Lord, as I enter into Your Presence today, I am carrying so much that is weighing heavily on my heart. The reality of our choices and circumstances seem to have caused great consequences. It unearths in me the feelings I sorted through nearly three years ago, as we found that we had no other route, but bankruptcy.
And You carried us through.
We are nearly to the dismissal.
GOOD has come out of it. Truly.
Yet, also bad. The feelings of shame and fear would like to creep back upon me, taking permanent residence. What we had hoped would happen (and still could, with a small glimmer of hope) has been derailed by the word on our file–Bankruptcy. Oh. Sigh! And tears. Again on my face on the floor before You, asking for Your help, as we sift through the rubble of it.
Consequences, indeed!
Oh, but then, LORD? I am reminded that I am not alone. All of our files that lay before You say BANKRUPT. We are all empty and sinful. We have all born this mark, as long as we are here in this planet, we are bankrupt.
Then, Jesus came!~
And He applied mercy and grace in abundance.
And He spoke on our behalf and bore the BANKRUPT title…for me and for you.
He stood in the gap and said, NO MORE!
No more shall this name be yours, child.
No more shall you stand still in terror.
No more shall your hands be tied in absolute defenselessness.
I AM your defense.
I BORE your sins.
I REMOVED them as far as the east is from the west.
And NO MATTER what consequences may come, I shall trump them and make them GOOD.
I LOVE YOU, CHILD. Rest in that. Rest in me. Come climb up on my lap. Let Me apply my thoughts to your thoughts (Isaiah 26:3) and show you a better way.
So I have been bowed low. Yes. And sometimes, it hits me afresh with grief. But I am not alone in that grief. Jesus shares it–and redefines it. That is why we come into His Presence, daily, moment-by-moment. There, and there only, may we experience the GREAT EXCHANGE. His death and resurrection for our sake makes a WORLD of DIFFERENCE in a day.
Amen.
