Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Have you ever been so excited about something that you were pushing so hard for only to have it abruptly end? Then what happens when those dreams you could clearly see a minute ago are now covered in shadows or have completely disappeared? Maybe after making some progress you find yourself still stuck in a negative cycle that just doesn’t want to end?
There are many times in life when we have the worst-case scenario come true. It seems like you went from your highest mountain to your lowest valley in .6 seconds and all the air gets sucked out of your lungs. The job or promotion that didn’t come through, when every door that we knock on either does not open or is slammed in our faces, or that person you cared so deeply about is no longer in your life.
We see pictures of the players hoping to win a championship after losing the big game or the star getting hurt never to take the field again. Even the times where you take the next step toward your goal, but it doesn’t seem to have changed anything. You completed school but are still without a job, you have made the contacts but still feel like you are alone, or put in the dedication but told you won’t get a shot at the next level. I’m sure we can all come up with many more of our own personal real life situations.
When anything like this happens, it is very easy for us to become dejected, lose faith, or just want to give up. These feelings are only enhanced when the negative circumstance comes out of no where knocking the wind out of us. What we do next is very important because it could set the tone for not just the short term, but our long term future as well.
I have been through many different trials throughout my life from the minor set back to trying to put the pieces back together. Sometimes it’s like sitting around that nice warm fire which feels so pleasant till there are no more logs or even a stick to throw on to keep it going. Even worse, someone could begin stomping on it or a torrent of water comes out of nowhere.
The fire that had been burning so brightly is now just smoldering, but this does not mean that we have no hope or the dream is gone. Most times when a fire looks like it is out you have to investigate further, because underneath the surface there may still be hot embers. History is filled with stories of how a fire that had been out for days reignites to burn again and life is no different.
We can’t let go of the passion that we have inside ourselves or lose sight of the dreams we have. There has been many times that I have been through the different levels of disappointment and dejection and I have to admit that I thought I may never catch a break. One of the greatest lessons I had to learn was that I was looking at things from a purely selfish standpoint that often focuses on the negative. How was I affected, what was in it for me, or the ever popular why me became dominant questions.
I had to discover that there are larger forces at work and I needed to change where I was looking. Like rediscovering that ember which is still burning, I had to include another source for my strength and encouragement. I had to turn back to the Lord to help me rekindle the passion I had lost and fan the flames of the future I felt was waiting for me.
It is far to easy to forget that God loves us no matter what we have done and we can always come back to him to find the answers that we seek. One of my favorite scriptures for this reminder is Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
I know that the times I faithfully pray to the Lord for guidance or search the scriptures for answers I find them. Even though there were times I felt that God was not listening He is still there. We have to understand that God has a plan for us in His timing, but we have to ask the right questions, live as we should, and do our part or we may miss where he is leading us. That’s when we could still feel helpless, dejected, or alone and wondering why.
I can safely say that there were times in my life when I was not following His path and something was always going wrong that kept putting my fire out. This left me searching in the darkness without any peace to be found. Once I got right again with the Lord, I have found many embers still smoldering waiting for the right time to be rediscovered.
You can do the same thing if you go to the Lord as you should to find what you are seeking. No demands, no empty promises, or no selfish requests, just a sincere conversation with the Father as in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
It’s time to sift through the ashes to find those long forgotten embers so you can rekindle your dreams and bring that past passion back into your life. If you are having trouble finding them, humbly ask God for where to look and the strength to keep searching. As you spend some time with the Lord, you begin to find those answers and to see that exciting future that He has for you. As you do, please also enjoy “At the Fire Ring (Part II).”
AT THE FIRE RING (PART II)
Lord, the fire is subsiding and the heat quickly begins to drop,
It is like air escaping from a balloon and the flow I cannot stop.
What started out with such momentum seems to really be opposed,
The discouragement is mounting finding so many doors were closed.
As I feel my confidence begin to wane with my feet on unsteady ground,
I keep searching for another log to throw on but there are none to be found.
The passion that was burning so hot is now covered in a layer of doubt,
The fire is now reduced to smoldering embers that will soon go out.
Dear child, do not be discouraged fore the fire is still burning,
This fight is far from over because inside there is still a yearning.
You must lift your head and take My hand to climb upon My rock,
I will give you strength to persevere and those doors will soon unlock.
Your confidence will quickly return with your feet on steady ground,
And if you remain inside My Word there is always more fuel to be found.
The faith you keep inside your heart will definitely see you through,
Remember as the flames begin to rise again I am sitting next to you.
Simple Faith Christian
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Simple Faith Christian 