Maneuvers - No. 89
Raise
Your Head
Faithful one, can you remember the last time you felt a situation in your life was hopeless? Some of us may have felt that way as recently as this morning.
This world of ours has a way of knowing exactly how to pull us down. And sometimes it can seem easier to just resign ourselves to it instead of holding onto hope. When we face disappointment after disappointment, it can feel natural to hide ourselves away and wall off our hearts.
After all, what if our hopes let us down? What if the situation doesn’t turn out the way we’ve been praying? And what if we end up looking foolish as a result? Isn’t it better to just avoid feeling anything at all?
The apostle Paul understood those questions—maybe better than anyone else around him. He was often beaten, mocked, lied about, thrown in prison, and rejected. Eventually, he was killed for his faith and his work for the gospel.
And yet he wrote: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Roman 5:5, NIV).
How do we find that kind of faith and hope—the kind that doesn’t put us to shame? And better yet, how do we hold onto it when we feel like giving up?
Let’s listen as Holy Spirit shares the answer we need today…
01.
The Message
“It is quiet here, in this place of resignation. There are layers covering your heart, layers of sadness. It is a long time since you have felt sad, allowing yourself the gift of deep emotion, of feeling, in general.
“Resignation involves pulling inward to what you hope is a place of less pain. It is a way to cope and protect yourself from what you fear could be even worse around the corner. To be resigned to a situation is to close your heart to me, to live alone and on your terms, inside your bunker built to make you believe you are safe and that nothing can hurt you here.
“You are tired of being hurt, I know.
“But Dear One, do not give up. There is nothing good about resignation, about believing there is no hope possible. While it feels unbearable to try to fix what you cannot, you can trust in me and my good plans for you. I care about what you care about. I love the people you love. I have plans for the situation you are in right now—the one that breaks your heart.
“Do you see the armor I’ve given you? Do you see the protection I supply? Recognize my shield of faith. Let it sustain you. Do not put it down. This faith protects you from complacency. It fortifies your heart when you feel overwhelmed and weak. It is the guide you can count on. When you are desperate and do not know where to turn, raise your head and look into my eyes. I am for you. I am ahead of you and behind you. Wherever you turn, I am there.”
02.
Listen
What line from today’s message resonated with you the most? Let’s write it down in our journals and then write out a response to the Lord.
03.
Think
“Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you” (Zechariah 9:12, NIV).
1. Where are you tired of getting hurt, friend? How are you coping with that hurt?
2. In what areas of your life are you having a hard time trusting God? What thoughts or beliefs make it hard to trust him?
3. Let’s return to this line: “Do you see the armor I’ve given you? Do you see the protection I supply? Recognize my shield of faith.” What faith is God giving you right now for the situation you’re in? How can you stand firm in that faith?
04.
Trust
When we’re facing difficult circumstances, God’s Word can encourage us like nothing else can. Even when the world and our own experiences are telling us that it’s hopeless, Scripture reminds us of what’s true.
So let’s take a few minutes and slowly read through Psalm 103. Feel free to pause over certain phrases to reflect on their meaning. As we read the passage, let’s pay special attention to verses 8-18:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
After reading and reflecting on this passage, let’s write a letter to ourselves as if Holy Spirit himself were writing it to us. But first, let’s pray: “Lord, open my heart to see myself and the hard things in my life from your perspective. Will you speak to me right now? Whatever you want to show me, I’m listening.”
Now, let’s pull out a pen and our journals (or a piece of paper) and write a letter from the Lord in response to those difficult circumstances we’re facing. Feel free to use the prompt below to get started.
Dear Faithful one,
I know you’re hurting about …
I know you’re having a hard time trusting me because …
But more than anything, I want you to know …
I love you,
Jesus
05.
Pray
Lord, with you, I always have hope. With you, I know I’ll be okay—no matter what happens. You are my strong one, my refuge, my shepherd, the one who protects me and has good in store for me.
Heal me and open my heart where I’ve closed it off because of the pain. Help me be willing to hope again and to believe that there’s good ahead for me. Fill my mind with those good things.
I love you, Lord. I give all of myself to you.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
