Journal Entry ~ 12/21/18

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  - Isaiah 9:6

A counselor by definition is someone who gives advice. Jesus has the title of Wonderful Counselor. He is our advisor, He is who we should be turning to in times of trouble or when faced with a difficult decisions. 

I remember being confused about how He can be my Counselor when I can’t even talk to Him. I wanted to live my life to honor Him, but when the trials came, I would still turn to myself or others to try and solve my problems. I ended up frustrated, and my heart would fill with anxiety. I knew in my head that I shouldn’t be feeling those strong emotions, so I would set about trying to stop them in my own power. I would try to will them out of my mind because I knew they shouldn’t be there, only to find I would eventually slip and fall into the pit again. I wasn’t living my life in true submission to Him. 

It wasn’t until I was in His Word every single day, without fail, that I began to understand how He was my Counselor. You see, we like to point outward at the world as our problem, we like to make our struggles the fault of someone else. The reality is that all of our problems are the result of our own sin. Even when we are deep in a trial caused by someone else’s sin, our suffering can be traced back to our own sin. Your suffering isn’t the circumstance - your suffering is your response to the circumstance. Ever wonder why some people seem so strong as they face mountains, yet others seem distraught over the smallest of molehills?  It’s their response to the trials, it’s their suffering.  

Reading scripture every day reveals God’s greater plan to us and it frees us from the sin of self. His Word reveals to us where our struggle really exists, and where our true Hope is found. 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

Sin is so deceitful that it can lodge itself deep in our heart, and remain there covered in lies. We can go a long time without even knowing its there. Our only Hope is that there is something sharp enough and powerful enough to penetrate through all the deception and shed light on our thoughts and intentions. That's the Hope found in scripture. The Word of God is the only thing sharp enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and reveal the lies to me. I know it is living and active, and I know it can pierce through the lies this world can tell me, and it reveals to me my negative thoughts and intentions. 

Our Wonderful Counselor uses the Word to calm my soul and His Spirit has given me strength to push forward through some very difficult trials - not just allowing me to feel His peace and presence, but guiding my words to allow others to feel His presence too. His Word has power. 

His word gives me an eternal perspective and reminds of His greater plan and purpose for my life.   Reading it every day sets me free from the bondage of sin and fills my soul with a peace that surpasses all understanding. He is my Wonderful Counselor. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more