I have been told that OCD is a smart person's disease; it is said that it takes a lot of brain power to even sustain OCD. In my case, my OCD stems from the irritating inability of human minds to conceive all the wonders of God. So the first scripture in Sunday School this morning hit me fresh:
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. -- Jeremiah 33:3, KJV
Look there it is again, things that I don't know! But the next passage for Sunday School was from Jeremiah 18. Granted, in this passage of scripture, the observation of the potter is meant to be a warning to Israel that if it refuses to go in the direction that God chooses, He can simply tear it down and rebuild it with a different leadership. However, can we not take the context in a positive manner as well? Can not the potter take our own marred pots and rebuild them as well?
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it]. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. --Jeremiah 18:1-6
Then as I was playing the keyboard for morning worship, the words of one of our hymns caught my attention and my heart was comforted.
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
-- "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" by Louisa M. R. Stead, 1882 (Public Domain) --
Because OCD is about trust. We don't like to admit it, but it's true. We get so caught up in the cycle of obsessive thought that we forget to trust. In fact, we are so captivated by those thoughts that we can't even fathom HOW to trust. I look forward to resting in Him again, and could make the prayer of my heart for the moment, "Oh! For grace to trust Him more!"
But it didn't end. No, two of the texts from the morning sermon stood out to me, as well.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. -- Romans 12:21, KJV
Don't let the attacks overcome you! We overcome evil with good. The best part is, we don't even have to acknowledge the evil; we just continue on doing that which we know is good. The passage here is talking about forgiveness and revenge, but the precept is the same for all aspects of our life: we overcome evil by filling ourselves with good.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. -- Lamentations 3:21-26, KJV (emphasis mine)
I highlighted verse 25 because that was the actual verse that the pastor mentioned in the service this morning. However, you have to see the full passage before you get the full effect of the message. Jeremiah starts out by reminding himself of the truth about the Lord, about his hope; then we have the promise -- that the Lord is good to those who wait for him and seek him out. Then we have a statement of fact: it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Just one more way to stand against the attacks of the evil one: wait quietly on the salvation of the Lord. Because He IS good to those who seek him out.
OCD takes time; spiritual warfare takes energy. Rest in the comfort that your efforts are not in vain. Let me again remind you of Galatians 6:9:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
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