“I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held
high”
Leviticus 26:13 NIV
I love going early to the garden. I love going midday to the garden and
I love going to the garden in the evening. For me the garden is such a
place of beauty. Today is no exception. The azaleas are especially pretty this
time of year. Some of the azaleas bloom early in April and still others flaunt
their beautiful bonnets on into May. They add striking bursts of color to the
shaded garden. There is such a variety of color among the azaleas. Blooms of
soft pastel pink graduate to a vibrant hot pink punctuating the garden
landscape. Creamy peach blossoms and deep melon blooms welcome all who will
pause to enjoy their beauty. Pure white, lavender, and deep purple accentuate
this color palette with royal beauty. But my all-time favorite is a deep pink azalea
that always makes me say, “Beautiful, just beautiful!” The garden is not only a
place of beauty, it is also a place of amazing hope!
Even when we know the Lord, life has a way of pulling us down. It
seems I often forget that I am a jar of clay, fragile and easily shattered. Joy
can rule deep within my heart because of the constant love of Jesus. Yet,
emotions are all up and down the chart when it comes to external happiness.
When those we care about suffer, we feel sad and helpless. When the
weather is dull and drab for days we can become unmotivated and depressed.
Overload at work sometimes makes us feel that we have been taken advantage of
and dumped on. Prolonged physical problems leave us feeling weak and weary.
Other times our plans must be changed and we feel disappointed.
Sometimes our emotions push us to an entirely different level. The
words of another have wounded us. Negative comments and judgmental opinions of
others directed toward us can crush our spirit and break our heart. At time we
feel unappreciated and devalued. We long to hear words from another that let us
know they love us, respect us, value us, cherish us, and support us. Unfortunately,
in many cases those words never come.
Ever so often we walk into a situation that leaves us totally broken.
It is a “yoke” of loss that is next to unbearable. But this too is a time when
God wants to draw us near and lift our heads. We can depend on God to come
through for us and heal our broken heart. “I
broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” Leviticus
26:13 NIV
There is so much hope to be experienced when we go to the garden of our
heart and sit at the feet of Jesus. Second Corinthians 7:6 says, “But
God, who comforts the downcast…” God
is the lifter of my head. No matter
what is going on in your life there is still hope. The very words “but God” is the precursor to hope. It
is God who is able to bring comfort to my wounded emotions, my downcast spirit,
and my broken heart. The Psalmist asks,”
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in
God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. “Psalm 42:5 NIV
There is absolutely no better remedy for raw emotions, hurt feelings, a
downcast spirit, disturbing events in life, or a broken heart than to sit for a
spell in the garden with the Lord. Enter the garden, look over the fence
and lift up your eyes to the hills. Feasting on the mountains will work just as
well and without a doubt you will find help, strength, comfort, healing, and
peace. Allow the Lord to lavish his love upon you. He will take your face in
his hands and lift your head. He will dry your tears and fill you with his joy.
He will minister to you and give you both help and hope. “I Lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help
comes from the LORD the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
You will eventually leave the garden and go back to the same
circumstance that sent you here in the first place, but now you will feel
different because you are filled with hope. You can face today, tomorrow,
and the days ahead because the Maker of heaven and earth will sustain you.
Circumstances seldom change but our outlook regarding those
circumstances does change. Time spent in honest prayer before the Lord will
always lift you higher. Jesus will whisper words into your thoughts and tell
you where you need to change and what you must overlook. He will teach you
about compassion and mercy and you will be able to graciously move on. I love
so much that Jesus is the lifter of my head! What a verbal picture of what it
is that my Lord is able to do for me.
Questions:
- Are you currently walking around despondently looking at you toes?
- Are you going through your day with your chin up but your spirit crushed?
- Are you hiding behind a fake smile as you go about daily responsibilities, yet when you are alone you cry?
- Are you one of those tough guys who never cries but yet you contemplate ways to escape the heaviness that sits on your spirit?
- Are you in need of hope?
- When was the last time you went alone to the garden so that Jesus Christ could lift your head?
- Is there a better solution? I think not.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
How is it possible that my hope
for eternal life is sure because I am your child and yet, not always, but
sometimes I feel hopeless about the events surrounding my life? Forgive me when
I allow people to bring me down. Forgive me when I forget to ask you to lift my
head. I confess that most days are good, yet sometimes when I least expect it,
Satan catches me off guard and tries to drag me into dark moments. But you Lord
are the light of my life and my salvation. Who shall I fear? Who shall steal my
joy? Your Word is a lamp into my feet and a light unto my path. You allow
sadness but lace it with comfort. You allow others to speak hurtful words, but
you redirect me to your Word. You take my overload and help me to set
priorities and simplify my life. You show me the difference between what the
world says is important and what you say is eternal. I thank you Lord for
always standing near. How amazing that you are indeed only a prayer away. This
day I choose you over discouragement, depression, despair, disgrace, and
discontentment. With all my heart, I thank you Jesus that you are the lifter of
my head.
It is in your name I pray. Amen
