Mighty To Save

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

There have been times in my life where people have spread some pretty gross things about me.
It happens.
It sucks.
It hurts.

Some of the things said about me were things I didn't even know I did; things, I wasn't even there to do. Some things I was even paid for. I haven't seen this money ...
Some things I could have been in movies ... and some things said were actually scences from movies ...

It stressed me to the point of severe migraines, rashes, even shingles. Yes, shingles. It's a derivative of the chicken pox; stemming from the nervous system and triggered by the immune system; which is triggered by some forms of stress.

I was in physical and emotional pain frequently.
In hind sight, I know the Lord was calling me back to him through all this pain.

During it, I wish, now I had had the Lord by my side.
During it, I wish I had had the courage to tell those people to stuff it.
I wish I had the nerve to confront them and ask them why.
I wish I had the stamina to show them the scars and the pain.

I didn't; but it's ok.
The Lord knows what was true and what wasn't.
The Lord knows the pain I endured; even though I wasn't living the life of a believer, I still belonged to him.

Now, in hindsight, I feel sorry for those who spoke ill of me.
I pitty them and ask God to show them mercy; they didn't know any better.
Well, maybe some of them did, but we're talking about in-bred, country folk red necks here, so .... I'm really not sure .... no offense. Real Jeff Foxworthy material; if ya know what I mean.

So, why did it effect me so much?
Because it involved what I loved.
What I loved to do.
What I thought I could do for the rest of my life.

Because of that pain, I have given up those dreams.
But I have not given up on God.

I am glad I went through that pain.
It caused me to focus on the Lord and not on others.
It forced me to see him for who he was and not look for ways to pay back those who injured me.
The Lord knew what he was doing and he loved me, even though it didn't feel like it at the time.

I feel sorry for those who betrayed me with their false freindship, lies, slander and loose lip gossip. I have pitty toward them now and I ask God to show mercy on them, as he did me.

Lord God, Guard the mouths of those who spread slander and gossip about the ones whom you love. Protect the ones whom you have called to spread your truth.
You are mighty to save, Lord. Mighty to save.