Lessons from Hinds Feet - Walking in the Mist

Hannah Hurnard’s book Hinds’ Feet on High Places is one of my all-time favorite books.  Hannah Hurnard wrote a spiritual allegory about a woman named Much Afraid who accepts an invitation from The Shepherd to take a difficult journey to the High Places.  The Shepherd represents Jesus Christ.  The High Places represents a destination of spiritual growth and maturity, not heaven.  Much Afraid’s constant and faithful companions throughout her journey are Sorrow and Suffering.  Much Afraid has “fearing relatives” who miserably taunt her all throughout her journey and tempt her to give up and return to them.  Since 2004, I have read and re-read the story of Much Afraid on her journey to the High Places, and it has inspired and encouraged me every time.  I feel a kindred spirit with Hannah Hurnard because she also believed in God’s ultimate salvation of all mankind. 

http://pixdaus.com/path-in-the-misty-woods-mist-path-trail-woods/items/view/202167/ 

This lesson is based on Chapter 12, titled "In the Mist". 

(All quotations are from that chapter.)  

Daily Truth - Feelings Lead Us to Choices

We may not have a choice in how something makes us feel, but we always have a choice in how we react to that feeling. There is a difference between feelings and actions.  They are not one and the same.  

How we feel is something which remains within us and only affects us until we choose to act on those feelings.  We hold the stone of our feelings within our personal grasp.  Once we act on our feelings, all the people who come into contact with us are also affected by our actions, as also will be our present and future life.  We throw the stone into the water and there is a rippling effect of great proportion. The ripples go beyond our sight and cannot be undone and gathered back.

Regardless of whatever feelings the circumstances cause us to feel, we do not have to choose to act in sin—against others or against God.

Quote - God Holds and Enfolds

“In all humanity’s religions, man reaches after God.
But in all His relationships, God reaches for man.

Reaches for you who have fallen and scraped your heart raw,

for you who feel the shame of words that have snaked off your tongue and poisoned corners of your life,

for you who keep trying to cover up pain with perfectionism…

...God refuses to give up on you.
...God looks for you when you’re feeling lost,
...God seeks you out when you’re down,
...God calls for you when you feel cast aside.

He doesn’t run down the rebel.
He doesn’t strike down the sinner.
He doesn’t flog the failure…

no matter what the day holds, how the season unfolds,

God holds and enfolds…”

(Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift pg. 23)

A song of crying out to the Lord for help

When I am facing really hard times and I feel helpless and distraught, this is one of the songs I often sing as a prayer.  It always brings me comfort.

"I love the Lord, He heard my cry, and pitied every groan...
As long as I live and troubles rise, I will hasten to His throne"

When there is nowhere else to go, I know I can go to Him to find the comfort I need. So I will always hasten to His throne...

A song about God's sovereignty

Back in January, I heard this song for the first time and fell in love with it.  On that particular day, it randomly played first on my Spotify as I chose to listen to random worship music.  As far as I could recall, I had never heard it before.  After hearing it the first time, I replayed it many more times because on that day, it was the perfect song at the perfectly needed moment.

I totally believe in God's *complete* sovereignty over all. By no means is it always easy to accept, not at all.  Yet, I do believe He is truly sovereign.

Related post:

Daily Truth - The Counsel of God's Will

Daily Truth – We Will Experience More Than We Can Handle

Life can bring the greatest joys and the most painful sufferings.

 
Recently, I've seen two different Facebook friends share two different articles speaking of how God does give us more than we can handle. It is true.

The phrase "God will not give you more than you can handle" is a man made cliche. It is a man made lie.  The Scriptures say no such thing. In fact, they say quite the opposite.

If you want quick proof, read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10:

"For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us..."

If you'd like to do some further reading about this subject, I’ve listed below some related links. One of them is from a woman who just went through the death of her father, and the other one is my own thoughts about the truth that in life we are afflicted beyond what we feel we can bear.

Related posts:

Where is God when Bad Things Happen series on this site
God will give you more than you can handle: I guarantee it by Kayla Lemmon