Journal Entry ~ 02/23/19

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  - Psalm 34:18-19

So, why are we so broken hearted? Because we live in a broken world. And why does God allow trials in this broken world? So that we desire redemption more than we desire comfort, so that we may recognize our need for a Savior, so that He will take us to the edge of ourselves and see that we are not enough without Him, so that we will see His glory. 

We don't want to face the things He allows into our lives because we want peace, or comfort, or happiness. Our sinful nature says to God - if you love me, you will make it easy for me.  That’s sin. Sin makes it all about me, my comfort, my ease. As long as sin lives inside of me, there will be a desire to make things easy for me.  And since we live in a broken world, that brokenness will enter our lives because our Savior has decided we need this brokenness for redemption.  

For the record, it's okay to hate it - it's all indicative that this isn't the way it's supposed to be.  Don't put a superficial smile on your face through suffering - it's okay to cry out to the Lord to take this. But He wants us to cry out to Him, for His redemption. That's God's purpose - He wants us to see the need for Him.  He wants us to hunger for the one thing we don't tend to hunger for - redemption.  

Psalm 51 reminds us in order to save your life, your Savior will break your bones.  God has chosen to put us in a place where we experience brokenness so that we come to a place where we understand we need him more than anything. He will bring us to a place where we will not just praise God *in* this trial, but we will praise God *for* this trial. While it may not be possible for you to praise Him for the trial while your are deep in the heartache, of you choose to fully surrender the trial to Him, and look to Him for guidance and direction, if you allow Him to do the work in your heart, you will see the purpose and you will praise Him for the trial. 

One of my favorite songs right now is “Scars” by I Am They, and the lyrics speak to this truth:

So I'm thankful for the scars
'Cause without them I wouldn't know Your heart
And I know they'll always tell of who You are
So forever I am thankful for the scars


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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