Weeping May Endure For A Night

Issue 9          [February 21, 2010]

     How many times have we gone thru, what we felt was, the Valley of the Shadow of Death? How many times when we were in the middle of the valley, and it felt like there was no hope in sight and we were seemingly in the middle of the ocean going down for the last time? We felt like we had surpassed the breaking point. Can you count the tears that you have shed over the loss of a loved one, a financial burden, some form of personal persecution, or just simply going thru some growing pains in the Lord?

     For just a minute I want you to look back at that time in your life, no matter how painful it may still be for you, and just for a minute, put your self back inside and feel the anguish, loneliness and the despair and all the hopelessness that you had felt.

     Ok, now I want you to look back at the very moment when you received your deliverance. Think of how overwhelmed you were with joy, gladness, and how those feelings of relief were, just knowing that you were thru your valley and instantaneously had been transported to the mountaintop.

     It is easy to relive those times now because you know the outcome of those trials and you can remove yourself from those painful memories just like that. The hard thing to do is “simply hold on” when you are in the heat of the battle and you are trying to encourage yourself.

     Many times in our life we have to endure hardships because they may be there for several reasons. From giving God glory, to spiritual growth, to bringing it upon ourselves, and so on. I don’t want to focus on why we face trials and valleys but the survival skills needed to endure them.

     I realize that when you’re reading this, you may find this to be elementary and things you pretty much know but as the old saying, “Repetition Is The Key To Learning” we will just recap what you probably already know.

     Lets just jump right on in to the valley. Picture if you will, here you are in the middle of a valley. You have been fighting for a little while now. You are tired and very sore. It can make you aggravated sometimes. You may feel the urge to bite someone’s head off. Even your dear pastor can smile and give you words of encouragement but you are so sore from the battle, you are ready to snap his head off.

    

     Please remember that this is flesh and it may feel normal to feel this way sometimes, but its never profitable to act upon them. See Satan’s tactics for what they are and cut them down accordingly.

     You will feel all manner of emotions and they will come flooding your heart in different waves. Do your best to handle them to the best of your ability.

     In the carnal world, I have found that being backed into a corner will bring out your animal instincts. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you are faced with self preservation. This is the nastiest of the nasty. In the spiritual realm it can be the best of the best. Channel this self preservation, use it with Godly wisdom, and let that Devil have it right between the eyes!

     When you are in the heat of the battle, you can call for reinforcements. If you will find you a place to escape in your mind, close your eyes, focus on God, and begin to call out to him. His ear is not heavy that he can not hear and his arm is not short that he can not reach out to you. When you are praying, go into thanksgiving and work your way into praise. Thanksgiving is about what God has done for you. The centerpiece is you but when you praise God it is focused on Him. If we can get our mind off US and on HIM.

     We can not only see reinforcements heading in our direction but our mentality will be changed also. Thanksgiving and Praise is like tithes and offerings. Thanksgiving is what you owe God, but praise is what you give God.

     We can find that He will prepare a table for us before our enemies. We can celebrate and praise God almighty in the very midst of our problem. We can find hope in the middle of hopelessness, we can find encouragement in the middle of despair. We can find joy in the middle of sorrow, and we can find victory in the middle of the battle.

     I feel like that most of our survival skills are about remembering. One of Satan’s best tactics is for us to forget what God has done for us, and that we will only focus on the here and now. He’ll tell you that God doesn’t care, no one else cares, you are all alone, you’ll never make it out alive, you’re going to fail, and you’re no Christian, You have messed up and this is God punishing you. so on and so on! Take it for what it is. . A lie from Hell! Throw it back at him and keep on for truckin‘ for Jesus.

     Endurance, determination, and persistence is another key to our survival. “It is pretty hard to destroy a man with a real incentive to succeed“.  - Author unknown. This is where being stubborn and bull-headed can become a true asset for you. If you are determined to survive then you can make it thru to the other side.

      If I can  deliver to you that which I wish, it would be this thought. Tell yourself, I am NOT going down. I will fight the fight with the last breath I have. I may not come out unscathed but I WILL come out.

     One of Davids mighty men, the Bible speaks that his sword clave to his hand. Friend, do you realize how much blood of his enemy was shed, that blood dried on his hand and clave to his sword?! Wasn’t it a man named Shammah that stood in the middle of a lentil field and said NO MORE! I will draw my last breath on the field of battle but you shall not intimidate me, NO MORE! (I am paraphrasing in my own words).

     When you feel that you have nothing to lose, then you have nothing to hold you back. Some of histories bigest mistakes on the battlefield was when the enemy oppressed the underdog and pushed him into a corner.

     Repetition is the key to learning so keep scripture in you head at all times. Keep a song in your heart at all times, Get you an Attitude Of Gratitude, praise God thru all things and I assure you, you’ll find that . .  Joy Comes In The Morning!

     I am still the least in my tribe when it comes to discussing these things but I made a promise to God so take it up with him! Ha ha I don’t have all the answers by no means. I’m not sure what the questions are sometimes, and I may not know what tomorrow holds but thank God I know who holds tomorrow!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scripture For Your Basket:

Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

2Samuel 23:8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

2Sa 23:9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 2Samuel 23:10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

2Samuel 23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 2 Samuel23:12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory

Lk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Jn 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Editors Comments:

   To my knowledge, Mr. Webster has the largest vocabulary known to man, but even Mr. Webster could not stand in our shoes and tell with words of the greatness of God. Many times I just stand in HIS presence in AWE, and with no words worthy of Him, I simply proclaim with tears what my soul tries to say. So many times I stand with fear and trepidation and just Basque in His glory.

      I have found, the more I glorify Him, the more he blesses me. The less I make myself out to be, the more he lifts me up! I don't know about you, but when I think about Joy coming in the morning, it just makes me want to shout an do a little jig! I'm looking for the rapture, listening for the trumpet!

    I also wish to dedicate this to a good friend of mine who is facing a hardship. Remember that ALL things work together for the good . . . and (I'm here for you) sincerely, brother J