Journal Entry ~ 04/02/19

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.  - Isaiah 26:3-4


I’ve loved being in this passage for a week - there is such peace in resting my mind on Him, and in trusting His sovereignty through my daily struggles. The second verse gives us the reason why we can trust in Him - because He is our rock, our ever lasting strength. 

Once again, it helps to uncover the message in the passage if we dive deeper into the meaning of the words. Rock is used multiple times throughout scripture, and carries with it multiple connotations. It is equated with the idea of strength. Rock was used to build walls, fortresses, and towers in many stories from scripture. God is our source of strength and our protection in times of distress and danger. God is also our refuge. Like Moses, we can hide in the cleft of “the Rock.” God will care for us. “Rock” represents something about the nature of God. He is solid and unchangeable. God is faithful and we can trust Him. Moses had this in mind when he spoke of God’s ways and justice in Deuteronomy. The “rock” symbolism continues in the New Testament with reference to Christ. He is the foundation, the chief-corner stone. He is the rock of offense to those who reject Him, but the spiritual rock for those who obey Him. 

It took me a number of years as a Christian and great number of deep valleys to truly understand this scripture, but God has finally brought me to the place where He really is my rock and my fortress.  There were so many times when I thought He was my everything, then He would reveal yet another place in my heart where something else was placed first - my family, my children, even my home. 

The thing is He knew my desire was to place Him first, but I was blind to see when I had other things on the throne, and the only way to show me that was to take me through a trial I never imagined I could live through. In His infinite wisdom and love for me, He allowed me to walk through some incredibly difficult things because He wanted me to know Him deeply. Those valleys were so hard and so deep, but there is such peace on the other side.  That's where the peace that surpasses all understanding lies, and that's where we truly begin to understand how He is our rock and our fortress. 


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