Woman to Woman: Finding Your Way Through

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Isaiah 12 (KJV)

Demands, requests, responsibilities, all converged into the perfect storm; a storm so fierce, all vision of the way forward was obscured. Worse, buried by the onslaught, I felt unseen, lost in a heap of quandaries, with no hope of resolution. When you can't see the way through, where do you turn?

Sometimes I marvel at the Lord's wisdom in delaying His intervention in our lives. In His omniscience, He knows just how far to let us run before the proverbial rope comes to an end. This was one such a day. Struggling with a level of exhaustion I have not experienced in quite some time, this day greeted me with demands from every corner; personally, professionally and relationally. Of course "in the moment" all I saw was unnecessary chaos; but afterwards, a valuable, life changing lesson.

WHEN GOD'S WORD IS THE WAY FORWARD

Understanding the value of scripture memorization, I actively add verses and passages to my heart memory each week. Navigating my recent stormy day impressed upon my heart more firmly the need for imprinted scripture on my mind and heart. I memorized the above chapter from Isaiah last spring, and love returning to it! Little did I realize God would use the exact passage on that chaotic day, as He pulled me out of confusion and stood me upon a rock.

As much as I would love teaching this entire passage, I promise to share only the three truths the Lord impressed upon me that unruly day.

Ironically, God led me to two other passages where the phrase, "The LORD is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" is repeated.

In one instance my morning reading traveled through Psalm 118, when I paused at Psalm 118:14, and the second instance, a devotional I read quoted Exodus 15:2. Immediately I recognized the familiar words from Isaiah 12:2. When you can't see the way through, God's Word IS the way forward.

The LORD is Your Strength. Forsake self reliance; God's strength is made perfect in your weakness, you have nothing so He can provide everything, receiving all glory.

The LORD is Your Song. Deep calls unto deep. In the depth of your sorrow, cry out; outwardly, the pressures of trials and life weigh heavy, but deeper still is the love of God, which overcomes all sorrow and distress carrying them for you, away from you.

The LORD is Your Salvation. God not only rescued you from sin and the power of darkness, He continues His perfect work in and through you, delivering you from all your afflictions.

When you can't see the way through, remember, no matter what any day brings, everything sifts through God's hands of deliverance. (Psalm 34:19)

Lean hard into God and listen for His still small voice speaking His Word into your storm. Let deep call unto Deep, and the strength of Yahweh's covenant love will strengthen your heart, becoming your song and salvation.