Surrounded.

Let that word sink in.
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What does it mean to you?
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What do you think of?
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I can immediately think of enemies all around me. Fear. Darkness. Anxieties abounding. Worries skyrocketing.

But that's not my narrative.

My narrative? "The LORD surrounds His people." And that includes me.

When I think of God, sometimes I think: Separated. Or Separation. Like He is so far away from me. Too far. Like He is not accessible. Like this comfort, this refuge, this stability, this agape love that my soul so desperately longs for is a fairytale. A distant hope and dream at best. But that is a lie. See -- He came down to be with us. Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us. He came down to be with us. While it's true that sin causes separation from a Holy God -- that doesn't have to be the end of the story. It isn't meant to be the end of the story. This God is accessible. He is not out of reach. He hears our cries. He comforts us in our afflictions. He lifts us up from the pit. He is with us in the darkest valley. His steadfast love is one that can be counted on. He is faithful.

And while our feelings may tell us that God is not with us, we can choose to believe otherwise. While our surroundings may cloud our vision and cause a mirage of desolation, we do not have to remain in a state of despair. We do not have to live in hopelessness. We can cast that off. We can choose to look up.

We can be a people who choose to believe in Him. We can choose to believe what may not feel true. We can choose to believe that we are not alone.

Isolation is a beast.

But...

Surrounded. Surrounded by God.

That can be your narrative.

That is my narrative. I no longer have to live in fear. I no longer have to be plummeting far down into the pit of darkness. I no longer have to be surrounded by my deepest anxieties and nightmares. That no longer has to serve as my narrative.

I can throw away the narrative of separated. I can throw away the narrative of isolated.  I can throw away the narrative of surrounded if it pertains to my fears and anxieties. I can embrace this new narrative of Surrounded. Surrounded by God. Surrounded by His goodness. Surrounded by His love. Surrounded by His peace. Surrounded by His grace. Surrounded by His faithfulness.
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"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever." - Psalm 125:2

"The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears." - Psalm 18:4-6

"Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!" - Psalm 66:20 

"In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me." - Psalm 120:1

Does God always help us? JOY in suffering. PURPOSE in the pain.

Something I'm learning: God doesn't always help us. Whattttt?! At least not always in the way we expect or want Him to. Yes, He is our Helper. But sometimes that means letting us grow. Sometimes a parent has to watch their kid do something or figure out something on their own. Not that the parent has ever left, but more like letting them go to let them grow. Just like a caterpillar must push through the cocoon by itself. Just like a chick must peck through the egg by itself. Do you know what happens if either one is helped? The emerging butterfly will have no strength in its wings to fly, and will eventually die. The hatching chick could die or be the weak one of the bunch. Sometimes God allows the hard things in life to grow us. Sometimes He says No to us when we ask for His help. Is that mean? No. It's wise. And perhaps we are asking for the wrong kind of help. Maybe we are asking Him to take away the trial when He wants to instead walk through the trial with us. Maybe we are asking Him to take away the pain, when the pain might actually be pushing us closer to Him. Maybe we are asking Him to dry our tears, when those tears can teach us kindness, compassion, and love. Maybe the kind of help we need from Him looks nothing like the kind of help we are asking for. Align your heart with His. Sit in the stillness. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). As you walk with Him and delight yourself in Him, your heart will want what He wants. Jesus, who for the JOY that was set before Him, endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). The plan included suffering, pain, tears. And yet Jesus had joy. We must look unto Him. Can there even be joy in the midst of suffering? Apparently there can be. Keep your gaze on Him. Let the JOY of the Lord be your strength. When all your strength is gone, let His joy be your strength. Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Delight yourself in HIM. 

But God...

You may find yourself dwelling on past mistakes, wishing if you only knew what you know now then you could have done something different to change the outcome. But guess what? God isn't surprised by your mistakes. And He does not disown you or leave you because of your shortcomings. He is a God who forgives and repairs. There is hope in Him. Consider this verse:

"My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26

Truth is, we will make mistakes. It is human nature. But don't stay stuck dwelling on what you did wrong. Learn from it. Ask for God's grace. His strength will carry you on. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Knowing that alone can give us peace.

Part of the road to healing is focusing on good things and true things. It is true that we will make mistakes, and that is okay -- accept it! It is true that God is with us. It is true that He will never leave us. It is true that He loves us and has a plan for our lives. It is true and good that He created you the way you are for a reason. Can you see yourself the way God sees you? Can you recognize the blessings and gifts He has given you?

Ask God to help you see things in a new light. Ask Him to help you move past your mistakes so you won't stay stuck in the mud. Ask Him to lead and guide you into His perfect plan -- yielding to Him every step of the way, depending on His grace and strength, listening to His infinite wisdom. When we get cocky and try doing things our own ways instead of His, that is when we fail. We need to truly humble ourselves like children, lean against Him and learn from Him. No confidence in the flesh. True confidence comes from knowing Jesus and relying on Him to meet your needs and depending on Him to strengthen you in due time. Can you trust that He will pull you through?

Victory through defeat

This phrase is odd, right? How can one possibly be victorious after defeat? The answer -- Jesus. Many things seems paradoxical and simply impossible in the scriptures. Consider this verse: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25). There are several instances where this is shown in the gospels. Look at this other verse: “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.” (Proverbs 18:12). Humility before honor? Really? Look at one more: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3). Joy in trials? What?!

Okay, I’m noticing a trend here. Something undesirable, uncomfortable, and unappealing somehow becomes exactly what was needed in the end. Through many trials and defeats we may ask the question, “why?”. Truth is, we may never know why. But, the better question to ask is, “who?”. Who is with you in the storm? Who stands with you through the trial? Who walks alongside you and empathizes with you? Jesus. He knows what it’s like to be in pain. He knows how it looks to see defeat and rejection. He knows how it feels when the world is filled with pain and hopelessness. And guess what? That didn’t stop Him. He chose to have faith in what God had coming. He chose to hope in God’s promises and provision. Although He faced death on the cross, He rose again and ultimately defeated death itself.

Jesus is the reason we can have hope. Although our world may look bleak and hopeless, there is a God above watching over us, looking out after us. Although we may face pain and defeat, we will not stay in that place. God brings us to victory.

All about asking God…

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

V. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

V. 9-11 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Psalm 145:16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

V. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

Psalm 34:10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 84:11 … no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

There are probably more verses that show our asking and His supplying! If you can notice a few things…

1. God is good. He wants to supply your needs. He wants to take care of you. He is a Father.
2. Let’s talk about needs… Notice in Matthew 7 when Jesus asks about us giving to our children, notice that the examples show the children asking for very real needs, i.e. food! These examples do not show children asking for crazy outlandish things like a million dollars or a bunch of candy! He is assuming that parents know best how to give to their children. In the same way, He knows what is best to give to us. We ought to trust Him.
3. On top of the needs, there are desires. And yes, God does satisfy our desires, too! But again, there are a few things to point out. There are godly desires and there are ungodly desires. Guess which ones He pays attention to? God is good and He is also a just and righteous God. He wants to sanctify us, make us holy, make us into His image. He is not going to satisfy every single desire that comes up. There are some He has to chisel out of us. And there are some He needs to purify, perfect. Sooner or later we will be wanting the same thing that God wants for us! This is a good place to be. We can ask, and we can receive, knowing that He is going to take care of us, knowing that He is working for our good.
4. In the end, it’s all about trust. Do you trust God? He is a Father, He is Creator. He knows what is best for us, even if we do not see it clearly. On this side of heaven, nothing is going to be perfect. Things may not go our way. We ought to trust Him that things work out for the good of those who love God.

Wisdom in God's book...

Saving souls, loving, covering sins, being patient, not being self-seeking, not being envious… this is all wisdom in God’s book. Establish your hearts. Wait for the Lord. This is good and this is right. He will work. He is working. Though you may not see results or feel anything special, dare to believe that God is real, He is alive, He cares, He is present! Exercise faith. Let the faith grow deep. It’s His work that we must yield to. Stop striving and just believe. No amount of “good works”, medals, plaques, awards, trophies, or titles will get you closer to God or closer to heaven. It’s about putting your trust in Him, believing His word, obeying His commands. He will come. He already is with you, if you’ve put your trust in Him.

Let go and let God

Ever hear that phrase? Let go and let God. And guess what... letting go means letting go! We often fail at this. Perhaps that is because we need something to cling to. On top of telling ourselves to let go, we should also remind ourselves to cling -- cling to Jesus! Without that, we might find ourselves searching for something to look up to. If that thing isn't Jesus we are going to find ourselves wandering, weary, empty, and dry. Only when we turn to Jesus can we have true peace, fulfillment, hope, and joy. Not like what the devil throws at you -- an endless vicious cycle of delusion and torment! When our eyes are opened we can realize that the emptiness inside of us is meant for the Savior to fulfill. We were created to have a relationship with Him. He promises hope and peace and everlasting life. It's our responsibility to exercise faith that He is who He says He is. 

Hebrews 11:1&6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [...] But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Psalm 119:37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. 

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 

Psalm 27:13-14 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! 

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD. 

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.