Tag: Trusting God

Pray with Thanksgiving Even in Suffering

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It seems that every week I hear of someone else. Someone who is dealing with tremendous pain and suffering. And it’s all right around me. People suffering heavy heartache through deaths of loved ones, young adults living with depression and suicidal thoughts, parents dealing with wayward children, friends suffering serious illnesses, loved ones helplessly watching family members destroy themselves through addiction and mental illness—and these are just a few things that have recently crossed my path. If we were to each write down the names and hardships of the people we know, and then combine them, I’m certain the specific situations would be extensive and the list very, very long.

At times, and sometimes often, life is extremely heavy.

When I read scripture, specifically about suffering and trials, I should not be surprised. The Bible is clear that as followers of Christ we will have suffering, trials, and hardship.

Just a few reminders that I’ve recently read (the emphasis is mine):

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” James 1:2-3

” … you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith … may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19

So if suffering is to be part of my life as a Christ follower, how do I deal with the day in and day out of it all? Read these words from Philippians, chapter four:

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (vv. 6-7)

Pray—Let Your Requests Be Made Know to God 

I don’t know about you, but if I take the time to sit, to be quiet, and to talk to God about what’s troubling me, I really do feel better afterwards. There’s something about being still before my Heavenly Father and telling him what’s on my heart and mind.

Take the time to pray. Don’t mull over in your head again and again the situation of which you have no control. This will cause even more anxiety. When worry, sadness, or other negative thoughts flood your mind again, pray.

Thanksgiving—Be Thankful No Matter What

There are many places in scripture where we are told to be thankful. And even when situations look grim, we are still to be thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 comes to mind (the emphasis is mine):

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

There have been plenty of days this year when I didn’t want to pray, when I didn’t want to sit before my Heavenly Father and tell him about or ask him for anything. Perhaps not the best attitude, yet it’s true. Still on those days or shortly after them, I have tried to remember to say, not my will but yours, Lord Jesus, help me to be thankful.

Am I thankful for the hard circumstance? No. Am I thankful that I have a good Heavenly Father who loves me, wants his best for me, is entirely in control of ALL things no matter what it looks like to me, is working this circumstance for my good and his glory? Yes.

So I will say thank you. Thank you, God, that you are working in me in ways I cannot see nor understand. But because of what I know from your Word about your character, and what I have previously experienced in my life while walking with you, I will say thank you.

The Peace of God—Guarding Our Hearts and Minds

What a great word…peace. Don’t we all want peace in our hearts and minds? A state of tranquility or quiet; a state of security or order; a state of rest; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. These definitions of peace sound really good to me, and these are what I seek based on Philippians 4:6-7.

The peace of God guarding my heart and mind from oppresive thoughts and emotions; giving me rest and security; tranquility, order, and quiet. The peace of God that is difficult to explain because it surpasses all human understanding.

And do you want to know the ironic thing about Philippians 4:6-7? Several years back, our precious John was the first person I remember who pointed out to me the “with thanksgiving” part. I had paraphrased and said the verses to him, and he replied to me something like, “don’t forget the thankful part, Momma”. I went right away and looked up the verses in my Bible, and there it was. It’s easy to skip right over that part, isn’t it? Just pray and get peace? But instead it says to pray with a thankful heart.

Don’t be anxious—instead pray. Pray—but with thanksgiving. Be thankful in submission to God—experience peace that watches over your heart and mind. Peace that many may not understand, but is a glorious supernatural gift from our loving Heavenly Father.

 

Quoted scripture is from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

 

Kept Promises

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Version 3
Photo Credit: John Hall

As I’ve read familiar biblical passages lately, I’ve seen things I’ve never seen before, understood as I’ve never understood before, been comforted like I’ve never been comforted before. I have truly been amazed by how the Lord has been attending to my heart and my every need. This year God has shown Himself faithful to His promises in remarkable and, often times, indescribable ways.

I’m currently reading the book, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow. The first time I read it back in the spring God used it to help me begin to see purpose, when my heart only wanted to ask “why”. The book is full of biblical truth and encouragement, so I’m reading it again and seeing many things I missed the first time around.

Nancy Guthrie, the author, writes about how the Lord allows us to see Him and know Him in deeper ways as we seek Him while walking through great pain, disappointment, and sorrow. She actually calls it an opportunity—“I realized that my sorrow gave me the opportunity to know him (Jesus) with a depth I had not experienced before, in a way I could not have known him without going through deep sorrow myself.” (my emphasis)

So through my pain and sorrow the Lord has put on display the workings of His promises.

  • I’ve run across things I had forgotten about, and have been reminded of things long gone that either dispelled my false thinking or confirmed my right thinking—just when I needed it.
  • Specific bible verses that have helped carry me through the past few years keep showing up in what seem like the most random places.
  • One of the songs we sang at John’s service continues to come on the radio at times when doubt is surfacing or great sadness is overtaking me.

And these are just a few of the things I’ve experienced.

Are these coincidences? I don’t think so.

I believe God wants to let me know in the most obvious of ways that He is near and He knows my pain. He wants to encourage me, comfort me, remind me, and grow me. He wants to show me that His promises are indeed true. The Lord is allowing me to experience Him in a deeper way, all because of my deep sorrow.

In June of 2016, John texted me a picture he had taken of a rainbow (another gift from the Lord that I still have that text). He sent these words with the picture “Beautiful reminder this evening that God keeps His promises…. love you!”

As I look at that text and think back over the past nine plus months, I see incredible evidence of God’s kept promises. He is the one who never lies, never changes His mind, never waivers in His word. He is the ultimate Promise Keeper.

John believed the promises of God. I do, too. I have seen these promises fulfilled before me in remarkable ways. Has this journey been easy? No. Do I really look at it as an “opportunity” to know God in a deeper way? Yes… but… I have to choose to see it this way. And it doesn’t come naturally nor does it come easily. It is a work in progress. I am a work in progress.

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

Psalm 119:49-50

 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

 

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.

2 Corinthians 1:20

Quoted scripture is from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

Sustained by the Sustainer

Linda1 Comment

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Over the last several weeks, I’ve been reflecting on how the Lord has abundantly and powerfully shown Himself to be strong on our behalf this year. October 7th marked nine months since John went to heaven. Seems like it’s been such a long time. But by God’s measure of time, John is just getting started.

As I’ve reflected, the word sustain has struck me anew.  I’ve been reading scripture that speaks of the Lord sustaining His children. This made me want to look more deeply into the meaning of the word. And here’s a bit of what I found:

  • to support, hold up
  • to endure without giving way or yielding
  • to keep up or keep going

A few synonyms and similar phrases:

  • brace; bear; carry; defend; feed; maintain; preserve; uphold; keep alive; keep from falling

These are strong, substantial words and phrases to define the word sustain.

People ask me from time to time, how are you doing? And I appreciate this so much because it reminds me that they still remember and are praying for us. My answer to that question is usually something like, doing OK; it’s a long process; the Lord has been faithful.

But He’s been so much more than just faithful. He has been my faithful Sustainer. The very air I breathe.

He has supported me and held me up when I’ve felt I couldn’t stand. He has helped me endure when I’ve wanted to give up. He has defended me against the lies of the enemy when I’ve wanted to believe them. He has fed me with His Word, preserved me, kept me alive, and kept me from falling away when my faith has been weak.

Yes, He has been my Sustainer. He is my Sustainer.

Another definition of sustain is—to undergo, experience, or suffer an injury, loss, etc.

According to what I’ve read in books and heard from other parents who have lost children, the death of a child is one of the most difficult of all losses. A friend who lost her son several years ago, and then more recently lost her husband told me, you always know there’s a chance that you will outlive your spouse, but you never expect to outlive your child.

Perhaps child loss is the greatest, it has certainly been the most difficult loss I’ve faced so far. But regardless, Robert and I have sustained a tremendous loss.

So as He would have it, our Sustainer God is sustaining his children who have sustained a great loss. Such a play on words, but it’s true.

He’s upholding, preserving, feeding, carrying, supporting, and maintaining those who belong to Him who are suffering and carrying a heavy weight. He’s not only doing this for me, He’s also doing it for you, brother or sister in Christ.

So I encourage you to call out to Him, lean into Him, and walk in His strength as He upholds you. Let the Word of the Lord remind you anew of your great Sustainer… (the emphasis below is mine)

Forty years you (God) sustained them (the Israelites) in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.  

Nehemiah 9:21

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.

Psalm 3:5

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

(The Lord)…will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 1:8

Quoted scripture is from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

Be Strong & Courageous

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When you see someone you love hurting themselves, what is your natural instinct? It should be to stop them and to show them another way, right? But what do you do when that person won’t stop, when that person won’t change?

Many times John told me that he did not want to do the things he was doing or be the way he was as far as his addiction. He would be broken hearted over the hurt he had brought to his dad and me. He would be broken hearted over the life he was living. Yet time after time he would go to rehab and get clean, only to relapse again.

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Today’s the Day—Tomorrow May Never Come

Linda8 Comments

Once someone has left this life it’s too late to do those things you wanted to do and say those things you wanted to say.

The night before John went to heaven, there was something I wish I had done, but I told myself I would tell him about it later. It was an insignificant thing, but still something I wish I had not put off.

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Trusting God Is a Choice

Linda12 Comments

While praying through whether or not to actually write this blog, and if I decided to go through with it, I wanted to choose a name that would have meaning and would resonate with readers. So why “Waiting with Hope”?

Back in 2008, when John’s struggle with addiction had so overtaken our family, I was working through a Bible study that took me to Psalm 27. I had possibly read this Psalm at some point prior to this particular day, but on this day when I read verses 13 and 14, the words jumped off the page and gripped my heart.

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Cry Out to the Lord    

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The Wednesday before John’s physical death, Robert was out of town on a business trip. I was sitting on the sofa in our living room, where I usually sit when reading my Bible and praying, and I had a come-apart. This was certainly not the first time I had met with and prayed to the Lord in desperation, but this particular morning the weight of the journey of John’s depression and addiction was exceptionally heavy.

I read some, prayed some, cried some, and then began all over again for quite a long time. Near the end of my time with the Lord I was completely overwhelmed and cried out loud that this weight was too much to bear—“how much longer Lord will we have to watch our son destroy himself through drug addiction? How much longer, Lord? I don’t think I can bear this heartache and pain for even one more day.” I desperately pleaded with the Lord to intervene, to free John from the chains of addiction. But the Lord was once again silent—as He seemingly had been for years.

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