The Key to Breakthrough

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." Psalm 22:3

If you were to be honest with yourself, you would admit that there have been times in your life when you waited for an answer from the Lord longer than you expected to wait. If you were to be really honest with yourself, you would admit that there were times in the waiting when you wanted to pull a David and shout to the heavens "Um, hey God its me... you remember me? Well I've been trying to get in touch with you for a few weeks and I was just wondering... where are you?" On top of our own doubts and insecurities, the enemy has a way of showing up in the critical moments and popping questions like...

"If your God is the provider he says he is, why can't you find a job?"

"If your God is really a healer, why have you been sick for so long with no cure?"

"If your God is a God of peace, where's that comfort you've been looking for?"

... and more times than not, we fall for it. The job we've been looking for doesn't open right away so we mentally cut out the portions of scripture that point to God as the provider. The pain doesn't subside when we think it should so we mentally throw out the passages on healing. Instead of comfort, fear increases in our hearts and minds so we discredit the Word on the issue of peace. Now even more than before, we feel forsaken by God.

Unfortunately, many of us stop here. We only read the first half of Psalm 22:3. All we hear David say is "My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest." Our ugly hearts rise up within us and say "Yeah! That's right David. Tell Him how we feel!" but we never stop to consider the second half of the verse. See David knew the key to breakthrough. He understood how to overcome his crisis. He follows up the expression of his feelings with a declaration of who God really is. "YET YOU ARE HOLY. Enthroned on the PRAISES of Israel." Worship... the key to overcoming crisis.

Two weeks ago, I was laying in a hospital feeling slightly less than awesome. I found myself crying out to God, praying fervently to feel better. After day 5, I was starting to wonder if the healing was ever going to come. I didn't feel like I was being healed at all! I could barely walk without feeling as though I was going to pass out on the floor. Then the enemy showed up with his famous line. "If your God is who he says he is..."  In that moment I knew. I knew I had to make the choice to either allow my circumstances to destroy my faith or allow my worship to take care of my circumstances. I could have let my flesh and spirit meet half way and worshipped God for the things I could see in the moment, but I chose to go all the way.

"God I worship you as the One who heals me. If I never, ever feel better, I know you are who you say you are. If this were to never pass I would still shout it from the rooftops that you are the God who heals."

Needless to say, I am not in the hospital anymore. In fact, I am feeling well enough to be write this blog from somewhere other than my bed. My breakthrough came when I chose the truth over my feelings. My breakthrough came when I worshipped God for who He really is and not for who my circumstances painted Him to be. What area of your life could use a breakthrough? If it's your finances, worship your God who provides. If it's your children, worship your God who holds the wisdom of a perfect father. If it's your heart full of fear, worship your God who IS peace. The breakthrough is coming... I promise.