There's a place along the road side where many stop to rest. Too many often focus on their tiredness, the weariness of their soul, and the condition of their lungs gasping for a moment of air. They get there after running a great distance and physically being forced to stop by the way side for a break. Others, well, they get there through their life's journey. The hard times just seem to carry them away and before long, they too come to this place where it all stops and now they wait.
It's in this place that I stop to tell you that it is not a place for giving up or slowing down. Allowing your feet to bring you to this stop in the road doesn't mean you've failed or have lost faith. I like to imagine that this place where so many of us come for a break is a place called, "Strength". It is a place where we have no choice but to surrender completely and trust God through our situations. It's when no one but God, or only a chosen few know our pain, our struggles, our battles and our secrets. This place called Strength is a place where many of us come to but we don't know how to embrace the arms that wait to hold us while we cry.
God is our strength, our refuge and our help, a help in this present moment, no matter what you and I are going through. We listen to preaching after preaching, read the Word and even pray, but it is when we completely stop running, going our own way and stop going through the motions of what it looks like to be a true Christian or child of God, that we can be quiet enough- in our tired state- to listen, to breathe His presence deep into ours, and find what we need.
I recognize that I need the Lord. I need Him every moment. Even when I think that because I've made a decision to live for Christ that I'm ok in my current state, I need to come closer to God, and closer, and draw nearer to Him. I can't live life without the Lord! I can't be a mother to my kids and I can't even comfort my children without God's love, true love deep inside my heart. I can't be a good friend or a good administrator if I don't recognize that I need to find ways to allow life's journey to lead me to the Lord.
God is leading us to a place called Strength. He is present to fill us if we will acknowledge our need for Him. If we allow all the other voices to lose their volume and concentrate on Holy Spirit to pour into our lives then we will hear Him say, "I am with you. I will strengthen you. I will bless you. I am present to heal you and restore you."
Lord. Lead my feet to your presence. In You alone I find my peace, my refuge, and my hope. You give me courage to hold on and push forward when my body wants to give up. You give me strength to walk a little farther when my muscles cry out for pause. You dare me to believe and stand upon your promises when my mind challenges me to focus on what is going wrong around me and not keep my eyes on Your Glory.
A place called Strength. I pray you get there and sit with the Lord for a while. You will never be the same. It is where I get encouraged, renewed and so many ideas for things to come. It is where I receive life giving water and the ability to walk in His Love.
Be blessed in Jesus Name. Today and always. Love you all.
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