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This time your heart said it's had enough
Through the past few weeks of struggling
with set backs and general stress of life, there have been some themes, songs,
and scriptures that God keeps bringing back to me. When there are things that I
have that sure feeling that it is from Him, I get so excited and want to share,
and I feel like that is what He wants us to do.
"As for us, we cannot help speaking
about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20
For a long time I've liked to do Bible
studies with songs and how they relate to my life and draw on scripture, and I
can end up going so much farther than a simple devotion, learning so much! The
words of music can be so uplifting, too. So I want to take what has touched my
heart and life through songs and scripture lately and share it for anyone else
who may need some encouragement from it as well.
by Calling Glory
This time your heart said it's had enough
Sick and tired of everything that's so
messed up
...praying hard somehow that your life
will change
When you feel like you don't know what to
do
Stuck inside this maze you can't go
through
...these walls around you are caving in
And your life seems like it is wearing
thin
Your hope is drowning in despair
Looks like you're not going anywhere
Step inside this heart and then you'll see
Such a love that is so amazing
...Don't give up
Help is surely on its way
Don't give up
The dark is breaking in today
Just keep on moving through these storms
Soon enough you'll find the door
Just
don't give up
This song came on my playlist one morning as
the first one shuffled while I was doing core. It’s an older song, but
considering “don’t give up” was something I had had to keep telling myself
through these toughest days, it was fresh for the time. It has seemed like it
is one thing after another, and I didn’t know how much more I could take. I
want change, but I don’t know when or what will come. At times I just don’t
know what to do with myself and feel like I can’t break out of whatever the
issue at hand is. One day, I really began to lose hope in my future like I may
never get to enjoy the things I love again. I can’t get over these injuries
that are all connected to each other, can’t get my use of time or doing things
on track. But I have to embrace His love that is greater than all my pains and
challenges and not give up. Though some days are dark, there is light of another
day coming. Now I can see, a few days later, that I was in pain and distress,
but I was also so close to my back injury having relief. Now I am in a
different physical pain, but I’ve got to get through this one, too. God may
have relief for this waiting on me soon, too.
What God’s Word says:
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will
be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out of us, fixing
our eyes on Jesus…consider Him who endured such opposition so that you will not
grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
“…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward
in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do
not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not
use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting
forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the
sight of God…for what we preach is not of ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord
and ourselves as servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, ‘Let light shine
out of darkness’…We have this treasure to show that this all-surpassing power is
from God and not us. We are hard-pressed on every side but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but
not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the death of Jesus, that
the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2,
5-10 (***see a note below!)
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting
away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So
we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary; what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“I know that You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”
Job 42:2
“Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, whenever you face
trials of any kind because you know that the testing of your faith produces
perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
“We know that God works all things together for the good of those
who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His
great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil, or fade…In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These
have come so that the genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, honor, and
glory when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you believe
in Him and love Him, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the
salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9
***While many of these passages came to mind right away, this was
one that really jumped out as I began searching.>>Because of God’s mercy,
I have this opportunity to share His goodness, and that is enough to keep me
going! I can turn from lying and deceiving (myself and any others), hiding the
pain that I bring on myself, using God’s power to my own advantage. I must be
true, both for the sake of my own faith and to show the truth to others.
Everything I say and do is because of and for God, not myself. I am useless and
selfish on my own. My purpose is to serve Christ and others and to bring Him
glory. He is and wants us to also be the lights shining into darkness. All the
good things that happen, possessions, experiences, feelings, blessings, etc.
are all gifts from God to be used to show His power. I did not get here by my
own efforts. At times it feels like everything is caving in on me, but I do not
get crushed. I get confused and discouraged, but I am never without something
to cling to. Outside people and circumstances may work against me, but Christ
never leaves me. I’m never alone. He is always there and always sends me
reminders of His promises. I get knocked down, but I am never done for good. Each
day I ought to walk as one displaying Christ and what He has done so that the
life-saving message may be seen through whatever I do.
