I started this new job recently and it’s going pretty good. Obviously, no job is actually perfect, but they are treating me much better than the last one I had so … not bad. Recently, I started talking a lot more with one of my coworkers. We come from the same place, about the same age, and I was in a similar position that she’s currently in. Long story short, my supervisor tells me today how one of the contractors for the building was talking about how me and my coworker were “planning” something. Like if we were going to start a revolution in the building “for FREEEDOOOOM!!!” kind of deal. Initially, I laughed at this contractors dumb comment.
As the day progressed, I started thinking about it again and it started to bother me. It’s not because there’s any truth to it, but she’s actually trying to start something. Thankfully, my boss didn’t take that seriously or try to use it against me. Even though it didn’t actually do whatever it was that she was intending to do with that, a part of me wanted to confront and tell her that maybe she should be putting more effort and energy into actually doing her job well instead of what I was talking about with one of the employees of the building… emphasis on employees. (Just trying to keep it honest)
I just kind of shook it off and just left it alone because at the end of the day, I’m still good. Nothing happened with the stupid comment.
It’s the end of the day and I decided I wanted to read Psalm 27. I’ve read it before, but there’s a specific verse that I love and when I read the full chapter again I fell in love with the whole thing. There’s this specific verses that reminded me of something God spoke to me a long time ago and I think maybe like me you may forget it from time to time. It says this:
“Now teach me all about your ways and tell me what to do. Make it clear for me to understand, for I am surrounded by waiting enemies. Don’t let them defeat me, Lord.
You can’t let me fall into their clutches! They keep accusing me of things I’ve never done
while they plot evil against me. Yet I totally trust you to rescue me one more time,
so that I can see once again how good you are while I’m still alive!”Psalm 27:11-13 (TPT)
Our first instinct a lot of times can be to try to defend ourselves. Sometimes as we try to prove that what they say isn’t true, we show a side of us that isn’t pretty. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t speak up when there are injustices happening. I’m just saying we do what is in our hands to do, but the rest is up to God. It’s in his hands.
If we trust Him like we all say we do then we have to leave it in His hands… even when it may feel like our ship is about to sink. You know what the awesome part is? In that same chapter, verse 14 it says “[…] Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting– For He will never disappoint you!” Enfasis on the never (yes, even more emphasis on that word).
Sometimes we think that the way God works is the same as ours. We have this idea in our minds of what our lives should look like, but then we lose our jobs, our homes, our loved ones, and we tell God “Why would you do this to me? Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t you just have shown them the truth? or Why couldn’t you have healed them?” It’s not that God brings tragedies or pain to our lives, that’s the product of the enemy, of sin. God uses our most difficult and painful moments for His glory. I can say that for certain today.
It sucks in the moment. It feels like you can’t escape, like every wave is hitting you from every direction, or even like you are going to drown… but He didn’t let Peter drown as he was walking towards Him, and He certainly isn’t going to let you drown. He’ll pull you out of the water, even when you feel like you are in too deep, and He’ll calm the storms around you every. single. time.
He’s your father and nothing like the one you had or you wish you had. He’s better than that. So even when those around you whisper lies, trust in the one that placed you in that position in the first place. Whatever door is opened or closed by God, can’t be closed or opened by anyone, but Him. It’s hard in the moment because you may not understand why it’s happening, but to trust Him means that even when I don’t understand and it hurts, I trust my Abba (who is good) to take care of me and to move forward may mean to let go of questions you have about what’s going on and trust that He’s working all that for your good.
Reading that verse one last time for the day, I overlooked something important. David wasn’t talking about just one difficult moment or one person that was making his life difficult. He was talking about multiple occasions that God already delivered Him from in the past, and all David was saying was God you did it in the past for me, would you do it again? Sometimes when it’s a little hard to digest a verse like this, we may need to look back on occasions we thought we were goners and how God stepped in. If you don’t have any experience in that, talk to other people that are following Jesus or look at Bible stories were God stepped in for believers. There are many many examples.
God,
I thank you so much for having our backs. Thank you because no matter who or what comes against us, you are there with us and we can trust you and your goodness. We can trust who you are. I pray that if any of us have still not seen your goodness, the good father you are, Holy Spirit open their eyes and understanding to see it. Show them how awesome you really are. Thank you for reminding us of your goodness and how you fight for us every day.
Amen.
The Search For His Heart 