I am so thankful for God’s Holy Spirit who leads and guides us, but also reveals unknown things to us. Continue reading about a time in our lives where the Holy Spirit played a crucial part in our grandson’s life.
This devotional was based on the scripture written in
Lamentations 1:5
“The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins.”
The unknown author titled the devotional;
Brought To Grief
Carol didn’t want to believe her daughter’s news.
Rachel had always been a good kid who went to church every Sunday. She had vowed to remain sexually pure until marriage. She didn’t even have a boyfriend. So Carol was surprised when Rachel called from a friend’s house at 3:00 A.M. in tears. In between her sobs, it sounded as if Rachel said she was pregnant.
Carol felt a rush of feelings all at once-disbelief, fear, anger, helplessness. All she could do for the moment was cry with her daughter. And just as Rachel had to face the consequences of her sin, so did her mother. Grief overwhelmed them both.
In Lamentations, Jeremiah felt overwhelmed too. He wept over the consequences of Judah’s sin. The Babylonian army destroyed the beautiful temple, killed most of the people of Jerusalem and captured the rest. Jeremiah groaned over the people’s suffering and their broken relationship with God. He longed for them to repent, so God would restore them.
Likewise, Carol, with lots of tears, prayed for her daughter’s restoration to God. The road seemed long at the time, but she kept praying. When finally Rachel’s selfish tears turned into repentance, God welcomed her warmly. He lavished forgiveness upon her and began to bless her obedience.
Carol walked her own journey with God during those tough nine months, and she came out of it with a new ministry. She now volunteers each week with the local Crisis Pregnancy Center where she gives practical and spiritual help to young women just like Rachel.
While sin brings regret and consequences we cannot change, God is still good. He forgives us, restores us and renews us in ways we never thought possible
Most of the devotionals I read touch my heart, and some more than others. However, this one touches home on a whole different level. I can relate to all the feelings described throughout the devotion. You see, I too have a daughter who grew up in the church and made some decisions that changed the rest of her life.
Our church was very active with the youth, and all four of our children attended every youth retreat our church participated in. It was such a blessing to see the kids excited and on fire for the Lord when they came home.
From the moment they walked through the door to our house, they began telling us all they learned, and all the ways God spoke to their heart. They would talk non stop for about an hour. When they were finished, they ate, and fell asleep from the exhaustion that little sleep and deep emotions had caused.
Every Sunday our family attended church together, unless one of us was sick, or had another reason we couldn’t be there. Because of our daughters interest in church, we were under the impression that she was living a life, seeking God.
When she began dating, she assured us numerous times, she was keeping herself sexually pure, and we chose to trust what she had been telling us. One day the Holy Spirit placed a heaviness on my heart for her. At first, I had no idea what it was about, or why I was feeling that way. I just prayed, and continued to wait on the Lord for His guidance.
A couple of days later, my husband and I were driving in the car and I blurted out, “I think our daughter is pregnant.” I found out as we talked, he was experiencing the same kind of feelings I had for her, the heaviness in his heart. Because he was feeling the same way, he wasn’t surprised by what I said.
God never tells us in life we will never have any trouble, or that our children will be angels as long as they are in church. He does promise that when we put our trust in Him, we will receive His Spirit; His Spirit who will intern, will lead, guide, and teach us, throughout our lives. I am so thankful for God’s Holy Spirit. I can tell you first hand, God keeps His promises, and this is only one of the many examples, of His faithfulness through out my life.
When the Apostle John had finished writing about the account of Jesus, and all the miracles that were done, he said in John 21:25; “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
Many times God has directed our lives in miraculous ways. So many, that it would take me endless days to tell you about them.
When I confronted our daughter about her being pregnant, she at first denied it. However, I continued to tell her, that I believed it to be true. We sat in silence for a few minutes, then a sigh of relief came over her, and she said, “I am.” I asked her, “you am what?” That’s when she said, “I am pregnant.”
See, I wanted her to speak the words, because I believe it was important for her to confess the truth. We cried together after talking about the struggles she had gone through those first few weeks of knowing she was pregnant .
She told me she had taken a pregnancy test on her own, then confided in the nurse at school, who then told her, “the pregnancy was nothing but a blob, and because she was only 16 years old, would have to go before a judge in order to get permission to proceed with an abortion.” The nurse did make an appointment for her to go before a judge. In the meantime, our daughter stopped at a local woman’s clinic where they told her the total opposite of the school nurse. Thankfully, they told our daughter the truth. The little blob growing inside of her was very much alive, and had a heart beat. Thank you Jesus!!!
Our daughter, and at the time, her boyfriend, decided they wanted to stay together and have the baby. They named our grandson Jonathan David. Someday, I’ll share how God ordained even His name. Jonathan is now 16 years old, and a great young man. His parents married when he was 22 months old and are still together today. They have a total of three children, and we are so proud of the great parents they have grown to be.
My husband and I would have continued to love her unconditionally just as God would have, no matter what their decision would have been. However, we are so thankful and glad, they chose to trust God to give them the strength, and the ability to raise their child at such a young age.
The devil will try to destroy with guilt, but our God is a god who forgives, and restores. He will always turn our ashes into beauty, when we come to Him.
I know without a doubt in my heart, God has a special plan for Jonathan. I know He chose him for such a time as this, and I can’t wait to see it all unfold.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139: 13-16
