![]() It leaves us stuck in the pain and paralyzed from moving forward. “Why me” is the wrong question to ask because, although it may dull the pain in the moment, ultimately it is unproductive. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” ( Psalm 13:1-2). In fact even David, at times, had trouble processing through his pain and fell into the “why me” syndrome: He doesn’t get angry or upset with us for processing our pain that way. I believe God understands our distress and why we ask that question. “Why me” is a common and normal question to ask when we encounter lemons in life. You just have to trust Him and put it in His hands. God works through the evil circumstances brought by the enemy and the lemons that life throws our way, and he puts in some sugar, water, and ice to refresh us. When we are obedient and patient, God rights the wrongs and takes the sting out of pain. “All things” includes lemons of epic proportions! But it’s only by choosing to do it God’s way that we can find recovery, restoration, and future success. Romans 8:28 promises that God causes all things to turn around for good for those who love God. “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives” ( 1 Samuel 30:18).ĭavid made the right choice and God blessed him for it. Photo credit: Unsplash/Jack Sharp God Blesses the Right Choice Everything gets tainted when bitterness is allowed to grow in your heart. ![]() It will eventually spring up and contaminate your attitude and conversation, your health and relationships, even your intimacy with God! It corrupts your hope and destroys your joy. It may start in private, but it never stays in private. We must understand that bitterness is not something that can stay contained it spreads like a wildfire, consuming our lives and scorching those around us. “See to it” means we actually have a responsibility to war against the root of bitterness, because it is a spiritual cancer. “See to it”… you see to it! Those are some pretty aggressive words that reinforce the truth that we can choose the path we’re on, whether that’s a “bitter road” that leads to more pain, or a “better road” that leads to healing in God. “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” ( Hebrews 12:15). Indeed, weeping may endure for a season, but joy comes in the morning! ( Psalm 30:5) We have the power to choose life, and like David, to find strength in the Lord. If we choose to go to God, we will find supernatural strength, because He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak, and He is near to the broken hearted ( Isaiah 40:29 Psalm 34:18). We can’t choose whether or not we receive lemons in life, but we can choose how we respond to them. ![]() Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” ( Deuteronomy 30:19). “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. It is our greatest power! Scripture puts it like this: No matter what kind of loss we encounter in life, or how deep the pain may be, we always have the power to choose. But notice in the face of the same “lemon,” David took his pain to God and found strength to move on. ![]() ![]() Like many people would do, the men blamed David and focused their anger on seeking revenge. They were overwhelmed with grief to the point where they had no strength left and each one became bitter in his spirit. The men were deeply hurt, angry and looking for someone to blame. In a minute, everything they owned, everyone they loved had been taken from them or destroyed. What do we do? Bite the lemon and become bitter in spirit, or go to God and make lemonade? Realize You Have a Choiceĭavid and his men had been dealt a lemon of epic proportions. Like all of us, when life dealt him lemons, David stood at the intersection of a “bitter road” and a “better road.” It’s an intersection of decision. But David found strength in the Lord his God” ( 1 Samuel 30:3-4, 6). … David was distressed because the men were talking of stoning him each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. “When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. But as bad as 2020 was, the reality is that everyone gets handed lemons at some time, even biblical greats like David. Over the past year, people have been handed some pretty massive lemons – from unemployment to loss of loved ones, failing businesses, depression, and fear. ![]()
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