Break It Down So I Can Get It

by Cindy Frauenheim

Sue’s post on Tuesday really spoke to me. I have been in that same “down” place lately, with no real apparent reason. My kids are both here, not heading off to college like Sue’s daughter. Life is generally good. I find that my recent weeks, however, are filled with lots of getting things done, and yet more seems to pile on. I yearn for more downtime. I have also had to repent of coveting and a lack of patience. I am purposing this New Year to be in the Word more faithfully. Maybe the Enemy is trying to sap my energy with “stuff” and get me emotionally tired so that I will not be in the Word. So I went to the verses from Tuesday’s post to break them down and simplify a bit.

What are the promises or rewards mentioned? They are renewed strength, soaring, and refuge under the covering of His wings. Yes, I could use those!

What brings about those rewards and promises? Do you see it?

“…Those who hope in the Lord…” (from Isaiah 40:31)

“…my God, in Whom I trust…” (from Psalm 91:2, 4)

We can break it down to hope and trust. The more I analyze scripture to figure out what my responsibilities are, it’s amazing how often these two show up. So as I drove around that day, I kept reminding myself to put my hope and my trust in the Lord, and asking the Lord to give me his strength and refuge.

I always find that the promises, usually more than one, always outweigh the required action(s) on my part. Here is another scripture that has been precious to me for several months, beginning last spring. Notice how lopsided it is in our favor:

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8.

My part: I am to put my trust and my confidence in the Lord.

What for? I will receive blessing. I will be strong and healthy like a well-watered tree, rooted and secure. I will have no fear, even when it’s scary. I will not wither (spiritually speaking!) and there will always be fruit evident in my life. On top of that, I will not worry even in the hardest of times!

Wow! That’s an amazing list of promises. And it all comes back to where my trust and confidence lies. That’s enough to ponder for days, isn’t it?

Okay, this may seem like kind of a mechanical way to look at scripture, but sometimes I just need to take away the basic underlying message to get my attitude and heart adjusted. Try it with the scripture God shows you this week. Another common responsibility or “our part” that shows up opposite great blessing is obedience. I am not advocating a “works” theology here – that if (and only if) we just do these one or two things then God will do this other list of things for us. His word is clear that that’s not how God operates. Faith and works both have a role in our relationship with Him. What this exercise does for me is that it shows me just how gracious, merciful, loving, and over-the-top God is! And it also helps me to get out of an emotional and spiritual rut by simplifying the scripture down to a simple principle or truth that I can remember more easily. I love the beauty of the scriptures, and the Psalms especially, but I also find it helpful to take it apart and “reduce” it to its simplest form. An added benefit is that this process also helps me to memorize scripture more easily. I can recall it by asking, “What are my two parts, and what five things does God do in response?”

When I am tired, downcast, or just in a bad mood, simple is good for me. I am more likely to hold on to the simple than the complex. There is a time for that as well. Just not today.

Lord, thank you for your amazing promises, and for your love for us that is the basis for all of them. Thank you for the gift of your Word and for the freedom we have to read it, discuss it, and break it down together. Show me where I need to make changes in whom and what I trust, and how to put my hope in you in practical ways in my life. Thank you that you renew my strength.