the Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are on my tongue...
+2 Samuel 23:2

these are the words of David. he has reached the end of his life. some would call him broken. think of everything he went through. being anointed as a young man and then spending the first part of his life running from Saul and after finally reuniting an entire kingdom, he finds himself in complete humiliation with Bathsheba. after finally resolving all of this, his family and close friends begin a cycle of murder and bitterness. I want to take a second and look at this "Great King of Israel" and the condition of his heart in his last days on earth. check out 2 Samuel 22 real quick. the first verses (1-4) are those of praise of God's power. check out verses 5-7...

The waves of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face. but in my distress I cried to the Lord...

we're told in the Word that David was thinking about how God had rescued him from his enemies and Saul. I could type more about despair, but I want to ask you... can you relate to these verses? waves of death, floods of destruction; death itself staring you in the face. I can't say I've ever played battleship with the Grim Reaper (bill and ted joke; not a theological statement). I'm not even sure the stuff I'm facing or have faced in any way compares to you, the reader. it could be much better or much worse, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure that the severity of our troubles matters. think of the complexity of the struggles we face...questions of whether what we're facing is our fault, what we can do to make things different... on and on. I can't tell you the answer to every problem your facing, but I want to hopefully share some encouragement with you.
1. God is always in control, no matter the circumstance. (Rom 8:28)
I stole this point from my pastor's sermon, but remember that God is working all things out to His glory. I think this is one of the first and hardest things we must realize, is that somehow, the things we are experiencing are in His hands. this realization won't fix the problem; it only puts it in perspective... our lives are so short, and think of the many struggles you've experienced and how they've been worked out... but, sometimes this is easier said than done. my hardest lesson to learn so far in my life has been that God will be glorified and that is my role on earth. I pray that the songs we share in esod, the examples we set and the words we say will encourage you. we strive to set Godly examples as He leads us too. but, whether I eat or sleep or play or fall flat on my face, God must get the glory. this is what it's all about. no matter the consequences, this is our hope... God has already one and He will reveal Himself through his children.
2. Never stop seeking the truth. (John 8:32)
Jesus teaches us to keep obeying His teachings and that the truth will set you free. I'll tell you pursuing God's truth and seeking His face can be so hard sometimes. it just plain hurts. but, a friend of mine talks about pruning. we are the branches and God is the vine, and sometimes we need a little pruning of the dead branches or the branches that are growing in the wrong way. I so often want to hold on to the branches that God begins to take off. we will never have the strength to accept every direction that God leads, but He gives us the power, no matter how little it may seem, to cry out to Him. the truth is out there. if there if some question you have, if you're going through something that seems impossible to solve, or if you're wondering where God has been during your whole life... look for Him. His words are found in the scriptures. but, so much of what we go through doesn't seem to fit a specific verse. we in esod believe that God can speak to our hearts. we believe that He will direct you. and when he puts a conviction on your heart, never be afraid that you're being rigid, follow where He leads. so often I question God when deep down, if I'll slow down enough to listen, He is speaking...
3. You're not alone (Matt 28:20)
we'll be the first to tell you that you have brothers and sisters that are struggling and being pruned. chris's pastor said "I want our church to be a hospital for sinners." we are the support group for our brothers and sisters who are wounded. look around, you'll find so many who are hurting and don't need a Savior from you (that's what Jesus is for) but someone who cares about how there day is going and however God opens the door to be there. but, ultimately remember that Jesus told His disciples that He will always be with those who are His. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. read Isaiah 53 and check this: "it was our troubles that weighed Him down, it was our sorrows He carried." this is the God we serve. not some distant entity. not some man who is oblivious to our every whim. a God who was beaten that we might have peace. look for Him, He is here and everywhere you could go...

(email us with any prayer requests or post them on the message board so other brothers and sisters can lift them up)