Lettie is 28 years old, married, with three children. She works two jobs, has a fantastic and loving husband, her dream home and car, and her family gets to take as many vacations as they like, but there is still something missing from Lettie’s life. Would you like to know what that is? I will tell you — t is God.
Lettie still has a problem holding on to the past, and because of this, she has allowed rage, anger, bitterness, hurt, depression, and numbness to fester and build on the inside, even though she is constantly and always smiling on the outside, putting on the personification of a person who is happy and full of joy and all is right in her world. See, Lettie, when she was coming along in school, was bullied and picked on, and after school, she discovered boys, but they only hurt her even further, as she found herself in a serious relationship one day and in love, pregnant with her first children, the father did not want children and he constantly made this adamantly clear to her time and time again, and this caused a rift in their relationship, up to the point he cheated, she found out, lost it one night and started tossing up their apartment, he called the police and had her put out on a cold winter night at eight months pregnant. Devastated, she sunk deeper into depression and was stressed every day, which caused her hair to start falling out, and her to neglect eating even though she was pregnant, and this caused alarm with her doctor because she was losing weight instead of gaining, therefore, they hospitalized her for the remainder of her pregnancy, for the safety of her baby, her health, and her own safety.
The Bible tells us in the KJV, Psalm 9:9 “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Even though Lettie was feeling depleted, meaning, as if she had nothing else left in her to fight for or live for, understand that in this moment, she has given her power away to man, or sometimes man may give his power away to a woman, this is life, it happens, you may have given your power away to a neighbor, a coworker, your daughter/son, your mother or father, but truly, trust me, it does happen. The meaning of Psalm 9:9 as David mentions is that the oppressed, in Lettie’s case, implies that those who exercised control over her, must know that God is her safe place, her refuge, her “stronghold,” where she can seek security because He is infinitely more powerful than any one person(s) she has given her power to. After giving birth to her twins, it wasn’t long afterwards that she met her husband and many of her family and friends felt that this was too soon because she was still broken and damaged from her last relationship but she didn’t listen, she chose to do what she wanted to do and she took her past baggage into her present relationship and then her future marriage to this new man that had entered her life.
Whenever she would spazz out, have one of her episodes of, “I do not feel loved,” or “I just do not want to go on living,” with tears running down her face, her husband would tell her to shake it off and give it to God. Sometimes you got to let go and let God. Prayer changes things, and as the Bible says in the KJV Mathew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” So, circling her and praying as a family unit is what they would do for her. Would it help her? Yes, for a short period of time, but again, in Romans KJV 7:21, it states, “I find then a law, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” Lettie strived every day to find her way to God and to let the Holy Spirit that resided within her come forth, but she fought a battle of light and darkness and some days darkness won, some days the light won out, it all depended on which she fed the most a day. Also, it mattered with who she kept company with. Who was in her circle. People, rather you deem them your friends or not, if their attitude and energy is negative, you do not need that because that type of energy will drain you. Surround yourself with those types of friends who are positive and have positive energy and love the Lord, they will encourage you, keep you uplifted, support you, pray with you and for you, friends you can equally be yoked with.
Lettie refused to go to therapy, even after she contemplated suicide numerous times, but one day, during a church service, she got called out and was asked to come up front. The Elder that was preaching that day, allowed God to speak through her, and she saw that Lettie was lost and needed her soul saving. She went to prophesying to Lettie, telling her things that no one had dared to whisper to her about Lettie, only God was speaking through her, and she laid hands on Lettie, and then other Elders, Ministers, and the Pastor came down and laid hands upon Lettie and prayed that whatever had a hold on her to “loosen her right now” in the name of Jesus. And when they released her, Lettie was shouting and crying and praising God, she went to shaking those things that were not of God off from her. This is what we must do. Rather we go to church and give it to Him, in the comfort of our homes, while driving down the highway, in the bathroom at work, or exercising (walking outside), we must let go and let God. No one and nothing can free us from the dark places we find ourselves in but God. If you want salvation, if you want redemption and freedom, this is what Jesus’ sacrifice for the world, for us, was all about.
Turn and seek God today. It is not too late. Confess and repent, open your Bibles, fast, pray, and find you a good church home. Amen. Until next time folks!!
