Just the other day we had a ladies meeting at our church. The main text was from Psalms 34 and the woman delivering the message shared just how easily it is for us, especially as women, to become overwhelmed by our unchecked thoughts, fears and emotions. In today’s post I wanted to share with you yet another testimony of God’s goodness, faithfulness and how He continues to make my jaw drop in amazement.
The very next day as this whole idea of submitting our thoughts, fears and emotions to the Lord was still very fresh in my mind I received a phone call. On the other end was a friend of mine who was in a panic. “Jessica, what in the world am I going to do with this situation?” She began to share the events that had just transpired. She was flooded with emotions of frustration, anger and was very heavy hearted. The tears began to flow, and I was finding that everything I knew to say in a situation like this did not help her perspective to change. It seemed that the more I tried to share the more her emotions piled up on top of her. Her situation was one that I truly did not have a clue how to solve in and of myself. It was in that moment that I realized that the Lord had allowed me to hear that message the night before for situations such as these. I heard that message not just for dealing with the unchecked emotions in my own life, but also helping others to deal with unchecked emotions in their lives as well. So I did the only thing I knew to do in a situation like this. I placed her at the feet of our Heavenly Father. I prayed with her, cried with her and for her and for the situation that she faced. When I finished praying I heard a change in her voice. There was a peace that passes all understanding guarding her heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Her situation did not change, her problems were not solved, but she had simply placed them at the foot of the cross. She had laid her burdens down and left the outcome up to the Lord. This is exactly what God desires for us to do, he wants us to give up our burdens to Him. The burdens we try to carry are not meant for us to pick up. This is why we feel so heavy hearted. This is why we feel so overwhelmed, like we are being crushed under a weight too heavy for us to carry, because it is a weight too heavy for us to carry. We must put it down and allow the Lord to pick it up for us.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
The Lord’s burdens are light. When my friend gave her burdens to the Lord, He replaced them with his burden of peace. I don’t know about you but I would much rather be walking around with a burden of peace than a burdened heart, overwhelming frustrations and a weight of anger on my shoulders any day of the week!
The story could end right here and that would be a pretty great testimony in and of itself of gaining peace in an not so peaceful heart, but our God has a way of blowing the doors right off their hinges just to show how He is able to move on our behalf. I no sooner got off the phone with my friend and within about 10 minutes it rings again. She was calling to inform me of an update in her situation. God had completely changed the heart of the other person that was involved! My friend had received a tearful apology with deep heartfelt conviction and was so blown away that she wanted to call and inform me of the 180 degree change! My friend told the other person involved that she had called me and that I had lifted her and the situation up in prayer. This other person involved said, “That is why I felt so convicted! God was using those prayers to move in my heart.” And with that the situation was resolved!
All I can do is sit back in awe! We serve a pretty amazing God, one who can change a heart in an instant and make a very bad situation be resolved in a moment. Now, I realize I did not go into exact details about the situation, but all I can tell you is that unless God changed the hearts of each person involved, it would not have ended well for anyone. I thank God for His unending faithfulness and answers to prayers. If you are dealing with emotions and fears that are unchecked, or maybe you have a situation staring you in the face and you have no idea what to do with it. Take your thoughts, fears, emotions and your situation and lay them at the feet of Jesus. He is faithful! I can not promise that the situation will work out as you might want, but it will always work out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Lord, I thank you that you desire to work on our behalf. I thank you for desiring our thoughts, emotions, and fears to be laid at your feet. I thank you that you desire for those things not to overwhelm us. Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Help us in those moments of crises to lay everything down at your feet so that you can carry what we were never meant to ever carry. Thank you for the answers to prayers even when we don’t see them answered in the way that we would like, because we know that you have a greater good in mind for us than we can see in this moment. You are a truly awesome God. We love you so much!
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