He is My All in All

  I've been feeling really discouraged about some things over the past few days. Really discouraged.  I've been sensing that life is actively trying to beat me down.  Things were going a little too well and Satan was getting uncomfortable.  I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.
  So tonight, I was thumbing through a Bible my dad had given me when I was thirteen.  I recently passed it along to my oldest son (11), but we keep it by our school books for family devotions.  I loved this Bible. Still do.  There are encouraging words and tidbits throughout the pages to help young minds understand Scriptures.  I have many handwritten notes in the margins.
  I was looking for a word or two of encouragement and I came across a passage I had underlined years ago:

"Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left nor fruit; though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength; he will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains." 

~ Habakkuk 3:17-19 (TLB)  

Bingo! Then, to add some more goodness onto this encouraging word, I noticed a blue star next to the last verse.  I looked over to the following page and saw some lyrics written in the same blue ink:

"You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all"  

 This was taken from the worship song "You Are My All in All" by Dennis Jernigan.  I remember singing it many times as a teen and young adult.  I haven't heard it in a while.  Reading those blue words on that page did something to me.  It brought me the comfort I longed for.  He IS my strength when I am weak. 

  Finally, I noticed a bit more of my teenage chicken scratch on the page.  I wrote my thoughts on the verses I had read; what I got out of them. "God will always be here for us, through thick and thin.  He will stick by our side."  Back then, I sort of understood things, or at least I tried, but I'm sure I had no clue of the impact those words would have on me in the future.  I truly believe the Lord used that moment and my naive hands to pen those words for this very night. God knew that I'd be hurting, worried, and worn down tonight.  He knew I would need to be uplifted, even in the smallest of ways.  He knew those words would touch my soul better than anything else and I am blown away!  

My Bible from my teenage years. :)

  God sees our pain: past, present, and future.  He feels for us and He wants to comfort us in ways that truly reach our souls.  He knows what we need.  He may not meet those needs in our timing, but He will meet those needs in His...perfect...timing.  He has given me not only encouragement and comfort tonight, but peace, hope, and joy.  The words I shared might mean absolutely nothing to you, but they spoke volumes to me.  The ways He reaches out to you might not relate to me, but they were tailored to fit you!  Isn't it amazing that He cares enough to speak to us in ways that we will hear and understand? Isn't it wonderful that He knows our hearts and just what we need when we need it?

  If you're struggling tonight, I encourage you to reach out to Him.  Pray, open your Bible, worship.... do whatever you need to do to connect with your Father and allow Him to speak to you in your special language.  I pray that you'll be encouraged and that you will use that encouragement to reach out to others who are hurting as well.  Share the love and light that is Jesus.  Use your experiences to be a beacon of hope for the hurting.  Blessings!

~Em