Filling our hearts with God’s flowing river: What we need for times of frustration

Middle of the night wake up calls from my son have been happening a lot lately. I will be sleeping soundly in my comfy cozy bed when my son’s scream pierces through the silent house. This can lead to frustrating moments, however recently, it’s provided me an opportunity to see how God is using my time in the Word and in prayer to soften my heart. It should go without saying, but the more time I spend with God, the more I feel the rivers of His love and grace run deep in my soul.

I saw this play out so evidently the other night, when it was well after midnight, and I found myself in my son’s room again trying to sooth him. We were doing our usual walk-bounce around the room, and my heart was just not in the right place. I was frustrated by the amount of times we’d done this dance already that night, and was bitter that I was the parent pacing around the nursery instead of passed out in bed.

In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit trying to push through the angry and bitter wall that had started to form around my heart. If I hadn’t been in the Word daily and praying multiple times a day, there is no doubt in my mind I would have missed it. But praise God, He had been softening my heart during my time with Him, just enough for the Spirit to puncture through the wall I was building. I heard His voice (not the literal sound of His voice, but His voice that I’d read through scripture) say to me, “Do not complain about anything” (Philippians 2:14) followed by, “Instead, pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6). Immediately, I felt my heart posture change. I stopped the complaints and switched over to prayer, which in all honestly, took a conscious effort on my part that wasn’t necessarily easy. And though not easy, it was well worth it!

As I prayed, thankfulness, joy, and appreciation filled my heart as the frustration melted away. In an instant I was thanking God for giving me such a glorious opportunity to be there to comfort my son. What a joy it is to be his mom! I felt so appreciative to God for giving me this blessing. The moment transformed into an opportunity to pray over my son as I held him, rather than a moment wasted by complaints. Truly, only God could make this transformation possible in just a moment of time! I’m still in awe of how powerful the Holy Spirit is against my unhelpful thoughts that seem to run so deep. God’s love and grace run deeper!!!

God has the power to transform our hearts that can become so easily calloused by inconvenient life circumstances. We all have access to His refreshing love and grace that have the ability to swiftly wash away our frustration and bitterness! However as I’m actively learning, this access has to be untapped, otherwise it will not flow within us. Spending time in the Bible learning what God has to say to us and consistently spending time in prayer with Him is an absolute must if we expect to hear Him and receive the good gifts He has to offer in our times of need.

John 4:14 “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (ESV)

John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” (NLT)

Philippians 2:14 “Do everything without complaining and arguing” (NLT)

Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (NLT)

Reflection Questions:

1) Think back to a recent inconvenient or frustrating situation in your life. Was there room in your heart for the Holy Spirit to speak truth, wisdom, and guidance to you in order to help you better navigate the moment?

2) When was the last time you truly felt the rivers of living water flow through you and soften your heart? How did that feel?

3) What can you do this week to insure that you spend time with God in the Word and in prayer so that the Holy Spirit will be easily accessible to you in times of frustration?