Looking Back
on the Labyrinth of Afflictions.
II Corinthians 1: 1 - 6.
God comforts us in our afflictions.God delivers us from all of our afflictions.
And we bless Him for both comfort & deliverance.
Quiet this conscience of mine in this affliction in which I sit.
Calm the raging passions flooding my mind with how I think it should be.
One of the most unbelievable experiences I have had was when II Corinthians 1:8-10 happened to me. I was burdened excessively, beyond my strength, so that I despaired even of life. A troubled childhood, violence, gang rape, addictions, miscarriages, and then it happened---burdened excessively. January 13, 2006. "Indeed [I] had the sentence of death within so that I would not trust in [myself] but in God Who raises the dead." II Cor. 1:8-9, He did! He raised me up from the dead. I didn't think I was going to make it through. Oh! Make no mistake, He raised me up to life that I've never known. More alive than I've ever been. More aware of the sin within than ever and I now know how to handle even that by His Grace. It's called "The Great Divide." [Oswald Chambers] I have set my hope on God, not on this world. And He will YET deliver me even more.
Oh! What a Beautiful God! I wouldn't trade what I went through for anything. It was so God working good in my life. Always.
"God produces a providential crisis where we have to decide---FOR or AGAINST, and from that point the "Great Divide" begins. If the crisis has come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely and irrevocably." Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest January 1.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
It was You, O God, who split open the sea by your power. Psalm 74:13. The Great Divide. It is You, O God, splitting open this chapter with Hope in the midst of this turmoil. Thank you for the great divides in our lives. Thank You!
Joining with you Bev in thanking Him for the Great Divides in our lives. I have also had several Red Sea experiences and am sure there will be more to come. I am still alive, so no reason to assume that He will not put more in my life and of course, He will be there to part the waters and see me through. One of my longest and toughest Great Divides started the same week yours did in 06. Things started to drastically change in my husband's law office and my mother in law had to be moved from her home (two hours from here) and admitted to a Psych Hospital for a month. Will spare you all the details for they are not important, but what is important that He started another work in my life and brought me to my knees over and over the next eighteen months to two years. I find that He is still doing a work and dividing me now........and I am asking Him for eyes of Faith and not the physical eyes that want to see the answers fleshed out before me and give me my security. My trials are miniscule compared to yours and others that I know of but they were tailored for me and they are hard for me. He is faithful and they are truly a momentary, light affliction and I know this in my head and partially in my heart.......just so desire for my heart to catch up and really KNOW it....I can not offer you words of comfort Bev, for my affliction was nowhere near as big as yours was in 06 and has continued to today, but I do understand pain of having a Great Divide and Red Sea and know as you do that He is always faithful and I am counting on what He did in the past to be done again as I fall on my face and ask for forgiveness of being faint of heart Surrendering our will to His is one of the hardest things to do and I find the words to the song..Prone to wander Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.....they are so true at so many points during my days and weeks. How I do NOT want to be that way.
ReplyDeleteHe has taught me so much that I can share with others. Oh, what a Savior.
Prayed for your young friends family and for you Bev as you mourn his passing from your presence. Oh, what a blessed Christmas he will have. How glorious for him. How hard for those left behind.
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ReplyDeleteYou have taught me so much through trial and storm, Mary Lou and Bev. Our stories are to His Glory, aren't they! He parts the waters, and we land upright when we fall on our face before Him. We stand on our Ebenezer Stones of remembrance, knowing "Thus far, the Lord has helped us." Amen? Certainly true for me, as well. And soon, spring is coming...
ReplyDeleteYou know, I shouldn't have said the last part--we really don't have the promise of spring. But we do have the promise of a Sweet Savior Who abides and accompanies us through it all.
DeleteWell maybe I meant a spring of new life and that is a promise which we can count on! Okay, I'll stop...Love you both so much!
ReplyDeleteSpring cometh...
ReplyDeletewe just know not when...
Oh Mary Lou, you make me smile way down deep. Beauty pours from your heart. You know, there's no way to measure our suffering. We would all be silenced by Job's troubles. All suffering, trials, hardships are just that. And we do not know how much it will hurt or cost in this life. But we do know that these present light afflictions are no match for the Glory to come. No Match. We leave it all to Him. And you do that so beautifully trusting broken and humble.
ReplyDeleteThank you for praying for my precious friend Lisa. This is the second child she has lost. She lost her precious Jonathon at 18 months. Oh, the unbelievable pain a mom carries for those we have lost and for those we hold. We are just shaken deeply for Lisa. She's a vivacious, giving, loving, extravagant lover. And Chandler---how I loved that boy. He entered a room with charisma, charm, and character. And he was a character. He could make anyone laugh. He loved wacky wild adventure. Never a dull moment when he was around. Full of joy and courage and love for God and the world he touched. Precious precious boy. And you're right. He's about to have the best Christmas of his life!
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