Thursday, May 11, 2017

Unshakable


I have felt the arrows of attack this week. Satan tempts me..I can hear his call to internalize and be self focused. I can taste the bitterness planted in my heart, I can hear the song of self pity playing loud and clear. He tempts me, and I fall to my knees and I pray, because it's a scary world, without God. It's a fearful thought to ever stray from my heavenly father.

Yesterday, I stood at the counter, chopping vegetables, listening to Ephesians, and ignoring the cries of babes who would not take a nap. It was another one of THOSE battles...you know, when you think you've aligned everything just perfectly so that the kids will nap. And then they don't. In my experience, this has triggered one of two responses. The first (and most common) has been to throw a tantrum in my mind, which consists of something like "My kids hate me, I don't deserve this, I'm so sick of this, etc." The second response, and the one I'm working to implement always, is to take it to God in prayer.

When I take my cares to Him and allow Him to overflow my heart with truth, life, and hope, the missed nap and uncooked dinner seems much less significant. He gives me endurance when I feel depleted, He gives me time when I thought I had none, and he gives me patience when, by nature, I'm prone to snap. He gives me humility on days when I just couldn't clean or cook, and my poor husband walks into a train wreak.

He reassures me, always. He tells me "Annette, it's ok. I am bigger than your messy house, and your tired eyes, and your fighting kids." He says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). He says "Cast your anxiety on me, because I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7). He says "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). He Says "Draw near to the throne of grace, receive my mercy and find grace in your time of need." (Hebrews 4:16).

When I feel like my worldly troubles will overtake me, and my past will bring me down, He reminds me that "I have not received a spirit of slavery which leads to fear, but a spirit of adoption as His daughter which I may cry out, Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15). He reminds me "This is the only race worth running." (Timothy 4:7). He reminds me that I should "Be in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages began." (Titus 1:2). And finally, He reminds me that "He is so rich in love and mercy that even when I was dead in my sinfulness, he made me alive with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5).

I am safe, I am saved, and I am satisfied, through Him. Life is not stable, the days can be long and difficult or sometimes short and gleeful, but through His truth and love, you can remain unshakable. 

4 comments:

  1. Christ is glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. I see you getting this and it is beautiful. The what, the where, the circumstance in this world is really just an opportunity to press into Him. I love
    Isaiah 40:31New Living Translation (NLT)

    31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
    They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

    A mother eagle shows their young how to fly by having it rest upon their own wing while they fly together - the parent sheltering the young in flight.

    I love you - and the Cyndi Lauper look!

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    1. Liz, your words of encouragement mean so much to me. God continues to strip me down so that all I have is Him. I continue to cry out to Him, because there's no way I could do this life thing without Him. I am so thankful He is with me in all moments.

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  2. Safe, saved and satisfied. I enjoyed your communication here. You'll be in my prayers. Thank you.

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