MK forum

This really hit where I've been as we have been trying to figure out God's plan for us post-NTM. We resigned because we were taking a stand for grace for living the Christian life, vs needing counseling in order to be "restored to the Lord". I must have been thinking, in the back of my mind, that God allowed everything that happened to us to happen because he had a special task for us back in the States, and that we would be rewarded for standing up for spiritual truth. I say I must have been thinking that, because since things have not gone that way I have had times when I've felt pretty frustrated with God, even wanting to quit on it. ("You are not doing things the way you should. We took a stand for truth and no one in NTM gave a rip. Now we are back in the States just trying to figure out how we will survive financially. Our life focus, a focus which we thought was pleasing to You, has been taken away. And You seem pretty indifferent about it all.") God is just plain hard to get. He does not necessarily do what we think He is supposed to do. I've finally arrived at the conclusion that I'd rather keep going all out for a God who is just plain hard to get and might "ruin" my life, than give up on Him and have a pointless life. Even if my life does not seem to be rewarded in human terms for staying true to Him, atleast by holding onto Him I can still hold onto the belief that even though life hurts and makes no sense to me, God knows what He's doing and it will be all good in the end. Life with all its _____ is not bearable otherwise.

Yes, we are committed now! Committed to shining the light of truth. Clinging for dear life to faith and trust in the Only One we have found to be Trustworthy.
We're committed now. We won't be shushed any longer.
In Jesus' Name.
Amen.

Not exactly fitting all the qualifications for some other threads where writing is going on (those writers are a blessing to me, however!) I will put some of the Lord’s words that I have been reading lately here. I know that I and other abused people are not the context. But there has to be an application. It makes my heart sing!

Isaiah 61
2 To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor//
And the day of vengeance of our God,
To comfort all who mourn……..
3b To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
And a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord
For the display of His splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
And restore the places long devastated;
They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. …..
7 And everlasting joy will be theirs
8 For I, the Lord, love justice and I hate robbery and iniquity………
9 All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.

Isaiah 62
2b You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
A royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called “My Delight is in Her”

(not 'Hephzibah' which conjures up for me an old dried up spinster in England of the 1860’s, dressed in black crepe from her neck down to her toes, whose nephews and nieces are sent from India to live with her to do their schooling and they don’t WANT to be there)……

For the Lord will take delight in you……
12c And you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
(Sherpa, not Down and Out.)

Isaiah 61
10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation
And arrayed me in a robe of righteousness…….

FOR THE DISPLAY OF HIS SPLENDOR
A CROWN OF SPLENDOR IN THE LORD’S HAND
A ROYAL DIADEM IN THE HAND OF YOUR GOD
MY DELIGHT IS IN HER/ SOUGHT AFTER/ NO LONGER DESERTED

REBUILT/ RESTORED/ RENEWED

I like it all, Sherpa!
Glad you put revenge in quotes. Because I am looking for repentance. And my hope is in God.
Just went to a concert here by a group called Glorious and the theme was Wonder and Hope.
What a Christmas gift to us in this place!