Category: Encouragement

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What He Has Planned

I officially began following shelter in place orders at the end of the school day on March 17th. The last day that I saw my students in the classroom was that day. While at the carpet, eleven little six-year-old faces (the parents of the others had decided to keep them home) stared at me, afraid that the whole world was going to get sick and die. Although they played with their friends at recess, enjoyed my corny first-grade jokes, and sang along with the first-grade phonics songs that I bombard them with each morning, I could tell they were worried. Things being the way they are in the public school setting, I couldn’t tell them how I really felt, so I tried to comfort them by telling them that the Coronavirus was not something they had to worry about, but that school was closing so that whatever was going on wouldn’t hurt their grandmas and grandpas. I could tell it helped a little, but not much. I could tell they were still afraid. This was all new to them. Shucks, it was new to me. I really didn’t know what to believe. One news station said one thing, another said something else. Actually, I still don’t know what to believe.

What I wanted to tell my little six years old, but really couldn’t, is spelled out in Isaiah 46:10-11. This scripture reads: I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east, I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do (NIV).

It fills my heart with such joy to read that scripture and know I don’t have to worry about tomorrow because the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, has complete control. It means that God turned to the last chapter in our story and is ordering our steps to direct us to an expected end. Doesn’t this give you a great sense of relief? This is what makes Jeremiah 29:11 so poignant. It reads: for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (KJV). God knows just where you and I are, and He has our end all planned out. As a single woman I wonder will that end include a husband. I wonder will that end include a new way of teaching that will see my working at home more than in the classroom. Whatever it includes, I know that God has it all set up, and it is in my best interest to let Him order my steps the way He chooses to. That means things may not always work out the way I want them to. It may mean I will shed some tears and even ask him ‘why me’. It may very well mean that everything I ever wanted in life, I will receive. Who knows? God knows. And it is for certain that what God has planned He will do, and there is nothing I can do but stand still and see the salvation and sovereignty of the Lord.

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Come, Ye Disconsolate

Sometimes it’s hard being a single woman. Many times it’s hard being a single mother. It’s even harder being a single mother/woman in uncertain times such as what we are living in today. This pandemic and the sickness and death surrounding it is devastating for so many. But even more prevalent than that, is this sense of despair and desolation that is chipping away at the hearts and minds of some of our sisters. Some are even beginning to ask, where is God? I want to assure you my sister, that God is near, as He has always been. Isaiah 55:6 says Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. With all that is going on in the world, now more than ever is the best time to call upon God. I know there may be some who have heard encouragement from others, and to you this may seem redundant, but I want to lay in your spirit that encouraging words from our Father God is never repetitive or redundant, it is empowering.

There is a song called Come Ye Disconsolate. It was written by Thomas Moore in 1816 and made more accepting and palatable by Thomas Hastings in 1831. Now I know what you’re thinking, there are more contemporary songs that I could use to get my point across, but I’ll tell you, there is nothing like an old hymn. The first stanza reads: Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish. Come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel. Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. When I began to research the words of this song, my heart was touched and I realized just how God’s message of mercy has reached out almost 300 years to ease our fears and doubts during times such as these. What is it that pastors say: He is the same yesterday, today, and forever? The God that shouldered the burdens of the people in the 19th century is the same God carrying our burdens right now.

The word disconsolate means to be without cheer, downtrodden, or desolate. The word languish means to grieve or spend time in sorrow. I would say that the lyrics of this song apply to many of us right now. For some who are single and all alone, away from family, not able to visit, you may be feeling disconsolate and in despair. Secretly you may be grieving for the loss of connection to others, the loss of a loved one, or loss of your finances. This season of life, with Covid 19 looming over us, can be a heavy burden to bear. But I like the lyrics that say when we are disconsolate all we have to do is come to the mercy seat and fervently kneel. In other words, all we need to do is come to our compassionate Father and fervently kneel in prayer. This is not the time for a cute prayer. It’s not about crossing every “t” and dotting every “i”. It’s ok if the words aren’t grammatically correct and snot falls from your nose. We can even bust out the ugly cry because this is all about connecting to God and calling upon His name. This is a passionate prayer knowing that He hears us and He wants to be there for us. There is a contemporary song by Earnest Pugh that says “God Wants to Heal You”, and it’s true. God wants to heal us, provide for us, and see us through. But He wants us to need Him and to call out to Him.

Thomas Moore, with the help of Thomas Hastings, goes on to tell us to bring our wounded hearts to God and tell Him of our anguish. We need to bring all of our troubles, our heartaches, our pains and disappointments, our sorrows and fears to Him, and tell Him of our distress. We need to cry out and tell Him where we hurt and what we’re afraid of. God wants to hear from us, not during commercials, not after one more thing, but first and foremost, closing out the world, concentrating on Him and Him alone, and with open hearts.

The last line of the song says Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. That’s a powerful message right there. My God! I want to run around this room right now, y’all. That right there says that there is no sorrow that this Earth lays at our feet, that God can’t heal, cannot take care of. It doesn’t mean that all of our problems will magically disappear, but it does mean that as we go through the fire, as the uncertainty of Covid 19 threatens our city, as people die all over the world, as food prices go up and we have to wear protective gear to go out to buy toilet paper, God will be with us. That right there is a blessing. That means that we can rest in the fact that God is in control of all of this, and even if the outcome is not the outcome that we want, He has the power to heal and comfort us through whatever comes along. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthian 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

Perhaps Covid 19 has turned your life upside down. Perhaps you may feel like living another day is just too much. I want to encourage you today to look toward heaven, fall to your knees in fervent prayer, open up your heart to God, and remember that Earth has NO sorrow, that heaven cannot heal.