By Zethu Zwane
Thank You Lord God Almighty for this Joyful Season! I’ve lived with depression and anxiety for years. They were unwanted roommates. You taught me Your strength is made perfect in weakness. That’s how I learned to persever in bullying and rejection. I found laughter in the midst oppression and mistreatment. Then I did fast Lord that released shackles of depression. You broke generational chains. You conquered it all for me giving me peace for the first time in decades. Lord you’re Mighty! Yet today Lord You’ve blessed me with Joy. There’s still problems, but Lord You are Perfect! Lord Wow thank You For Joy! Who is Joy? What does she eat or drink? What’s her posture in prayer? For more on why I love the Jehovah Raapha like a circle read on.
I have persevered. For the past 5 years, I’ve lived in depression and anxiety. I was bullied and I also struggled with unforgiveness. It’s that people couldnt see there were days I felt like I was suffocating due to the unkindness and reaction I faced. Yet I thank God for holding me. Thank You Lord for being a place of refuge and healing.
I love the Lord like a Circle because I wholeheartedly know what Joseph feels when he burst out crying upon seeing his brothers. The Bible says the whole of Pharaoh’s house and his servants heard Joseph cry.
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Jospeh replies to his brothers that they should not feel guilty for the past because every pain suffered was to glorify God. I feel like this today. You’ll notice a few months back, I wrote an article about feeling like Joseph in prison. That’s because I was tired of people pretending to help me, only to give up 2% of the way. This is how I described them; they are like someone who offers to braid my hair.
People only have patience to Braid 1 strand of hair
These people used to come to me seeing my struggles, and would offer to help. They said I needed to look presentable to the world, so I would sit down waiting to be braided. However, after braiding 1 strand of hair, they would disappear. Months would go by and I would be waiting for my hair to be finished.
You understand right? Yet if it were not for those people, I wouldn’t have gotten on my knees to pray. I wouldn’t have spend those many months running to God. Like my little puppy, which they killed, I wanted to run to God because God is consistent.
I’ve faced so much malicious, bullying, unkind and rejection. If it were not for those moments, I wouldn’t know God like I know Him today. That’s why I can empathize with Joseph. I know the deep cry Joseph felt because I also cried this cry. It’s a cry for joy. It’s a cry for relief that yes God has held me with His righteous Right hand in all circumstances.
I love Your Lord for You Are a Mighty Fortress
Yahweh never left me nor forsaked me. I also understand there are a multitude of Christians who’ve experienced God in Joy. Day 1 they saw God from loving and joyful eyes. I love their testimonies because it used to remind me that this season is not permanent. Their testimonies reminded me that rejection, abandonment or depression is not a permanent state of being.
Yet if it wasn’t for the rejection I faced, I wouldn’t know that it’s better to trust in God than people. I believe trusting in God more than people is empowering. I the Lord like a circle because trusting Him reduces my desperation to seek human help. Sometimes desperation opens you up to following idol worship and false teachings like affirmations.
Many times I even hate seeking the help of people. Especially in this season where so many are desperate. Such a season of recovery where so many are affected by the economic depression means there’s more hurt. People are not what they used to be. Yet I pray it’s just a season.
When Malicious times bring you closer to God
We saw homes burning down and neighbors didn’t help. Now the homes stand bruised with memories that no one came to help. Everyone has their hand out, but who is helpful? In moments like this I wanted people to pray with me, not pretend to help. At the same time, if it wasn’t for this harsh season, I wouldn’t have layed on the ground yearning for God’s hands. So many prayers have been spoken on my knees or laying on the ground, and I have no regrets because my Saviour has answered me.
Like I’ve said before, there were times I just wanted to run away from humans and be in God’s presence. I was full of words, but didn’t know how to place them in prayer. That’s why I would curl up in a ball on the ground. I wanted to stay in His presence. I wanted to stay where I kneeled to pray. That’s because in a world of inconsistency, God was consistent. God is faithful.
God, I love You like a circle because You are the same Today, tomorrow, forever. These were my prayers. I used to pray this after seeing the inconsistent nature of people. I was used to rejection, but I actually hate people’s attempt to help more. Ironically I am like these poeple; stuck in my own world looking for solution fot myself and my family.
You and I are the same, that’s why you need to forgive
That’s why reminding myself that we’re the same helped me for forgive. Forgiveness is important because you’ll treat people the same way that treated you. A grudge or resentment is a nasty poison because without knowing it you can reflect the worst of the world.
Why do this when God’s love will help you cover a multitude of sins? Then again It’s hard to be fair. It’s hard to be righteous. It’s hard empathize with everyone, because you won’t understand everyone.
In one day you’ll understand 200 people, but refuse to understand the one. Doesn’t this make God even greater because He knows you and me. He understands 8 billion of us! And the best part is He never grows tired. God has answered my silly prayers and big prayers. He has answered all my prayers because there’s nothing too big for God.
Season of Joy
I love the Lord like a circle today because it’s the first time in my life where I’m bursting in Joy. It’s so strange because I’ve known my neighbor depression more than I know Joy. I learned how to be joyful in depression, bullying and rejection. Who is this neighbor Joy? Today everyone around me is Joy and I can’t contain this happiness.
I even struggled praying! I’ve learned how to pray when oppressed, bullied, forgotten, rejected and afraid. Yet how do you pray when you’re overflowing with joy? I even prayed this to God, explaining that I haven’t prayed because I’ve never lived next to Joy!
Who is Joy? What does she eat? What does she drink? Does she fast and pray? What’s her posture in prayer? Does she kneel to pray to You? I wanted to ask God Almighty all these questions because for the first time in my life I’m sitting next to Joy.
What it feels like to live next to Joy
She lives with me, she accompanies me to work and she moved all around me. I’m full of joy. Yes I still have problems and I still face unkind and threatening people, but did you see Joy! It’s like Joy has come and is shining a deafening and blinding light. Even when problems persist, Joy is canceling everything. Trust me when I say my problems can be paralyzing, but did you see Joy!
That’s why I love the Lord like a circle. If I didn’t go through a bitter moment, I wouldn’t know Joy. I’m also grateful because God has covered me this season and placed me in Joy’s neighborhood. That’s why it’s an odd season for me. What posture in prayer do you take when you’re too excited to even pray properly?
What posture do you take when you kneel to pray, but you’re overwhelmed by Joy! I love You Lord like a circle because You’ve allowed me to experience all seasons of life, and now You’ve given me Joy. My joy is because You never change Lord, regardless of the situation.
When You endure, God will set you free
You, Lord God Almighty are a wonderful Saviour because You cover everyone who calls upon Your name. It’s because of your name that we can forgive. Your name gives us power to be strong and courageous. And Your faithfulness in the name Jehovah means You’ll never leave us nor forsake us.
My only prayer for you today is that you’ll surrender your life, heart and mind to God. I’ve had countless times when I couldn’t understand God’s command. He put me in places I couldn’t relate to. He understood me and He covered my every situation. I believe wholeheartedly that He will do the same for you.
The reason for a bitter moment is to produce endurance. When you endure a situation, trust and believe God is there. Once you’ve endured, you’ll need to persevere. I once asked God why did He save me from one moment only to place me in the same situation, but it’s worse! I remember God replied I should work for Him and not man.
Study whatever word God gives you
Whatever message God gives you, trust and believe it has weight. If I had to go back to my younger self 5 years ago, I would say do a Bible study on whatever word God gives you. If He calls you to trust and obey, do a bible study on this. If Yahweh calls you to be strong and courageous then do a bible study on this.
The reason being is whatever word God plants in your heart and mind, it will be the word to carry you through every test, trial, bullying, unkindness, love, rejection, Joy or hardship. These words or the word He plants into your spirit is the word that will save you when your faith is weak.
I love the Lord Like a circle because He didn’t go back on His word. Yet I must warn you now, there will be people who might bully you for believing in God. Yes even those who go to church. We’re all experiencing God at different stages, so I understand it’s disappointing to be bullied by so-called Christians.
Trust in God and not what you experience
However, like I’ve said before, whenever someone acts unkind they act as themselves. There’s no Christ in their behavior. That’s why you shouldn’t give up when bullied or rejected. Dont quit because of the weaknesses of people. What nonsense!
Do not allow anyone to steal your opportunity to see God deliver you, protect you, love you and call you worthy! Protect your breakthrough with all your spirit, body and mind. Protect your breakthrough in prayer, fasting, praising, and in silence on the ground.
More important, whatever message God has for you, guard it at all costs. Write it down in a journal becasue the devil will come to you like he did to Eve. Even if you have to cry to make sure you don’t quit, cry! Cry like Joseph cried; filling you voice to the end of the house. Do it, but never give up on the word of God.
Invest in reading God’s Word
My biggest advice for you is to read the message around what God has said. If God calls you to wait, read about Ester and Nehemiah who worked faithfully even when God is not explicitly mentioned in the text. They demonstrate that faithfully living for God brings deliverance. They demonstrate that even when you can’t see, hear or feel God, El Shaddai is working.
Trust and believe in the glory of God. I love You Lord like a circle because You’re a shield. A mighty warrior who is worthy of praise. I love You Lord Like a circle because You will rescue all who call upon Your name. There’s no other like You Lord. Lord I love You, I worship You, and I praise Your Lord.
Thank You Lord for coming into my life. What I love about God is He still gave me something I once worshipped. I used to worship this job. However, He purified me, molded me and transformed me before granting me my prayers. I believe God will do the same for you.
Be willing to be molded, tested, and transformed
All you need to do is give away the desires of your hearts. Give all of your desires to Christ. Allow Yahweh to transform you, mold you, and purify you. What God gives is better than your ideas and imaginations. That’s because God frees you from comparison. There’s a trap like; “My life must be better than X,” or “Once I get this, I will be able to live this life.”
Yet with God, you’ll learn being satisfied in God and living for God gives you comfort, joy and satisfaction in all things. The world becomes small and insignificant compared to God’s love. I pray for you that you will see the power of God’s love and provision.
Before I 3nd I just want to say how much I love God like a circle. When God tested me, He tested me to competition and allowed me to understand some of the things I went through. Not all of it what He allowed mattered. When God purified me, He purified me to completion. When God molded me, He molded me to completion. He allowed me to understand why He molded me; He called me His child.
Your endurance and perseverance is important to truly knowing God
This is very important to stress because like the imagery I used before of someone braiding my hair, people didn’t complete what they started. They made a thousand empty promises, many which have left me in problems. These are promises I didn’t ask for. And I used hair because we all know how sensitive hair is! Imagine sitting in salon for 4 months waiting on 1 strand of hair!
This is why I love God like a circle; whatever He starts trust He will see it to completion. I love You Lord because You have Loved me to completion. Thank You God that You taught me Love and forgiveness. Thank You Father that when You disciplined me, and You did it to completion granting me wisdom and discernment.
I hope for you that one day you won’t thirst for the things of this world. Instead you should thirst for the Lord God Almighty. I can’t wait for the moment you’re also full of joy. My hope for you is you also get to love the Lord like a circle because of all the great things He does for you.
Live a life of Breakthroughs
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