Crying Out To God

God takes our cries and turns it into shouts of joy. Through Jesus, we experience healing, eternity, and power over the enemy.

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

Encouraging Other Believers

When I traveled to the middle east, I had the privilege of meeting with refugees. Middle easterners are the most hospitable people and they taught me what a community should look like. When I left, I said if we added Jesus with their hospitality, revival would break out.

One day while visiting, a Christian family invited us into their home. The homes were apartments adapted from old storage units, although you would have never known it. Our leader/interpreter would visit the Christian refugee families once a week to encourage them. Much like how Paul did in the scriptures when he would write letters and visit communities to encourage other believers.

The culture there remains much like that of biblical times in other ways, too. They love a good story. Everywhere we went, our leader would ask for a story of how they had seen God move. His expectation for a new story touched me. It set an expectation to look for God moving in everything.

In this white walled living room, I sat on the black couch with those I traveled with, our leader and this extended family. They shared with us how they had to leave their country. The stories were graphic and terrifying. They involved rape, capture, murder, and the total devastation of their village. They brought phones out to show pictures of their return to look for their father. Words cannot express the heartache I felt for each person sitting before me. You could see the sting of pain etched in their eyes.

Words Of Encouragement

My mind raced with how to take this all in when I heard my name. The leader looked at me and asked me to give them words of encouragement. What do you say to something like this? I had no words that could bring comfort to this kind of pain and loss.

All I remember was thinking, I get to go home in a few days to my comfortable bed in my safe neighborhood. How do I have the right to offer words of comfort?

With all eyes on me, I prayed, God, give me your words. Honestly, I don’t remember what I said. I just know the words spoken came through the Spirit. I only remember them having something to do with Christ is the only one who can provide genuine comfort.

After I spoke, the matriarch in the room came over, placed her hands on my cheeks, and kissed my forehead. The leader saw my confusion and said that this is a sign of affection given to someone they truly care about. It was quite a humbling experience and I wish I knew what I said because there are many days I could use those words of encouragement.

However, their stories put many things into perspective. When a few months after returning home, my health declined the first time. The change in perspective they gave me helped me through the toughest of times when dealing with Lyme Disease. Most of all, instead of thinking, why me, God? I thought, ok God, what are you going to do with this?

Shouts Of Joy

“He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Psalm 126:6 ESV

The author of Psalm 126 wrote it as the Israelites returned from exile. Much like this family I met, and all the hard situations we find ourselves in, we want to experience the joy after the exile.

"He who goes out weeping shall return with shouts of joy." Psalm 126:6 Click To Tweet

We all face many types of trials and tribulations. Some seem much more extreme than others, and we often unintentionally compare our trials. It is important to remember what is happening to you, no matter how it compares to others, it is real for you and it is hard.

In trials, we shed tears and heartache, but when we cry before the King of kings and Lord of lords, His word does not come back void (Isaiah 55:11). He hears every cry (Psalm 55:17), every shout of our pain, and will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). He redeems the pain and turns it into shouts of joy.

His word does not come back void (Isaiah 55:11). He hears every cry (Psalm 55:17), every shout of our pain, and will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). He redeems the pain and turns it into shouts of joy. Click To Tweet

I know after God healed me the first time, songs of praise came alive to me. I wanted to shout the verses in church, especially the ones that had to do with healing. You can read about one of those songs here. He had heard my cries and restored my body and now I am going to watch Him do it again.

God Preserved A Remanent

The Israelites went into captivity because of their sin. Once they saw what happened, they wept. They mourned for what they had and lost.

You want to know one thing I love about God? He always preserved a remanent. Throughout Israel’s history, no matter how far off track they got, God preserved a remnant. Meaning, there were always a few that stayed true to the law. Even in the chaos that ensued under King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel, God raised up Elijah, Elisha, and the school of prophets. There were those that followed them and supported them even in the darkest days.

When foreign kings took Israel and Judah into captivity, there were still those who remained true to God. Daniel and Ezekial were in this group. We get to read their incredible stories in their books. God brought up Isaiah and Jeremiah, along with others. God led one to write Psalm 137 and the trials they faced, as well as Jeremiah writing the book of Lamentations.

No matter how dire things looked, God still had those who followed Him and were the ones to cry out to Him. As He always does, He heard their cry and brought them back home. He restored their weary souls in the same way He restores us and brings us home to Himself.

Hope For Today

Doesn’t this give hope to our world today? I find our world getting darker and darker and when I feel fear creeping in; I remember God has dealt with this before. He gave us stories of how He overcame the evil in our world. God even spoke prophecy of what will come and how He has already taken care of it.

We cannot forget the power of the cross. It was not just for healing, or just for salvation, Christ also conquered all efforts of the enemy. Satan still roams the Earth, trying to break as many of us as he can. Here is the “but” that I love…

But God…

Jesus conquered all on the cross. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 14:11).

God invites us to come before Him. To pour out our hearts. He then invites us to stand strong in the redemption He brings. Together, we can stand strong and know that anything that comes against us will not prosper. We have victory in all things through Jesus. Because of Jesus, we can shout for joy!