Mounting With Wings

“The Lord gives strength to His people, the Lord blesses His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11. It’s another beautiful promise. BUT, how do I apply promises like that to my life on days when I’m barely holding on? I have to admit, sometimes I don’t do so well and don’t feel very peaceful.

But, I’ve sometimes found it helpful to break the bonds of doom and gloom through the “3 P’s”: Praise, Promises and Prayer. (I touched on this in a previous blog post, “A Hole to Crawl In.”)

PRAISE: At times I may feel jealous of others who are still doing all the many things I used to enjoy doing, like perhaps when I see a picture of a family member on a mission trip. But when I start to feel sad I immediately try to shift my focus to praising God for all the many times I WAS able to go on mission trips and other adventures. I can also praise Him that even though I can no longer go and do many things, others still can.

PROMISES: His promises have become so precious to me. On one especially long, discouraging “stop” in the night when Kevin was trying his best to get me comfortable, but to no avail, I randomly started playing some Bible promises that I have typed out and saved on my eyegaze computer. It was amazing how just hearing them helped to dispel the clouds of despondency over us.

I’m convinced that we need to read and claim God’s promises more! They are there to help us like a lighthouse on stormy seas and we so often just try to navigate through our difficulties on our own.

PRAYER: God wants us to come to Him with real conversation and talk to Him as a friend. My communication is slow and tedious with everyone in my life except my loving Savior. I can pour out my heart to Him in my mind. Sometimes He gets an earful from me as I unload on Him, but He’s big enough to be patient with my occasional tantrums.

“The soul that loves God, loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him. When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken; for satan can not abide near the soul that draws nigh to God. ” Our High Calling p. 96.

However, there are pits of discouragement we may fall into that appear so deep it seems nearly impossible to see light enough to do the “Three P’s”. I’ve had some days like that recently, after difficult nights of struggle, when my clouded mind could barely look up.

On those days it may be helpful to not try and think, but perhaps listen to some soft, uplifting music and just rest in His arms as this song beautifully vocalizes. Link The following quote has really encouraged my heart lately:

“He feels every pain of anguish that His loved ones feel. Just rest in His arms, and know that He is your Savior, and your very best friend, and that He will never leave nor forsake you. He has been your dependence for many years, and your soul may rest in Him… All you are expected to do is to rest in His love. Do not worry. Jesus loves you, and now when you are weak and suffering, He holds you in His arms, just as a loving father holds a little child. Trust in Him whom you have believed. Has He not loved and cared for you all through your lifetime?… That your mind is clouded is no evidence that Christ is not your precious Savior.” This Day With God, October 31.

I’m so thankful for the blessings of praise, promises and prayer and that on those especially hard days when we’re barely holding on, our loving Savior doesn’t condemn us, but tenderly carries us in His arms.