September 19, 2021
Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
~Hosea 6:1~
We live in a time of much heart break, diagreements and pain. I woke up this morning to Holy Spirit repeatedly saying this word "torn" to me. I wondered how He meant it. Are we torn spiritually? Are we torn between two decisions? Are we torn away from something we love? I believe the answer to these is all of the above. We are a torn world. We are put in places that cause us to wonder. We are curious how things will get better. We begin to feel tired out. We may be torn but God's word says we will be healed. Let us return to the Lord. We cannot get anywhere on our own strength or our own way of doing things. We must run to Jesus and pour out what we have left to Him.
"For my sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water." (Job 3:24)
For God is faithful when we come to Him, when we abide in Him. Our Father will not leave us torn if we ask Him for help. The timing may be longer then we liked but God's timing is perfect. He knows exactly what we need when we need it. We are not promised a life without trouble, in fact the very opposite. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33)
The Lord heals and the Lord binds up. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. We must know that what so ever we suffer, we suffer for His sake. Paul knew the importance of patience and endurance. He was hard pressed at every side. He was a man who was torn multiple times, more then we could ever imagine. Stoned, left for dead, abandoned, imprisoned and scorned; Paul considered it God's work and knew it could not last forever. He returned to the Lord and He went through only what was allowed by the Lord. There is always something to learn in the midst of our sufferings. "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses."(II Corinthians 6:4)
Now is not the time to lose hope. Now is the time to increase that hope in Jesus, knowing in our hearts His word is truth. We may feel torn between many things. We may feel torn physically. God is always watching. Let us return to Him and allow His healing in His time. As we give thanks in the midst of being torn, the Lord moves on our behalf.
"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed." (Acts 16:25-26)
Paul and Silas didn't allow anything to strip their praise. In fact praise saved them and possibly other prisoners as they listened in. We would be amazed by who we help in the midst of our own dark time. Others will see how we love God and trust in Him. They will see when we are healed and they will want it for themselves. We are a living example for Christ's faithfulness. We must return to the Lord. We will not be torn forever.
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for always keeping watch over me. I know that the present trouble I feel is not forever and You are working it out for good. I pour out my heart to You O Lord and know that You will heal the areas I am torn. Help me make the right decisions according to Your will. Make my mind clear from any other distraction. I need more of You. I am grateful for Your plans that may not look good to my eyes but are good indeed. I trust in You, for You know what is to come as You have already spoken it into being. I shall walk in faith and cast my cares upon You. Remind me to continue to praise in the midst of darkness so I may watch my own chains be loosed. Use me to bless others in tribulation, to show them Jesus living in me. In Your Name I receive blessing and help, Jesus Christ. Amen.