unrest

Sunday, December 19, 2010 (6:22 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Blessed Lord, Precious Lord, My Lord, Our Lord, THE Lord, thank You! Thank You for all of the unrest in my soul yesterday. Unrest that indeed led to a greater dependence on You.

Thank You Lord that in the midst of such agonizing self-examination Your Truth prevailed. You stood victorious as Lord and Master of my life. Thank You Lord for Your Word as truth that truly sets us free (John 8:32). Free of ourselves. Free from self-imposed prisons of false beliefs.

Lord, it took until very early this morning for me to realize that whatever was causing the unrest of my soul yesterday it was that I wasn’t feeling loved. In the past I have looked for ways to fill that void. Anger comes immediately to mind, because as a therapist told me many years ago “It’s easy.”

What a challenge it was for me not to turn to the addictions of my past in an attempt to bypass the pain of feeling unimportant. Thank You Lord for the struggle through which I grew just a little bit stronger.

Even as I came out here this morning expecting to go directly to Ephesians 4:15 and thanking You for another lesson in ‘speaking the truth in love’, You veered me to considering the unrest that brought me there in the first place.

Your Word is a treasure trove Lord. With the various translations and paraphrases at my disposal I get to jump in with both feet and splash around. Thank You Lord. Thank You for teaching me that there is far more to Your Word than my own interpretation of it. Thank You for the two verses that resonate with me most this morning.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of his fruitless attempts to warn the people of Judah to turn from their sin and denial. He was faithful to You Lord despite being ignored, rejected, imprisoned and abused. Thank You for his example of faithfulness Lord. Thank You for his willingness to speak Your message to Babylon (chapter 50). “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is His name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that He may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.’” (vs. 33-34 NIV)

Thank You Lord for reminders such as this of Your strength, Your might, Your vigor. Thank You as well for the ‘trouble and unrest everywhere’ You caused (2 Chronicles 15:6) that ultimately brings all of us to a point when we have to face ourselves. Thank You Lord for the courage yesterday to not turn and run away from the struggle at hand but to face it head-on. Looking again and again to You for the strength and power to ride it out.

Thank You Lord for all You are teaching us. I love You so much. Be with us again this day as we seek to do Your will. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(531 words ~ 8:32 a.m.)