I tossed and turned; restlessness governed my sleep. All of my dreams seemed to lead me to the edge of a cliff where I would suddenly jerk and wake up before plummeting to my death. My spirit quaked beneath the burdens of my heart.
About four o'clock in the morning, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to get up and pray. I called on the Name of Jesus. Nothing more. I was so worn out from the struggle, I no longer had the words to pray. Our merciful and gracious Lord led me to Isaiah 50:
"The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught ... Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God" (Isaiah 50:4, 10 NIV).
Isaiah refers to God as the Sovereign Lord. Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus lists the following synonyms for sovereign: authority, absolute, commanding, effectual, guiding, highest, majestic, reigning, ruling, and supreme. God wanted to teach me something about His character. He instructed me to add some of these words as adjectives in front of His Name; Absolute Lord, Effectual Lord, Guiding Lord, Supreme Lord, Reigning Lord.
Okay, Lord, You have my attention.
Next I looked up Isaiah 50:10 in The Amplified Bible;
"Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of His Servant, yet who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]? Let him rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God."
The Lord said, Nan, don't listen to the deceiver. He wants you to throw your hands up in defeat. I am the Sovereign Lord. I am absolute. Effectual. Guiding. Supreme. Nothing is too difficult for Me.
I found myself holding that proverbial box again - the box we put God in from time to time. But once again, the Lord wanted to show me His magnificence. He wanted me to take Him out of the box. I realized that I was the one Isaiah was referring to. I love the Lord, I do my best to walk in obedience to Him, and yet I find myself walking in darkness at times, living with a very dim heart. God, through Isaiah, exhorted me to rely upon His Name - that which speaks to the very essence of who He is. He is my Deliverer. My Redeemer. Savior. Mighty God. Counselor. Prince of Peace.
And if He is for me, then who can be against me?
(This Morning Glory post is an excerpt from my upcoming book, The Perils of a Pastor's Wife, releasing on June 30th. You will find this passage in Chapter Eleven, If God Be For Me.)
A Tweetable to Encourage Others
(This
Morning Glory post is an excerpt from my upcoming book, The Perils of a
Pastor's Wife, releasing on June 30th. You will find this passage in
Chapter Eight: The Secret Place Beneath His Wing)
- See more at: http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/#sthash.NNeuK5LZ.dpuf
grace
and love, protected by His armor. Learn creative ways to stand up for
yourself while standing by your man. Feel the blessing of your calling
... as a ministry helper, marriage partner, and mother. Discover how to
respond when all hell breaks loose. - See more at:
http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/#sthash.hLYFXVNH.dpuf
Be empowered to fight spiritual battles with God's grace and love, protected by His armor. Learn creative ways to stand up for yourself while standing by your man. Feel the blessing of your calling ... as a ministry helper, marriage partner, and mother. Discover how to respond when all hell breaks loose. The Perils of a Pastor's Wife will guide you through the calamities of life and restore your confidence in God's purpose and plan for your life and ministry.
The Perils of a Pastor's Wife will connect with you on many levels. My greatest desire is that you, my sister will know that somewhere, somehow, someone knows. You are not alone.
The Perils of a Pastor's Wife
releasing June 30, 2015
To preorder, visit Amazon
(This
Morning Glory post is an excerpt from my upcoming book, The Perils of a
Pastor's Wife, releasing on June 30th. You will find this passage in
Chapter Eight: The Secret Place Beneath His Wing)
- See more at: http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/#sthash.NNeuK5LZ.dpuf
Yes and Amen Nan! This is one of my favorite passages from your book. I love how God speaks so directly and thoroughly to us when we need Him most. And when we feel most overwhelmed He is nearest to us to let us lean into Him and draw strength from Him. Thank you for this reminder. You are loved by God and me :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Marcie girl. And you are loved by me :)
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