Declaring His Word
By Peggy Kleckner
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those
whose spirits have been crushed."
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
Have you been in a difficult, pressing place lately? A place where you can't seem to breathe, can't seem to put two sane thoughts together? A place where the waves of emotions, fears, doubts or heartaches just keep crashing in on you? Both your heart and mind begin to wonder, "Where is God?"
Darkness holds you as if you are its prisoner. Grief, depression and fear are like jackals that taunt you in your pit. They mock you - - demanding that you succumb to complete despair. You cry out and hear no answer. You no longer "feel" His presence.
But God has other plans for you in this hard and lonely place. Suddenly snippets of verses enter into your pit. Perhaps your long-held habit of opening your Bible every day brought them in? Perhaps a friend wrote one in an email to you? Perhaps you read it on a calendar or on a Facebook post? It doesn't matter; your mind took it in. The Spirt, His Spirit, within you can use those wonderful building blocks.
What can you do with the verse above? Declare it aloud to the enemy. Sing it back to your God! Lord, I can't "feel" you in this place. I can't "see" you in this place, and I truly don't like this place. But I will declare by your Word that you are close to me because your Word says so! You will save me and You are mighty to save. (Zephaniah 3:17)
Again and again, each and every day, take His Word and declare it until that Word of God dwells once again alive and full in you, beaming out loud and bright. Oh, there will be days when the words are but dust in your mouth. Days when everything in you seems to war against speaking His Word aloud - - declaring that which you are not experiencing.
Hold fast to your mustard seed of faith. For truly the Lord God is with you, and His plans are to prosper you in this wilderness... not to harm you. (Proverbs 29:11-14)
GOING DEEPER:
1. What snippet of His Word do you need to declare in your life today?
2. Is there a friend who needs a piece of bread from God's Word from you today to sustain them in a difficult place?
FURTHER READING:
Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.
