Walking Through It

There is a song about that “feeling of Christmas”, where joy and fun and delight are “in the air”.

Sitting quietly by the fire this morning (as I often do now in winter), I am aware of friends and people I love who are in so much pain that “feeling” is not a place they want to be. There is little joy, little sense of hope or future, and deep in their soul the canyon between love and abandonment widens. How I have known that place too. And so I read the words of a man who knew the feelings of celebration, but the agony of painful places that life required him to be. These words often whispered hope to me in the dark places, and now sitting in the Light they speak Truth and I hold them as a precious gift. I hold onto Yeshua who whispers them on the wind, the Ruach – Spirit breathed on, into. And I re-read these beautiful words Isaiah wrote:

But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they are going.
I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country.
I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.
These are the things I’ll be doing for them – sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute

Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re in between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end –
Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour.
I paid a huge price for you…
That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
So don’t be afraid: I’m with you.