Comeback

I heard this saying a little while ago and it’s been stuck in my head.

“The comeback is always greater than the setback.”

As I have been thinking about it, I remembered how many people in the Bible had a strong comeback after a setback:

• Joseph - went from favorite child, to slave, to head servant, to prison, to 2nd in command, saving Israel.

• David - was the son who wasn’t deemed worthy enough to be called in front of Samuel as a shepherd, to anointed future King, to giant killer, to being on the run, to being King.

• Elijah - went from defeating the prophets of Baal, to hiding under a tree, to anointing the next rulers, to finding and mentoring Elisha.

• Paul - went from esteemed Pharisee killing Christians, to blind man needing to be led, to meeting Jesus, to going to a desert for three years, to being a leader in the early church, being imprisoned and beaten, to a missionary writing most of the New Testament.

Just to name a few…

Let’s add our names to the list.
We have all been seen and we have been forgotten.
We have all been promoted and we have all been overlooked.
We have all been cheered on and we have all been mocked.

How we handle those times of setbacks matters. How we wait matters.

Do we continue to look for God’s face and gather strength and confidence by the love we see in His eyes?
Do we falter and find a tree to hide under?
Do we continue to do the last thing we know to do?
Do we walk through the hard and difficult time in obedience?
Do we rest in the dark and lonely time in the arms of God, knowing He has this under control?

“I will counsel you with my loving eye in you, comforts our triune God.” Psalm 32:8
”Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4
”As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” Psalm 17:15

God has been showing me I’m not alone. That He has chosen me.
And it’s me who has a hard time believing my chosenness.

This is from Psalm 34:17&18 (MSG)

Why is that so hard for me..for us to believe?
Maybe because we can’t fathom that Love Himself wants to be with us. What do I have to offer? Doesn’t He see all the ways I failed today? Doesn’t He see the doubts and fear crowding out His voice of assurance - again?

Let me challenge you as I have been challenged…
Can we just, for a minute, stop the hamster wheel in our brains and focus on Him and His love for us?!

Let’s do this together: take a deep breath and exhale slowly, ask our Loving Father to show us His love for us! Let’s close our eyes as we wait and just sit with that a moment. OK, do that now.

Did you feel it? Did you get the sense of Love coming to you? Repeat as many times as you need to throughout your day till you come away knowing you are chosen. That you can walk with God through your life.

“And the face of Jesus gazes into your eyes and all your aching wanting and He never turns away.”
~ Ann Voskamp

Maybe the thing about waiting and setbacks isn’t so much about not having them, but Who we are walking with while having them?
Waiting and set backs are hard and can really suck at times but can I trust the One who came to rescue me?
He wouldn’t have gone through all He did to rescue and redeem me, if He was just going to walk away from me in the hard parts of life.

We have a very real protector of our souls.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.”
~ Psalm 18:2

Our comeback isn’t determined by our strength, will power or how long we stick-it-out. It is solely on the strength and power of our Living, Loving God. The One who choose us and is with us in the waiting, in the setback, when we feel alone or full of doubt.

So, Loved of God, walk in the strength and confidence that you are chosen and loved today!

All My Love!
~ Jodi xo

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