Walking Through The Valley of Despair

My daughter  has been on my heart a lot this morning, so I thought I would share. If I seem too open, it’s okay, this is me, and life in this world is always real. Jesus didn’t promise that we will have no pain and no sorrow, in fact, if someone preaches blessings and prosperity in this world with no pain or no trials, RUN! Run the other way, because they are preaching another gospel,  a false gospel!

The one true Shepherd of my soul, the living Jesus who has risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and His written word, tells me I will suffer and I will be tested and tried. He also said that there will be pain, but through it all, Jesus is with me and always close.  If we were to remain on the mountain top and never suffer in the valleys, then we would be less likely to rely on Jesus.

These [trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:7

My daughter called me last night and wanted to talk about some personal things. They struck close to my heart, reminding me of my own pain at her age and the pain of a broken family. A very similar and an all too familiar memories and emotions started to spring up within my heart about my own Father. I listened and was still as she shared forth with me, some resentments she has about her father, my ex husband.

While she was sharing forth, the Lord was reminding me of this: not to share forth about the negatives of your own childhood, to not let my flesh stand in the way, to not give into the flesh, to not speak evil of, but to comfort and to nurture. I needed to get my daughter’s eyes to look on the good, and not the negative, to be thankful for the good things and to focus on them,  and above all, to forgive, forgive, forgive, to take her resentments and grudges to the Lord and to give it all to Him.

I told her the resentments would eat at her and gnaw away, hardening her heart and that Jesus can carry what she cannot, to look on the good of what her father has done and to be thankful for those things. We are to tell our children, to teach them in the right way to go, to share with them Jesus, to nurture and to love and to always try to see how Jesus sees. Jesus’ arms are way bigger than yours and mine and He truly knows best.

I remember years ago, the Lord revealing to me that I was in the way of Him doing a good work in my children. I needed to let go and let Him be Lord, not me. The Lord reminds me often of this.  We suffered and we had pain, but He brought us through it and my pain finally caused me to look up and to cry out to the only ONE that could help me.

I can’t take her pain away, just as no person could take mine away growing up, not even now. The tribulations and sufferings caused and continuously cause me to go to the One I know can take them away and He, JESUS, can carry them if I cast all of my cares, fears and worries upon HIM and don’t pick them up again.

The Lord is doing an awesome work in my kids and I praise Him for it. I share with them true life experiences and what Jesus has done for me and is still doing within and around me. They are true witnesses of the goodness of God and this they know is a truth they cannot doubt, for He has revealed Himself to them,  many times.

Standing in the gap for our loved ones and believing what we pray is very powerful. We should pray with no fear, but believe what we pray, when we pray for our kids, and others. What a truly awesome God we  serve. He is Faithful and ever True! When we step back and allow the Lord to do His perfect and good will, amazing and wonderful things take place.

It’s a process, and Jesus knows best and I can know, trust, and believe that with all of my heart, soul, and mind. If I spent all my time worrying about my kids, How could I ever be of a good use to the Lord? It’s amazing when we let go, it truly is. I can walk in the Lords peace even amidst sorrow, pain, trials and testings. By the time we got off the phone, my daughter had let go, much peace had rested upon her and she was now able to go to bed and rest in Jesus, blessed and comforting arms.

Thought For The Day

If we can’t praise the Lord and tell of His goodness in the valley, then we are not looking at it in the right way and our focus is not on Jesus, but on ourselves. Nor can we honestly help those who are in the valley of despair and point them to the one who can help them. JESUS!

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6