Isaiah 42:3, “a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.”
Sometimes my Father answers my prayers for the joy of the LORD to be my strength in sweet, subtle ways. He will, through the Helper, bring a Scripture to mind, or a line from a hymn, or will have a sister reach out; and I will smile, breathe, straighten myself up, and say ‘Thank You.’
Other times it’s not so sweet nor subtle.
Yesterday (Tuesday), it smacked me in the face, literally making me pull my head back in surprise. Stunned for a moment…then I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and metaphorically hitting myself on the forehead groaned ‘duh.’
Isaiah 42:3 was an ironic choice to smack me in the face with.
Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I was physically recovering from a two day long, full body migraine. I was weakly sitting up at my desk, grateful to be able to read again. Grateful to be able to read the Truth as I prayed, instead of attempting to take my thoughts captive to obey the Word on my own.
I’ve been praying for revival. I’ve been praying for humility. Last Monday night the LORD had brought me to the place to ask Him for humility whatever the cost. I was fully aware of the cost of these prayers being answered.
Answers to these prayers would involve much pain, grief, suffering, sorrow, being brought low. I know the utterly disabling migraine was an answer to that prayer, and had thanked God for it; and yet I’m struggling to accept and thank Him for its aftermath.
This too is His lovingkindness. And He is worthy of my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
It’s one thing to count the cost and ask for these things for myself, but it’s another thing to ask for these things for my beloved sisters, and brothers.
The only way to be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…poor, yet making many rich…having nothing, yet possessing everything” is by abiding in Christ Jesus. Feeding on the Bread of Life. Daily taking in, consuming a rich diet to refuel, recharge, renew. Nourish and nurture your spirit. (II Corinthians 6:10; John 15:4)
I had been praying for the joy of the LORD to be my strength, and for that strength to be restored to me. I had been in conversations, prayer meetings with many others feeling spiritually depleted, weary of doing good, and on the verge of giving up and pleading with the joy of the LORD to be restored to them also.
It is good and right to ask our Father for His strength to endure this life, these battles within and without. But when we do not receive what He has promised, when we do not have the joy of the LORD to strengthen us in our weariness, we cannot, should not do as I did, and as I now see, I am still doing.
We cannot give a foothold to the devil and the deceitfulness of sin by growing frustrated, angry, resentful with Him for not strengthening us when we are not feeding on His Word, and when we are refusing to rehydrate from the Fountain of Living Water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
I asked for the bruise. I thanked Him for the bruise. And then I quickly gave into temptation and doubted about His promise not to break me completely.
I doubted, seeing the bruises of my beloved sisters, does He see how closely He is to breaking them?! LORD! You are too close to the edge! Back off.
I had taken my eyes off Him. I had fixed my eyes on the bruises. I had fixed my eyes on the winds and waves smashing against these already bruised and tender reeds. I had let my thoughts and emotions run free.
John 15:5, “apart from Me you can do nothing.” Apart from the Bread of Life, apart from the Fountain of Living Water, we can do nothing. And Jesus could do nothing apart from His Father!
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.” John 5:19
Oh how much we need to have the Word of God renew our minds, refresh our souls, and destroy the strongholds of the flesh.
Hebrew 12:2-3, “looking to Jesus…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame… Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Consider how Jesus looked to His Father.
I Peter 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. …23…when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.”
Hebrews 5:8, “He learned obedience through what He suffered.”
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 5:2, “He (every high priest chosen from among men) can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.”
Hebrews 5:7, “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cried and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”
Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected/forsaken by men; a man of sorrows/pains, and acquainted with/knowing grief/sickness; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”
We want to follow Jesus? We want to be like Jesus?
Luke 14:27-28, 33, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. …first sit down and count the cost… any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Is it the Jesus of Scripture? Or is it the Jesus of world?
‘Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help Love lifted me Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help Love lifted me’ – Love Lifted Me by James Rowe
Jesus submitted Himself to His Father.
Jesus took on a posture of submission.
His Father has lifted Him.
Be like Jesus of the Scriptures.
For it is only in this posture we are fit be lifted by Love Himself.
‘Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease’ – ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus by Louisa M.R. Stead
Cease from self. Come to Me. Abide in Me.
‘Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
…
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus know our ev’ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
…
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
…
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.’ – What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Joseph Scriven
Martin Luther was said to have told his assistant that tomorrow is going to be so busy that I need extra time in prayer in the morning. He knew how to strengthen himself in the LORD. He understood the joy of the LORD was his strength. He demonstrated his belief in where his strength comes from. His intentional time in prayer, communing with the LORD, abiding in Jesus is evidence that Luther believed God.
The evidence is against me in what I truly believe about strength. It is time to return to the LORD. It is time to behave as I claim to believe. It is time to turn away from worldly wisdom on productivity, health, and prioritizing. It is time to find my strength in the joy of the LORD.
Be strong and courageous.
- Soli Deo gloria
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