Journal Entry ~ 07/19/19

1 "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth"- let Israel now say- 
2 "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.  - Psalm 129:1-2

From the very first words, you can feel the pain of the psalmist in Psalm 129. “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth” is not just annoyance or the kind of hurt you can brush off and get over easily. ‘Greatly’ indicates this is a deep wound that was created in childhood. The wound is so deep that he mentions the furrows that have been dug in his back in the very next verse. 

But here’s the thing we have to see when we read these verses - he is not defeated in his pain. “Yet they have not prevailed against me.” He perseveres. We can suffer pain without suffering defeat. We sometimes think if we’re hurting, we’re going to be defeated. But that’s just not true. You can be down but not out. You can persevere through the pain.

My husband and I had a conversation with my son recently about all that he has endured in his short life. He’s been through more difficult days in his 21 years than some adults have been through in twice as many decades. In our conversation, I had admired him for his courage. He chuckled at me in response, claiming if I knew what was going on in his head, I wouldn’t think he was so brave. He lives in fear of his future most days, and the anxiety often paralyzes him. But I reminded him the fear hasn’t taken over. He hasn’t been defeated by it. He continues to get up every day and face the pain of what he is enduring. That’s courage. Courageous people don’t live without fear, courageous people press on into the pain despite the fear. They persevere when it’s hard.

One of the most encouraging verses for me when I’m struggling to persevere comes from 2 Corinthians: 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

You will suffer pain in this life, but you will survive because you carry in you the death of Jesus. He will give you the strength to persevere every single time. You will not be defeated by your pain. Why? Because God protects you.  The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.  - Psalm 129:4. God has set a limit for your suffering, your pain is temporary, and the wicked will not always rule over the righteous. He will eventually cut the cords of the wicked. We can persevere because God is faithful to stop the pain when it has become too much. 


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