Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 / 2 Thessalonians 2 / Psalm 84 / Proverbs 25:15
Have you ever walked through a dark season that seemed to sap all strength and hope from your soul? I would say you have because all of us face such seasons. I wish it weren’t so, but it is part of living on planet earth to experience suffering of various kinds. Some suffering is light and manageable, and some suffering has the potential to completely wreck one’s soul. I pray the latter never happens to you.
I have been through several seasons that threatened to wreck my soul and my faith, but God has faithfully been with me through them all. There was a season in early 2018 that caused me to consider walking away from fellowship with other Jesus followers. We had been deeply wounded by those we had been with for many years, and I remember telling my husband that if this was how the body of Christ treated one another I was done.
Thankfully neither my husband nor my Savior would allow me to walk away. And deep in my heart I knew better. I simply needed time to forgive and heal. I’ve been walking that healing journey since then and I have grown by leaps and bounds because I did not give up. I did not allow what I now see as an attempt of the enemy to derail me to take hold. God is faithful.
As I read in Psalm 84 today, I was blessed by these words that I’ve read many times. I was reminded why I stay on this path that God drew me to, placed me on, and continues to give me grace to walk. I’m here because of Jesus Christ. I began because of Him; I stay because of Him, and I will finish because of Him. I’m so thankful that He is the One who keeps me!
Psalm 84:5-7 How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring.They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.
When we’re feeling anger, depression, sadness, hopelessness, or any other emotion that would attempt to derail us from God’s path, we must remember that we find our strength in the Lord. We find strength not just for today, but to continue all of life’s journey until we see God face to face in His holy city, our true eternal home.
That highway of holiness is referred to in this way in the New Living Translation: who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We have left our home, heaven, and are now traveling through earth as a pilgrimage toward our home once again. When our hearts are fixed on and thinking about heaven, our journey is filled with God’s grace and spiritual provision.
The path will be rocky and difficult at times, but we will grow stronger with every step forward. Most would experience going from strength to weakness as they traveled, but that is not so with God as our source of life, hope and strength. With God our strength increases.
This thought process reminds me of Caleb in the Old Testament. Caleb was 85 years old before he was given his land inheritance in the Promised Land. At the age of 85 Caleb defeated the giants that were in his land, and he settled down to live the rest of his life. Scripture doesn’t tell us how long Caleb lived but based on the account in Joshua 15:14 Caleb was strong and powerful even at 85 years old! I want to be like Caleb!
Based on the verses in Psalm 84 I have the potential to be stronger and stronger as my days go by. I’ll take it! What about you? Would you like to become stronger instead of weaker as you live out the rest of your days? Evidently it is a possibility. I bet it has to do with digging deep to find a pleasant pool when others are finding only pain. That sounds like Kingdom perspective to me.
In wrapping up, we can find Kingdom perspective by reading the Bible, praying and being in relationship with Jesus Christ, and by keeping ourselves in community with other Jesus followers. Yes, I have concluded that is best and God has blessed me with an amazing community of Jesus lovers! This is not an easy task, but it is doable. So, the next time life feels hard, dig deep, and find the Lord’s pool of Grace so that you can gain new strength.
