3.154 In Bitterness of Soul

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It is a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

I didn't intend for this week to be one full of powerful music, but I've got another one for you today if you want to listen to another song that's in my playlist. We're going to go straight into our verse for today because first the verse and then kind of the story around the song. This verse goes into Hannah's story now.

Another one who had plans for life and things didn't turn out the way that she intended them to turn out. In hers, we get a different side of things. She does end with a happy story, right, as she gets children and whatnot.

We get that. We get this moment inside of Hannah's life that I think is very similar to situations that we experienced at times in our life as well. It's in 1 Samuel 1:10, and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore.

My friends, I don't know if you've had those times that have just taken you to your knees in weeping and crying, crying out to the Lord. Maybe in those times you're in such bitterness of soul that you don't even feel like talking to the Lord. Maybe it's anger and hatred and frustration at things not turning out even though you're trying to do the best that you can.

But I love this verse because in that bitterness of soul she does turn to the Lord. I'm going to be talking about a very important book that I've been reading for a long time. I remember being alone in my hotel room on this trip and just breaking down and asking God to give me some direction in life and try to figure things out.

No one around, just me in the hotel room in Kenya. And my phone had been playing just my playlist of songs that I enjoy and on came this song, "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns. Please take some time to listen to it if you get an opportunity to.

And as I prayed to the Lord and had this song in the background going, I can tell you that that moment I allowed myself to just be held. And the Spirit of the Lord was so strong for me. I felt family members that had passed in my life.

I felt my grandparents that had been gone from my life. For a long time for some of them. My grandmother passed when I was five.

My grandfather passed when I was 12 and 14 at my age. And then my grandma that I basically grew up with, she had passed recently in the time of this trip as well. And the song and these words spoke to me to just turn it over to the Lord and be held.

I think this is what Hannah does in her story as well. She turns to the Lord in that bitterness of soul. She prays and asks for help and relief.

My friends, I can testify to you that the Lord hears our prayers whether they're prayers of rejoicing and gratitude and happiness, or they're prayers of frustration and bitterness of soul, weeping. Turn to the Lord, pray unto Him, seek for His direction and guidance. I promise you'll find it.

I promise He will come and He won't just come. He will bring angels to uplift and strengthen you, whether seen or unseen. I know that to be real and true from experiences in my own life.

That is all for today, my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this. Step forward in faith and let's be Savory Salt.

We will be here tomorrow and we hope you are too. God bless.