But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
The Lord laid these verses on my heart this last
week, and at first I was scared. “What is
he preparing me for??” were my profound thoughts on the subject. I began to
briefly imagine what he could be preparing me for, and it scared me.
But on one night this week, I suddenly felt myself overwhelmed by exhaustion. I had been running and running, pouring my heart and soul and body into ministry with minimal rest and almost literally no introvert time. I spent one night at home during the week, and as I set my alarm at 1:36 in the morning for five o’clock, it was inevitable that I should inadvertently fall back asleep. I was exhausted, and I missed being home with my family and my books and my instrumental music, and I missed working out and having long talks with my dad and eating food that doesn’t make me feel terrible. In addition, it seemed that everyone had an opinion about my life, and I was a little pulled in a million different directions and opinions.
But on one night this week, I suddenly felt myself overwhelmed by exhaustion. I had been running and running, pouring my heart and soul and body into ministry with minimal rest and almost literally no introvert time. I spent one night at home during the week, and as I set my alarm at 1:36 in the morning for five o’clock, it was inevitable that I should inadvertently fall back asleep. I was exhausted, and I missed being home with my family and my books and my instrumental music, and I missed working out and having long talks with my dad and eating food that doesn’t make me feel terrible. In addition, it seemed that everyone had an opinion about my life, and I was a little pulled in a million different directions and opinions.
And suddenly, in the midst of my
unsettled thoughts, I suddenly felt the sweetest revelation deep in my soul.
I can rest in my Jesus.
It wasn’t a passing comfort. It wasn’t
a desperate plea for anyone or anything to temporarily fill the doubts and emptiness.
It was Christ. I suddenly rested in
him, in his outstretched arms. He so delights in me; his excitement when I run
to his peace and rest is more than my heart can fathom. I journaled in the dark
later that night:
More than anything else, I need Christ. I need his love &
his comfort & his refuge, because tonight I am broken & afraid &
confused & alone & exhausted, and I want to go home. I want my home,
& maybe tonight, my being is crying out to go to my true home, where there
will be no more tears, & he will wipe away every hurt & I will see face
to face the One who carries me. In this moment, in the fire, through the water:
my Jesus carries me. He hides me in his refuge & whispers his love to my
heart. It’s going to be okay. More than anything, I have Christ.
I don’t know what your story is. But I
do know that he will carry you. You will not always feel it, but that’s okay,
because Christ’s love is more than a feeling. It is a truth, and you can
eternally rest in the fact that he is carrying you through the water and the
fire.
Oh my dearest friends, will you rest in that? ♡♡♡
