It is always inspiring to see how God worked in the past to provide something needed in the present. Kind of like that saying about how years before Zaccheus climbed the tree, someone had planted it. That was God providing a true rescue. It brought Zaccheus to a saving relationship with Jesus.
It’s even more remarkable when God does something like that in my own life. Have you ever had any experiences where you realized God had moved weeks or months before and people or things were just in the right place when you needed them? Talk about experiencing God’s goodness. You can’t help but feel loved. It is a true rescue because it, like Zaccheus, restores our relationship with Jesus.
During my dad’s cancer diagnosis roller coaster, I was amazed at the people close to me who walked with me through it. One friend, in particular, had recently become certified in NYS to handle Medicare accounts. So as I tried to get medicine covered for my dad and sifted through understanding the tiers of drugs, I had a trusted friend who had answers for me, and I couldn’t help but see God’s hand in that. I know God didn’t move her into that job only to help me, but he knew what I needed and moved to provide it long before I needed it.
In this extended season of being poured out and in desperate need of rest, I was blessed beyond measure by the Enjoy God’s Word 2021 Conference that just took place. Almost every session spoke right to my heart. Some reminded me of God’s faithfulness, and some encouraged me that I wasn’t alone, while God used others to reaffirm His call on my life. There’s SO much wisdom packed in those sessions that I plan to go through a second time to see what I missed the first time!
When I think of the theme choice, planning, and execution phases of putting this together, it blows me away that the messages were exactly what I needed at this time. God is so good. He is faithful in the provision of a true rescue. Psalm 121 paints a beautiful picture for us, but verse 1 is specifically beautiful.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1
One of the things that struck me was Katie Orr saying that hopelessness was nothing more than forgetfulness. Hopelessness comes when we lose sight of what God has done for us. It is so easy to lose sight of that, though, isn’t it?
Another speaker spoke of the scarcity mindset. She said that it sets in when someone is completely poured out and burned out. In our exhausted state, our view often focuses on the negative. It’s just how our mind operates. As a result, we often can’t see the good around us during challenging times, much less God’s goodness!
Have you been there?
Once God opened my eyes to that fact, I had to ask God to show me the good around me. I realized I had slowly slipped into that place, incapable of finding any good. And that makes for even more profound exhaustion. It is not a good place to find yourself. Thankfully, God is all too willing to help us see His goodness when we ask, just like he will give wisdom to those who ask. He will provide a rescue, and it begins with recognizing how you’re feeling.
A few weeks before this conference, God began opening my eyes to how negative mindset had become. I realized things couldn’t be as bad as they seemed, but I could figure out how to change that perspective. God began the rescue with that realization.
My help, a true rescue, came from the Lord.
So today, I’m grateful for what God has done. I am thankful for the rescue and want to give Him the glory. He has given me my hope back with a glimpse of the truth that He’s not finished with me yet. He answered my prayer, and I have begun to see the good things again. The negative aspects are shrinking back in my perception as the positive ones gain space in my mind.
Today, I want to encourage you. If you find yourself in the wilderness, hopeless and poured out, take heart! God isn’t finished with you yet, either! If you can’t see His goodness on your own, ask Him to show you. Remember what He has already done and proved faithful.
Remember God’s promise.
I have made you and I will carry you,
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4
What an awesome God we serve!
