On Sunday we were encouraged by guest speaker, Todd Proctor, to go deeper with four specific words from Isaiah 55: “come,” “listen,” “seek,” and “turn”.
These words might seem simple, but in nature can be hard to do! Often times, our flesh fights against these simple practices, and actually does everything to distract us away from them.
This week as I listened to a podcast I was reminded that any struggle we face is actually a spiritual one. We have our flesh working against us, and the enemy trying his best to derail us, which is the reality of living in a fallen world. All three are at play when we go to war in the Spirit.
This left me wondering what it means to actually come, listen, seek and turn…what is one way I can stay the course this week, in my own personal daily struggles?
The word I chose to focus on this week is “come.”
I have so many emotions with my kids starting their first week of school, but the primary emotion is sadness. I am sad to see them go and not have as much time with them, but there’s also a deeper sadness that they are getting older and one day will leave the nest. It’s joy and sadness at the same time…two emotions held simultaneously in my human heart.
So what do I do in times like these? I come to the Father. I sit at His feet. I let Him soothe the parts of me that struggle to grasp reality.
It’s tempting to distract, and numb, and look for a thousand ways to keep my mind off of what is really going on here…my kids are growing up!
But when I come to Him, He meets me with grace. So much grace. He knows it is hard to hold joy and sadness at the same time, because He held it Himself.
This week I’ve been thinking about how I can’t stop time. I wish I could, but it feels like a moving train that just won’t halt, even when I desperately want it to. I wonder if this is how Jesus felt in the garden….a much harder milestone to face…He could not stop the clock from ticking toward His impending crucifixion.
How must He have felt in that moment? The struggles I face seem to pale in comparison to His anguish facing the cross, yet I rest in the fact that my Savior knows my struggles.
I rest knowing that I can come to Him, with every emotion, with every breath. So can you, dear friend. Whatever it is that you are avoiding, not facing because of the pain, or just sweeping under the rug…you can come to Him with that. He already knows, and His mercy is waiting to meet you there. Just come to Him and talk to Him.
Let me ask…what word would you like to focus on this week? Which one stood out to you? Let the Lord speak His love into the parts of your heart that need it most.
These words might seem simple, but in nature can be hard to do! Often times, our flesh fights against these simple practices, and actually does everything to distract us away from them.
This week as I listened to a podcast I was reminded that any struggle we face is actually a spiritual one. We have our flesh working against us, and the enemy trying his best to derail us, which is the reality of living in a fallen world. All three are at play when we go to war in the Spirit.
This left me wondering what it means to actually come, listen, seek and turn…what is one way I can stay the course this week, in my own personal daily struggles?
The word I chose to focus on this week is “come.”
I have so many emotions with my kids starting their first week of school, but the primary emotion is sadness. I am sad to see them go and not have as much time with them, but there’s also a deeper sadness that they are getting older and one day will leave the nest. It’s joy and sadness at the same time…two emotions held simultaneously in my human heart.
So what do I do in times like these? I come to the Father. I sit at His feet. I let Him soothe the parts of me that struggle to grasp reality.
It’s tempting to distract, and numb, and look for a thousand ways to keep my mind off of what is really going on here…my kids are growing up!
But when I come to Him, He meets me with grace. So much grace. He knows it is hard to hold joy and sadness at the same time, because He held it Himself.
This week I’ve been thinking about how I can’t stop time. I wish I could, but it feels like a moving train that just won’t halt, even when I desperately want it to. I wonder if this is how Jesus felt in the garden….a much harder milestone to face…He could not stop the clock from ticking toward His impending crucifixion.
How must He have felt in that moment? The struggles I face seem to pale in comparison to His anguish facing the cross, yet I rest in the fact that my Savior knows my struggles.
I rest knowing that I can come to Him, with every emotion, with every breath. So can you, dear friend. Whatever it is that you are avoiding, not facing because of the pain, or just sweeping under the rug…you can come to Him with that. He already knows, and His mercy is waiting to meet you there. Just come to Him and talk to Him.
Let me ask…what word would you like to focus on this week? Which one stood out to you? Let the Lord speak His love into the parts of your heart that need it most.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.