Morning by Morning, February 29 - Lifted Up and Broken Free!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord and Savior, make me more like You today. ...
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those He redeemed from trouble.... Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of the God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder! Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind. For He shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron!" (Psalm 107:1-16)
Though You've saved us and redeemed us, we can still suffer and struggle through the troubles and trials, the bruises and battles of life in this broken, fallen world. We're not home yet. So we all need Your steadfast love that never fails and Your tender mercies that endure forever. We all need Jesus every day.
Sometimes we get stuck. Sometimes we feel imprisoned by the things we've done or taken captive by the things done to us. Sometimes we feel weary and exhausted, hopeless and afraid, condemned and ashamed, rejected and alone. We give in to addictions and give up to failure. We forget our identity and squander our destiny. We try to take control in our own power, in our own will, and our on way, pushing back against Your Word and spurning Your grace. Sometimes we don't even realize we are; we're just trying to survive however we can behind our doors of bronze and self-imprisoned behind our bars of iron. But though our feelings are true, because are our feelings, good or bad, You're greater than our feelings; You're mightier than our failures. You said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NKJV). Your Word says we can overcome in the power of Your grace because "the One who is in (us) is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Praise God!
So Your Spirit stirs inside us and rises up within us. We cry out to You, O Lord, in our trouble and call upon Your name in our distress. You hear from heaven and break into our hearts. You send forth Your word to heal our hurts and break our chains; You stretch out You hand to take hold of our hope and "deliver (us) from destruction" (Psalm 107:19-20). Sometimes we wake up to the dawn of new day and the battle is done, Sometimes the battle rages on. But either way, something changes in us every time we call on Your name and put our trust in You. We remember Your promise You never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). And we know Your Word is true and will never fail that though we go through the rising tides, we'll not be overwhelmed and through the burning fires, we'll not be consumed, for You are with us (Isaiah 43:1-5).
So let us thank the Lord and tell of You're the mighty power of Your love and mercy and grace! (Psalm 107:21) Let us call on Your name and cry out to You! It's when we humble ourselves in Your sight and call on Your name in faith that You lift us up so we can feel Your embrace once again (James 4:10). We humble ourselves under Your mighty hand, that You may lift us up; and we cast all our anxiety on You, because You care for us" (1 Peter 5:6-7). And if God be for us, who can stand against us! (Romans 8:31) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
