If you are experiencing oppression, that can inhibit your ability to serve the Lord.
While we are encouraged to continue to serve the Lord despite our circumstances,
seek God for strength and wisdom.
Sometimes, oppression continues and can be a distraction in our walk with Christ.
God allows us to go through different challenges and even to suffer for His name’s sake.
That does not mean that He wants us to stay there.
Always, keep seeking the Lord and asking Him for wisdom and strength
and He will make His way clear to you.
When you notice oppression, that is, the feeling of almost not being able to serve the Lord,
that is a cause for pause.
It might be something God wants you to go through to strengthen you,
it also might be Him causing change or renewal to recognize the situation is not healthy for you
and it might be time to allow that door to close.
As with our walk with the Lord, sometimes we have forks in the road,
choices to make and conclusions to draw.
Continue to seek God’s wisdom and He will show you His will.
It can seem like it takes Him some time to get to you.
Continue to seek Him.
He will show you if your prayers are being hindered, if you are in some sort of sin,
that can cause oppression.
If there are holes in your spiritual armor, that can also cause oppression.
If only we were as great as Paul who could sing to the Lord and triumph over adverse situations.
The fact that he learned to be content in all his circumstances is wonderful.
Even so, even with Paul, God caused change in his life and he learned to go with the flow
Paul said, I have learned…
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Philippians 4:11
Paul saying ‘I have learned’ gives great hope to those of us who do not feel we can triumph over our adversities
or to recognize when God is closing a door and opening a new door.
Paul did not want us to follow him, but to follow Christ.
He had examples in life we can relate to, but there is no formula to hear from the Lord.
Jesus knows how to communicate with each of us and to teach us what He wants us to learn.
Some of our responsibilities are to learn of Him, seek Him, listen and obey.
Jesus wants to give us peace. He warned us of trials and told us to be of good cheer, not to be oppressed:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33