I have had a particularly bad day. In fact, I have had several bad days strung together. Weeks and months of bad days sprinkled with just enough hope to believe that something is going to change. Hope that I will, in fact, sit down and blog about having a particularly good day. I am not asking for a string of them, just one. One would get me over the hump and it's not too much to ask, or is it? I get so confused.
Expecting suffering and joy at the same time is hardly a recipe for happiness. Jesus told us the cost of following Him was that we would have trials and tribulations. The world will despise us, because it's full of God-haters who despise Him. Yet we are also told that joy is ours. The joy of being one of His own, saved from the unimaginable torments of hell. The worst day here being better than one nano second in hell. Reconciling the two truths seems difficult today... a bit too heady for me to attempt. I am not going to try.
One of the things that I say to people when they are losing their hope and fighting for joy is to think back on all the times God has been faithful. Take mental note and place a stone of remembrance in the middle of your 'page' so you can't miss it, whether looking forward or looking back. Make it a big pile or rocks, big enough to see clearly and be around for years to come. We do ourselves a great disservice when we forget to measure God's faithfulness in our lives. It is meant to encourage us to keep going and to keep fighting the good fight.
So I am looking back, not to have a pity party, but to see God's hand of deliverance in all the areas of my life. Whatever this season is about, whatever it is that God is working into my life, I will more than survive it. We are not called to just get by. We are called to glorify Almighty God- even when we don't feel like it.
Psalm 106:43-45
43 Many times He would deliver them; they, however, were rebellious in their counsel, and {so} sank down in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, when He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake, and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
Micah 7:18-19
18 Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.
1 Petet 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
(NAS)
Expecting suffering and joy at the same time is hardly a recipe for happiness. Jesus told us the cost of following Him was that we would have trials and tribulations. The world will despise us, because it's full of God-haters who despise Him. Yet we are also told that joy is ours. The joy of being one of His own, saved from the unimaginable torments of hell. The worst day here being better than one nano second in hell. Reconciling the two truths seems difficult today... a bit too heady for me to attempt. I am not going to try.
One of the things that I say to people when they are losing their hope and fighting for joy is to think back on all the times God has been faithful. Take mental note and place a stone of remembrance in the middle of your 'page' so you can't miss it, whether looking forward or looking back. Make it a big pile or rocks, big enough to see clearly and be around for years to come. We do ourselves a great disservice when we forget to measure God's faithfulness in our lives. It is meant to encourage us to keep going and to keep fighting the good fight.
So I am looking back, not to have a pity party, but to see God's hand of deliverance in all the areas of my life. Whatever this season is about, whatever it is that God is working into my life, I will more than survive it. We are not called to just get by. We are called to glorify Almighty God- even when we don't feel like it.
Psalm 106:43-45
43 Many times He would deliver them; they, however, were rebellious in their counsel, and {so} sank down in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, when He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake, and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
Micah 7:18-19
18 Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.
1 Petet 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
(NAS)
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