Rise and Shake Off the Dust

(My note: I know the helpfulness factor here will depend on where you're at in your journey, but when I read it I found it to be quite helpful. Even though it was written to women, if you look past the ‘girlie’ references, this is just as applicable to men.)

                                                             ~            ~            ~

(from Prayer Guide for the Brokenhearted by Michelle McKinney Hammond, pp. 120-122)

“Shake off the dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.” (Isaiah 52:2)

The story is told of a mule that fell down an abandoned well. The hole was too deep to retrieve the unfortunate animal so, in an effort to put it out of its misery quickly, the farmer called all of his friends together to help him bury the mule.

As the men gathered together and began pitching dirt into the hole, the mule panicked and shook it off, then stepped up on the freshly fallen mound in an effort to free its feet. With each shovel full this process was repeated, until –lo and behold!-the mule was out of the hole and standing on solid ground!

The moral of the story? Shake it off and step up, sister! Don’t allow yourself to be buried in your pain. Shake it off. Relax, relate, and release. It can’t stick to you unless you allow it to stay. The hole might feel deep, but God will make a way out. Take it one step at a time. You will need to cooperate with the process, of course. When He extends His hands to you, grab His arm, step up into those strong hands, and allow Him to lift you to a higher place.

After you have shaken off the dust, don’t forget to bathe in His rivers of refreshing and finish your toilette with His special brand of perfume. Essence of Joy. Yes, it is true, it is a costly fragrance. Costly because it comes from specially selected petals that have been crushed to extract the oil. You have been crushed. Don’t waste a drop of what you’ve bled. Make it an expensive tribute to what you’ve endured, and let others enjoy your scent.

Though your heart has been crushed by a natural lover, you are still betrothed to a King. Rise up and take your place. Hold your head high. Stand erect and know that you are loved and desired. Free yourself! Break the chains of defeat, resignation, self-hatred, and failure from your neck.

This day you can choose for yourself blessings over curses, life over death, joy over sorrow, victory over defeat, freedom over bondage, love over rejection. Use all that you have learned. Promise yourself never to return again to the place where your garments were soiled. Place your heart in your Father’s safe-keeping, and allow him to guard your affections from this day forward.

Dear Heavenly Father, though I have felt covered by the soot of my experience, wash me and refresh me. I know that some action is required by me in order to attain freedom from my pain. Strengthen my arms to hold on to you. Strengthen my legs to come up higher. Draw me close to you.

I choose now to cast off the debris that threatened to smother my spirit. I cast down the power of rejection, abuse, hurt, anger, unforgiveness, and bitterness from my life. I declare that they will no longer reign over me. I will to lift my head above my enemies and live in triumph. I decree that no weapon the enemy has formed against me shall prosper. No longer will I be held captive by the lies of the enemy. I will embrace your truth, Lord, and cleanse myself in it. I will drink long and deep from your Spirit.

Even now I feel rivers of Living Water welling up inside of me. Spring up, O well, and cleanse my soul. Spring up, O well, and make me whole. Yes, I declare this day that I am free from all that binds me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

~             ~             ~

I would add to this, questions to ask yourself:

·         --What lies of the enemy have been holding you captive? (e.g. Have you been plagued by thoughts that you’re a worthless failure? That you’ll never amount to anything? Etc.) God didn’t plant those thoughts!

·        

             --So what does God’s Word (His truth) say about you?

(You can find a couple of lists to get you started here and here.)

*note – if you’re not already very familiar with these passages of scripture, you may want to change the version of the bible to “New Living Translation” or “New International Version 1984” when you click the verse links on Joyce Meyer’s page. (the bible versions are listed in alphabetical order) She uses the Amplified version, and while I enjoy using that myself when doing in depth bible studies, even after reading the bible for 24 years I tend to use it alongside another version for clarity.