Blessings Even in the Struggles

I have a secret I am going to disclose.  I love Cinderella "happily ever after" type movies.  The truth is, however, that our "happily ever after" will not come until our Lord returns.  He is our only true Prince of Peace.

There are many moments of joy and happiness in this world.  There are also many trials and challenges.  God doesn't always let everything go our way or facilitate our version of "happily ever after" at least not during our existence on earth.  God is more interested in bringing us into a deeper relationship with Him and to a place of submission to His will.  He wants us to come to a place of trusting that His will is always best even in the struggles of life.  He wants us to rest in Him, to trust in Him.

Even in the struggles we can know that He loves us and cares about us, though our unreliable feelings may try to tell us differently.  He loves us even when He doesn't "fix" our difficult situations in the way we would like Him to remedy them. We must rely on the truths of Scripture which promise us over and over that He will never leave us.  God often uses the difficult chapters of our lives in ways that He doesn't use the smooth-sailing moments of our lives.  In the difficult moments it is also His chance to show His faithfulness over and over again,  Rest in His faithfulness, dear reader.

Below is a link to an interview with Laura Story.  Her husband and she, as his wife, have been dealing with the consequences of her husband's brain tumor for over a decade.  Her vision of "happily ever after" would have been for God to fix the situation.  That is not what happened.  Yet God has used this situation in her life for her good, to bring blessings.  God has also used the situation for His glory in wonderful ways-one being to encourage us. Click on the first link below to hear her story and insights.  You also may also want to check out her song "Blessings" by clicking on the second link below:

http://www.crosswalk.com/video/when-god-doesn-t-fix-your-life-an-interview-with-laura-story.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=cwupdate


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc

My Divine Valentine

 

This past Friday was Valentine's Day in the United States.  Valentine's Day is considered a day for lovers to express their love for each other with cards, and perhaps candy, flowers, or jewelry.  For some people, however, it can be a day of sadness because of past losses or current trials.

During those moments of sadness remember that the Lord loves you with an infinite love.  He in effect is your Divine Valentine.  He is sufficient.  He alone can give you all that you need.  People may fail you at times, but the Lord never will fail you.  

Below is a poem called Your Divine Valentine.  This poem became very special to me when I was a widow after Wayne died and is special again after the death of Bob.  I love this poem.  I especially love Jesus being referred as the Rose of Sharon in the Song of Solomon reference, because Sharon is my first name.  (Be sure to check out this verse and all the verses for that matter.)  Sharon is the name of a place and not the name of a person in the Bible, but I still love this verse.  I hope you find the poem and accompanying Bible references a blessing.    

Your Divine Valentine

A Valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.  (Zephaniah 3:17)

A Valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
(Song of Solomon 2:1)

A Valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.  (Psalm 119:103)

A Valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity,
(Jeremiah 31:3)

frida

God's Direction and Guidance

Scripture often talks about the Lord being sovereign and about Him directing our steps.    We are told that God's Word  is a lamp or light for our life's path.   Scripture also teaches us that the fountain of life is found in God and that in His light we see light. (Psalm 36:9  Proverbs 20:24. and Psalm 119:105).  I don't know about you, however, but I often find myself anxiously fretting and planning my next step instead of trusting in and resting in the sovereignty of God not only in my head but also deep down in my heart.

Recently God's directing my path came into sharp focus.  I had planned on being somewhere that morning,  It was a good place to be, but God seemed to have other things in mind for me that day.  I woke up with an unpleasant sick headache.  I then began to question whether I should leave the house that morning.  It also had snowed a bit over night just enough to make it slippery on the roads and sidewalks.  Finally, I received a computer borne message that morning from someone who needed my prayers and encouragement.  I felt that the Lord had directed my steps that morning to stay home by sovereignly directing circumstances for me to do so.

The Lord laid this on my heart in another way recently  For some time I have been fretting and overthinking a situation sometimes even in the middle of the night.  Very recently the Lord has shown me some new information which makes me realize that all the fretting had accomplished nothing but to make me tired and anxious.  God is in control.  He is sovereign and directing my steps.  Thank You, Lord!  Forgive me when I fret, worry, and over plan.  

A few days ago I posted a song about God's sovereignty on Facebook.  I have a link to that song on this post today also.  Let's rejoice in God's sovereignty and guidance in our lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x8TZiwPGa0