He IS Our Help in Time of Trouble~

Tuesday morning hit with a solid thud in my heart. No joy...no purpose...no desire for nothing...just the awareness of the black pit of blackness....I picked up my journal to write my thoughts after shuffling around to make coffee and settling into my spot on the couch with some semblance of being awake. But, who cared?.......My eyes drifted to the fog hanging over the field in back of our house; stuck like muck on bare feet....going nowhere....just still and heavy....like my heart.

I've been through multiple trials over many a year....But this one from the enemy had hit like a blitzkrieg....and I was just so exhausted from surgery and recovery and other battles. I wrote in my journal, "Lord, it's been almost 2 months since surgery and You feel so far away...everyone seems so far away...."....and my mind drifted....looking up...."God, Help!", was all I could choke out.
"Crista, I never leave you nor forsake you....Even in your darkest hours. I AM STILL here with you."
I continued to journal...talking to God on paper...."I'm crying out to You for help in the midst of the choking sea billows of things which I do not understand. I cry to You for help! ~Today is a black day and even the clouds cover the sun."
Scriptures began to surface from the deepest parts of my soul.....Isaiah 50:10 "Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God."
Hebrews 13:5b 'For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." And I turned to Heb. 13:5 and began reading.....

But it was Heb. 13:6 that really caught my attention...."The Lord is my helper; I will not fear...." (Hang with me here...because these are exactly the kinds of situations where we know in our heads, and have heard it before....but now becomes a deeper reality/revelation in our heart....and you have these times just like I do...because we're all made out of dust!)

I read further...the definition of Helper in my Bible's Word Wealth:
helper: boethos (bah-ay-thoss); Strong's #998 From boe, "a cry for help." and theo, "to run." Boethos is one who comes running when we cry for help. The word describes the Lord as poised and ready to rush to the relief of His oppressed children when they shout for His assistance."....Hope began to rise through the dense, oppresive fog of my soul like a lone, smoldering campfire on a bitter cold, cloudless, starry night....a thin, wispy thread weaving it's way heavenward....barely discernable...but yet there....seeming to carry His Name to His Throne..."Jesus"....not of my own strength...but His...ascending boldly to His Throne of Grace in time of my need....."Not by might, nor power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. (Zech 4:6b)

I cannot sit here and tell you the fog lifted....No....I sat and cried....poured out my soul as a drink offering to Him who knew the failure and hopelessness I was experiencing....My tears were my food that morning.....

And then...within the hour....my phone rang....Caller ID....my precious Sister in Christ...but I didn't want to answer it....I didn't want to talk...to anyone. It wasn't personal....It was the blackness of my heart...."Lord, what do I do?" "Call her back."

One ring...."Hello? Oh, it's you!...Praise You, Jesus!"....She pressed gently, "Are you feeling like nothing's worth it and you just want to give up?" ....I could only by a whimper and blubber out my confirmation to what the Holy Spirit had already told her....but this was enough confirmation for the Holy Spirit to launch her into all out spiritual battle on my behalf. It was His Spirit interceding for me...through her....Time stood still....as He revealed one thing after another that was attacking...and He led her to take His Word and slash the enemy's plan and purpose.
And then, He spoke as My Father...loving...tenderly....affirming....

Dear and precious child of The Most High God...He Who never slumbers nor sleeps, watches over us, to care for us...and Jesus sits at the right hand of God The Father, ever to make intercession for His saints....for He Who is in us IS greater than he who is in the world. If God be for me, who can be against me.

It is truly when we can do nothing, but look up to the hills from whence cometh our strength...that we truly know it is nothing of our own doing, but His...because He loves us...and it is His Promise to never, ever, no not ever, leave us nor forsake us....and as He tells us in the parable of the Good Samaritan....He is there...to care and tend to our needs when we are unable to care for ourself. He does this without condemnation, for there is now therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

I will leave you with this list of scriptures to encourage your heart today and I pray His Holy Spirit reach you and touch you and comfort you in the way that only He can do. The battle is truly the Lord's and He IS mighty in battle...for He and He Alone gets all the glory, honor and praise. To Him be the Glory, great things He hath done....and continues to do....for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Praise be to God!

Hebrews 13:5-6, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 121:1-2, Isaiah 50:10, I John 4:4, Hebrews 4:15-16,
I Timothy 2:13, Isaiah 42:3, John 14:18

Be blessed in Christ Jesus~
Love always,
Crista

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Off the Back Burner

Dear Blog Friends,
Forgive me for not writing over these past couple months, but there was a serious physical situation for which I needed fairly emergent surgery. I am doing well now in my recuperation and (I think) not feeling quite so fuzzy brained from anesthesia and pain meds.

God is stirring my heart to begin writing again and through a very precious Sister in Christ, He's confirmed some other things to me....one of which is continuing to press on with this blog.
I don't know about you, but "going through stuff" often takes me to a point of re-evaluation...
And at the point He was stirring my heart to write....and I was praying about even continuing....
He sent His encouraging word through a dear Sister.

I don't know about you...but for me....I get to the point of asking, "Is this really worth it?"...whether I'm deciding how often to dust and mop the floors (cough, cough....)...or taking that extra trip to the grocery store...or writing....Whatever it may be. Evaluation is a really good thing when done rightly before the Lord. He understands when we ask Him, "Lord, do You want me to continue with ________(fill in the blank)?" For He IS Faithful, merciful, kind and compassionate....and He WILL give us His answer as we wait upon Him.

So, it's time....Time to get off the back burner and back to the front lines....
He's stirring my heart....and I await His further direction.....These past couple months have been a deeper revelation of His abiding love and mercies - which are new every morning...from everlasting to everlasting.
Much love and blessings always,
Crista