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer.

2 Corinthians 1:4  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

2 Corinthians 4:18  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Samuel 22:31 God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

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