56

Psalm 18:35, 36

"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip."

Everyone has a process. Every person goes through good times and bad times differently than the next. And when you walk with Jesus, you come to realize that He uses different ways to get you to the place and person He needs you to be. Let's establish that this God we know is very kind and generous and compassionate and loving. He is someone to love. He let Himself be killed to rescue us from a life of hopelessness. His Holy Spirit holds us up when our spirits our breaking. I also know that this same God is big and justice-centric and could wipe us and the entire planet out with one lift of his little pinky. He did it once and He has the power to do it again.

David wrote this Psalm in the middle of a battle. So it's interesting to me that He includes this side of God's gentle counseling method. God's gentleness makes us great. It seems like an oxymoron that someone uses gentleness to make us strong. It goes against the norm of a "boot camp" or "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger...." mentality. Sometimes when things are going bad, and life seems to be falling apart, God uses His compassion and tenderness to bring you to a place of strength and patience. It seems painful now but on the other side of it you will be braver and stronger. I have been through times when God has used "tough love" to get me to a place of maturity in my heart and soul. Other times He has sent people to cradle me back to life, and provided the most undeserved and gracious outs to the nightmare I am in. He is so smart, even if you think He has it all wrong, remember He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what you need to get you through the bad hand you've been dealt this time around. He will open up the path you are walking on, and it won't seem so narrow and dangerous. You will see things clearly very soon. You are strong.