January 30, 2024
STRANGE PLACES
Rev. Adrienne Smith
Why does God allow bad things to happen in our lives? No matter what it is or how bad it may be at the time, we often ponder the situations that we find ourselves in!
Here are just a few reasons that we find ourselves in STRANGE PLACES
- There is a lesson in it for you to learn and share with somebody about how God brought you out!
- Cor 2: 14 -Now thanks be unto God which ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ.
So no matter what we are going through, no matter what the “Strange Place” looks like to us, God will ALWAYS cause us to triumph and that needs to stay on the forefront of our minds.
No one can teach you how to grieve! I have failed at this thing called grief for 4 years now, losing my Mom and seven weeks later losing my one and only brother. We didn’t see this coming at all, they were both sudden! I didn’t know how to go on without their earthly existence. I prided myself on being there for them! Yes, I kept praying, yes I realized that they are with God Almighty, Our Father. All those things brought me peace AND brought me great sorrow!
I struggled with the fact that I had to go on without them! But trust me, I know the Lord is still with me because I couldn’t have done anything without God ushering me into this new “Strange Place”.
Although the “Strange Place” was dark and lonely I had to let go of the insecurities thinking that I couldn’t go on without them and noticing that IT WAS GOD THAT PRIDED HIMSELF IN BEING THERE FOR ME IN MY SECRET SORROW.
In this NEW YEAR, I realize that I have to release them in order for God to triumph in my life!!!
Paul begins by telling us what God does for us as believers in Christ, as David shepherded the sheep, God was shepherding David. God leads us in a triumphal procession, making use of us as prisoners delivered from the hands of the enemy for God’s purpose. No matter where we at, now here we stand available to accomplish HIS purpose in our lives.
- It’s for God’’s glory
Truth is, there are still lessons that we, as sheep still need to learn no matter what position you hold, we can never out Master THE Shepherd. We want to believe that we know what’s best for us, but HE who has created you knows ALL things about you, even things that you have not been honest about or haven’t revealed to Him yet. He takes time and begins to pull things out of you so that you can bring Him that secret part in you. This is so that you can be free and tell someone else about how only God allowed you to triumph when every else thought you would lose it! All of this is for His Glory!
Sheep are meant to follow the orders of the Shepherd and are called by God to relate to and follow their leaders in a way that would bring honor to the Lord. They have four responsibilities toward their leaders:
- Honor God in the Highest
- Listen for His Voice/Instruction
- Follow the leading of the Shepherd and
- Submission.
Even though I’ve heard many scriptures, heard God speaking to me and heard great sermons concerning God being close to those who mourn! I was still making it a conscious choice to continue in my grief! It wasn’t it until now, at the end of 2023 that I heard Him clearly about continuing my service to Him, and He’d begin to fill and heal my heart again and cause me to triumph. HE IS THE GREAT I AM, HEAVY LOAD BARRER!!!!!
We often ask God to use us but when trials come we want no part of that arena because most of all “we are children of the most High and Almighty God” and we think we shouldn’t have to go through at all because we are HIS SHEEP. But last time I checked every sheep is in need of a Shepherd and if it had not been for the Lord where would we be. Even though it does not feel like He is with us whilst we are going through, HE’s been there the whole time!
- It’s a message to Satan that no matter what He does or how many times He does it our allegiance will always be to GOD OUR FATHER!
No matter what storms may hit our life,…..as good soldiers we always have to find ourselves getting back up no matter how hard you were knocked down, you’ll get back up with more strength, more hope, more tenacity than you’ve ever had!
Rom 8:37-Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
It reads IN ALL THESE THINGS, not some things ALL things. Anything that’s troubling your peace, anything that’s hindering you from moving forward, anything that comes against your health, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS!!!
Those without the Spirit of God within them can only comprehend things from a human perspective. But once we have received Christ as our Lord and Savior we have a Spiritual Understanding that can only be gained by being in relationship with God!
We must let go of our flesh and begin to think on heavenly things that please God.There is so much more that God wants to share with us. This next STRANGE PLACE will be for HIS GLORY! We will smile again from the inside out!