Trading my sorrows
These past few weeks have been the hardest few weeks that I've ever experienced. I can't fully describe everything that I've gone through, but it feels like I am constantly being pressed with trials. I've been carrying around a lot of exhaustion due to the fact of all of the effort that working at camp requires. I've been faced with embarassment because of personal letters I wrote that were discovered by people who I trusted. I was made fun of for the letters. Within a few days people accidentally stumbled apon a few things that I didn't want anyone to read. I have been carrying around some pretty heavy burdens with my family. I have been so stressed out with all of the responsibility that I have at camp for making sure camp runs effectively. I have been having some control problems in my life when I need to just remember that God is in control. I've been having a pretty hard time. All of this reminds me of Paul in 2 Corinthians 11 where he is talking about everything that he has gone through and no matter what he kept on enduring.
Throughout all of these difficult times that I've experienced at camp I've kept Psalm 34 in mind:
"I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears. For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! Let the LORD's people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing. Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one. For the LORD protects them from harm--not one of their bones will be broken! Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned."
Isn't that awesome!?! What stuck out to me the most is how God comes to the rescue EVERY time. Another few bible verses that have been a real comfort to me have been 2 Corinthians 4-8-10:
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."
Isn't that awesome too!?! God NEVER abandons us. Through all of this pain and suffering that we go through we're able to actually comprehend what it was like for Jesus here on earth. That's why we should embrace every difficult situation with joy because it is then that we realize all that Jesus went through so that we could have eternal life. If Jesus was able to do it, then why can't we? Jesus was able to get through all of that pain and he carried it all to the cross. Ahh! I love Jesus!
God has truly rescued me from all of the hardships that I was faced with. With all of the difficult experiences taking place at camp I feel like Satan is trying to get me to want to go home which would result in all of God's plan not be carried through. I'm not backing off of the ministry that God has called me to do this summer. If anything, through all of these experiences, I've become stronger and I have become more dependent apon God.
Note to all: God will always follow through and come to the rescue.
Throughout all of these difficult times that I've experienced at camp I've kept Psalm 34 in mind:
"I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears. For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! Let the LORD's people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing. Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one. For the LORD protects them from harm--not one of their bones will be broken! Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned."
Isn't that awesome!?! What stuck out to me the most is how God comes to the rescue EVERY time. Another few bible verses that have been a real comfort to me have been 2 Corinthians 4-8-10:
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."
Isn't that awesome too!?! God NEVER abandons us. Through all of this pain and suffering that we go through we're able to actually comprehend what it was like for Jesus here on earth. That's why we should embrace every difficult situation with joy because it is then that we realize all that Jesus went through so that we could have eternal life. If Jesus was able to do it, then why can't we? Jesus was able to get through all of that pain and he carried it all to the cross. Ahh! I love Jesus!
God has truly rescued me from all of the hardships that I was faced with. With all of the difficult experiences taking place at camp I feel like Satan is trying to get me to want to go home which would result in all of God's plan not be carried through. I'm not backing off of the ministry that God has called me to do this summer. If anything, through all of these experiences, I've become stronger and I have become more dependent apon God.
Note to all: God will always follow through and come to the rescue.
posted by michelleesexton @ 7:04 PM
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