Tell Me The Cares Of Your Heart And I Will Give You Peace

We are already in the fifth week of school and so much has changed, is going to change, or needs to change. I had a conversation with a friend the other day and I guess I was suppressing all that was going on in my life because the way he looked at me whenever I was telling him what was going on in my day showed literal empathy and sadness for me, which I was not expecting. Now I will say my life is not a terrible or an unfortunate series of events, but truly my heart is overrun with things that need to be given to the Lord. I'm exhausted, as I'm sure the rest of you are too with having to deal with the trials that this world dishes out so easily, but trying to make things right with others and even trying to make things right within yourself is a tall task that cannot be fulfilled on your own. You need the Lord and He wants you to need Him too. 

I help with a women's ministry on campus and this semester our study is on Ephesians. In the first chapter there is a prayer in verses 15-19 and it is a prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide you and that He would help you to know there is life after this. This is a wonderful prayer and is honestly something we probably should be praying over all the believers we come in contact with because you have no idea what kind of battles they are fighting much less how they are fighting them. We are called to praise His name but you can get weighted down especially when your heart is not in the right place. Fear has always been something that has overrun my heart: fear that I'm going fail, say the wrong thing, not be enough, or literally fall down. Satan does a good job of reminding me of this fear by using other people, situations, or even words that come out of someones mouths that are not intended to be harmful. It consumes me in a way that is not healthy nor is it something that I would wish on my worst enemy. That being said, my peace this semester has been so much stronger than the years before. He is working and there is hope for the future you just have to be patient enough to see it and really experience it.

This is a hard thing to process because I completely understand everyone wants instantaneous relief from their troubles but God wants to grow you through the different experiences of the world. They grow you in a way that strengthens your testimony and your devotion to God. I think of the TV show the chosen where "Little John" is asking Jesus why He hasn't healed him from his inability to walk right. Jesus replies that if He were to cure everybody how would they learn of the gospel, this is "Little John's" testimony. He is able to tell others that he meets that Jesus is the one who matters, not what worldly things He can give you, like the ability to walk. Regardless of how good or bad your life is, I know something is on your heart that needs to be turned over to God. Something that has consumed parts of your day where you could experience the fruit of the Lord's Spirit but instead experience things that are not from Him. Friends when you give Him the cares of your heart you might not experience immediate relief but you do have someone who cares and is in the storm with you. "Little John" knew what that looked like and he followed Jesus until his death as a martyr even with a bad leg, will you do the same? 

May the peace and love of God be with you always,

Leah Carpenter