Sometimes the Path Seems Rough

Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 6:12 a.m. – The Lord put this song in my head:

There's Within My Heart a Melody / Luther B. Bridgers

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low:
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life's ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
Discord filled my heart with pain;
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See his footprints all the way.

Feasting on the riches of his grace,
Resting neath his sheltering wing,
Always looking on his smiling face,
That is why I shout and sing.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Hebrews 12:

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning Against Refusing God
14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."


My Understanding: God disciplines his children –

• Do not make light of his discipline
• Do not lose heart when he rebukes you
• The Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son
• Endure hardship as discipline – God is treating you as sons
• God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness
• No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful, later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it
• Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees
• Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed
• Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles
• Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
• Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
• Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart

Thank you, Jesus, for these words of exhortation and encouragement. Help me to remember that when I am going through difficult circumstances; when I am in pain; when the enemy is strongly opposing me; when I face persecution and rejection; and when adverse circumstances seem to overwhelm me that you are near, that you never leave me or forsake me and that you have allowed these painful trials for your purposes in my life for my good, in order that I might share in your holiness.

I’m reading “Overcoming The Adversary – Warfare Praying Against Demon Activity.” This is one of the warfare prayers in the book at the end of chapter two:

“Loving heavenly Father, enable me to keep all things within the perspective of Your sovereignty. Grant to me the wisdom to know that the fierceness of the battle is not evidence of defeat. Help me to thank and praise You for Your purpose in each phase of the battle. I reject all of Satan’s purpose for his attack upon me, but I accept all of Your sovereign plan and purpose. I thank You for what You are doing by allowing Satan’s kingdom to war against me. Use the battle to refine, to deepen, to mature, to humble, and to build my faith.

“Grant to me the insight and understanding to know my victory. I desire that the roots of my assurance of victory would go down deeply into the essential doctrines of Your Word. I want to see myself as being invincibly strong through my union with Christ, the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, the wholeness of Your provided armor, and the allness of prayer. Teach me how to appropriate my victory in a practical, daily practice. These things I ask in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

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Resource: Overcoming the Adversary: Warfare Praying Against Demon Activity: Copyright 1984 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago