Life
is unpredictable, disturbing, threatening, and even devastating at times. We
have our ups and downs, and every time the mood changes, we stress out, feel
shame over our past, and fear for our future.
If
we take an inventory of every trial we ever experienced, God used most of them
to work out our sanctification in some way. He also used some of them to
position us into the right place at the right time to prepare us to effectively
minister for His Kingdom, as well as to continually bless us by His divine
appointments.
In
nature, a storm often brings a cool front to refresh us, much needed rain to
help us to grow, and wind to blow away the dead leaves and cobwebs that were
preventing or limiting our growth. Our Father God knows best what we need and
how to provide it for us.
He
may turn us upside down, strip us from every relationship and treasure that we
collected along our path, and then put us on an entirely different route. We
often resent these changes, cry out to Him in anguish and devastation, and
question His love for us.
The
truth is that these peripheral provisions from our past are currently keeping
us from moving forward in our personal intimacy with Christ in us (Colossians
1:27). We spend so much time absorbed in these earthly people and possessions
that we are too busy to praise and consult the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).
When
tragedy strikes, we realize that God is in control of every facet of our life.
As we put our trust only in Him, we soon discover His perfect plans for us. We
grieve the loss of what was important to us, and we cling to the eternal
spiritual blessings we receive from this new direction in life.
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for designing our Christian walk to include comfort in trials,
wisdom for decisions, transformation for our character, and meaning in our
purpose in life. We choose to pray about every decision from what to wear to
what to eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31). In the darkness of the moment we
cling to Your presence within us, and we trust that You are working out
everything for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Your
multi-dimensional love for us shelters us with Your wings and surrounds us with
Your peace and joy regardless of our circumstances (Romans 8:35-39). We face
our shame with Your forgiveness and our fears with Your confidence. The faith
of Your Son fills us completely with courage and direction through every storm
we encounter in our lifetime (Galatians 2:20).
Thought
for the Day:
We
often create our storms because of our own insecurity, emotional handicaps,
negative thoughts, unwise words, obsessive relationships, and immoral deeds and
greeds; however, walking in the Spirit, in the very center of God's will for
us, protects us from these self-imposed trials.
-
Galatians 5:15-25; Romans 8:28
