On a Journey of Self-Discovery and Spiritual Renewal #serenityprayer

Have you ever been through the journey of failed expectation? Have you ever been through the journey where you looked yourself in the mirror? You didn't like the face reflecting back to you, or perhaps you didn't recognize the face reflecting back to you? Perhaps you're in a place right now where you've lost the sense of identity. You lost the sense of who you are as a person. So welcome back to the Words for Change podcast, where we explore the power of words and how they inspire and heal and can transform. For those who don't know me, my name is Lionel and today's episode is close to my heart today for for many, many, many reasons that I would like to share with you. Some of you have noticed my absence and inconsistency with YouTube and, honestly, I've been away training and providing ministry to the people who rely on me to provide ministry for them. But during this time, god did something wonderful for me and gave me a time to reflect on my family, my personal relationships and my intentions and the behavior that flows from my intentions and, quite honestly, it's been an eyeopening journey for me and one that reminds me of the profound strength that comes from when we know who we are and why God put us on earth and why that matters and why it is important in our everyday life. But I want to share a quote with you that comes from Ryan Holden, neighbor, a theologian back in the 20th century, and he gave us a quote that many of you may be familiar with today, perhaps, or perhaps you're not, but his quote goes like this God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The wisdom to know the difference. I have a question for you. Have you ever been through the journey of failed expectation? Have you ever been through the journey where you looked yourself in the mirror and you didn't like the face reflecting back to you? Or perhaps you didn't recognize the face reflecting back to you? Think into the abyss of a new dark age, made more sinister and perhaps more proactive by the likes of Pervertis. Sorry, perhaps you're in a place right now where you've lost a sense of identity. You've lost a sense of who you are as a person. Perhaps nothing in life is going the way that you wanted to go, or you're feeling isolated, like no one cares about you. Even the people that are close to you seemingly can't understand you. Or perhaps you're feeling a deep sense of loneliness where you figured the best way to get through today is to not be here on this earth at all. Or perhaps your relationship is out of control and you don't know where to turn because you're concerned about will it even matter? Or maybe you have mental health struggles and you're going through a major life transition and you can't figure out how to deal with this. I like to call these barren places. So today I want to talk to you about from barrenness to blessing, from barrenness to blessing, and I want to share a scripture verse to you that will bring a little bit more clarity and has become a beacon of hope for me during my time away, as I really spent time reflecting on my intentions, why I do what I do, what's most important and where is God in a midst of these challenging situations. Because I'd be honest to tell you that I felt a sense of barrenness, a sense of not understanding myself, my purpose or even misguided, trying to follow the crowd instead of doing exactly what I was put on earth to do. I found myself in the barren place. But Isaiah 41, 18, says this God says to the prophet, then to the people. I will open rivers on barren heights and I will make springs in the midst of valleys and I will make the wilderness a pool of water and dry land Fountains of water. Here's what I need you to do. I need you to see your dryness and your challenges as a season where God is preparing you for future of faithfulness. I want you to see your challenges as God preparing you for a future of fruitfulness. So let's dive into the text so that we can understand. What is this text really mean and how is God's character being previewed through the text? Here's what makes it important. Number one we see that God's divine provision is being brought up in this text, that God's people in the time of spiritual barrenness, that God can still bring provision. So, no matter where you are and no matter what you're going through, your circumstances, do not have the last result. Number two the creation image that God, although has the power to create, watch this, god can also recreate and restore that God can take the thing that is barren and bring life back to it again. So, no matter where you are, God can take that barren situation or that dryness, dry situation and bring something out of it. Number four covenant faithfulness. Water is the image of God's covenant faithfulness. In other words, that God will do what God promised. Watch this. Not only what God promised to your forefathers and foremothers, but what God will do for you. So what God promised you, god may fulfill in your children's life. That, even though you're in a spirit of dryness, that God can renew your life and give you that faithfulness. So what God showed himself? That as we go through our discomforts, as we go through our bad decision making, as we go through our circumstances that are out of control, that when we trust God, we trust God for our future, not only our present, but our future hope. So we can lean on God. So for those of us who are listening to this and what? Here are the practical steps that you can use, that I believe not only that you can understand what the text is saying, but what does this mean for me in real life? How can I apply this Number one? In moments of solitude and challenges, the image of water in the desert is a reminder that our source is God, that God is our strength, that God will provide for us, that God will help us within and strengthen us and renew us. Watch this and give us not just a possibility but a promise that God will restore. Number two it's a reminder of God's support and God's provision. This verse is a metaphor for us who can expect God's support in unexpected places and through unexpected people. That God is causing you to recognize that, even when you're in the valley of despair, that God can bring hope, which is why the text in Psalm said that God is the lily in the valley. Number three this text talks about spiritual resiliency, those of us who lean on our faith. Isaiah 41, 18, offers a connection to divine care. That we can rely on God, that God has a history of providing for God's people, that God has provided for you in the past and God will provide for you in the future. Number four this text helps us to deal with stress and anxiety by reflecting on these powerful words. They they can inform us as a through meditation or through reframes or scripture reading or through prayer, to focus on God's transformational power in our struggle. Then, no matter where we are, god can transform us as we go through our struggle. And number five this text helps us to seek care and support, to look for people who can help us to look for people who can encourage us, to look for people who can share an understanding with us. It helps us to seek the promises of God. Just as Israel sought the promises of God as they went through their triumph, we can seek the promise of God as well. But watch this God also wants you to seek the promise of community, that you cannot do it alone. That if you reach out and it's okay to reach out and ask for help there are people who are there who are willing to help you through your struggle. And if you get nothing else from this video today whether that means reaching out to me by sending me an email and saying, hey, I would really, really love to connect with you really need some spiritual support. We're here to support you. That's why we do this, but we want the scripture to be our foundation by which we gain that support. So, as I wrap up this episode, I want to extend my heartfelt thank you to all of you for supporting the channel in our podcast. For those of my listening honors who are listening, I thank you so much for just your support through the years and I hope that this is a powerful reminder of the importance of community and how we support each other and how we can help each other get through tough times, as you have helped me and I am. Hopefully this information, this video, will help you get through a challenging time in your life. So, no matter where you are, no matter how dry your circumstance is, know that God is preparing you for a future of blessing. So thank you for tuning into the Words for Change podcast. I look forward to being with you in the future more consistently, to sharing stories, to sharing insights, inspiring words of resiliency and transformation that I believe derives from the scripture. So I wanted to thank you for that. I look forward to our continued communication together and, until next time, keep finding water in desert places. Talk to you soon, peace.