Monday, December 27, 2021
Frustration.
That's the best way to put these last months into a word. I've dealt with frustration in many things - family, friends, school, work, and even at times, God. Frustration has been an obstacle for years now. Its intention has been to make me so fed up with my current circumstance that I won't wait long enough to see the glory of God revealed.
We all deal with frustration at some point in our lives, and not all of it is solved simply. The hardest frustration to deal with is when you can't go around, over, or under a problem, but rather when you must strap in for the long haul and suffer for a time. I found it significant in these times to rely on God's strength, allowing Him to take the lead on my life and placing my complete trust in Him (easier said at times than done).
​
"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
James 5:11
​
In dealing with months of frustration, I relied heavily on discipline, hard work, and trusting God enough to wait on His timing. The one thing that I struggled the most with, was having patience when things were not moving as quickly as I would've preferred. Sometimes you don't realize how much you are unstill until you must wait. When everything is aligned perfectly in our eyes, we run the risk of unknowingly taking on more than we can handle. God, then, being a good father, will halt us Himself before we drive ourselves crazy.
​
"Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed."
Numbers 9:22
​
Patience
​
When you are used to moving, sitting still in patience can make you feel unproductive. Even as I am writing this now, it feels like anxiety is swirling in me. It almost makes it feel as though I have so much more I need to be doing, and almost making me feel guilty for taking time to write. If I were doing this earlier, I could possibly understand, but it's 1:00 am, and I was already on my way to sleep right before this.
​
How am I still writing through this?
When I feel overwhelmed, I ask God to allow patience to rise in me and peace over my mind.
​
"And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
Psalm 50:15
​
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Why am I still writing through this?
Well, Satan knows that what I am doing is not only important to me, but also for others who read it. I don't have to do anything else today that would require me to get out of my seat to go do it. So his best tactic, which nearly drove me crazy at first, is to make me worry over nothing. It makes me think of the boy who cried wolf, worrying the townspeople into a useless panic. Unlike them, though, I can take a moment to assess my current situation before I go off running.
​
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."
James 1:12
This is what a lot of us feel when the Lord is leading us to do something, and if the enemy can't scare us before we begin, sometimes all he does is cause us to be frustrated enough through the process so that we will stop and put it off for another time, or, what happens more times than not, never complete the task.
​
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7
Don't allow the enemy to make what happened to the children of Israel happen to you, an estimated 11-day journey taking 40 years. Ask God for peace that surpasses all understanding so you can stand firm, be aligned, and focus on whatever God is instructing you to do. It may get rough, but your reward is well worth it.
​
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18
​
"Wait on the LORD : Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD ."
Psalm 27:14
​
I am praying for you and will write to you soon.
