by David Brenneman
"Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." Psalms 103:13-14.
Life Principle 7: The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
If you want God’s best for your life and desire to be used by Him, at some point you’ll have to travel the road of adversity. This means that God can and will use adversity in your life for a good purpose—and yet, sadly, many people view adversity as only negative and defeating. But you don’t have to be among them.
God has designed adversity, regardless of its source, to become a turning point from which you take your greatest leaps forward in spiritual growth. He allows adversity to remain in your life only until He accomplishes His purpose in you. He will not keep it in your life one second longer than is necessary.
Right now, right where you are, remember this: God has put a limit on all adversity. Because you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, and He knows how much you can bear. The psalmist said: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19). And, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Ps. 103:13-14).
Through adversity, God is molding you into a mature and effective servant. When you know Christ as your Savior, God sees you as a saint—sometimes struggling, sometimes falling, but justified, redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to Him. He sees a person full of His unconditional love, indwelt by His presence, sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. He also sees all of your potential—all the good you could accomplish for His kingdom. So take comfort—adversity won’t take up permanent residence in your life. But when it’s present, it can develop good things if you’re willing to trust Him. Therefore, no matter what dark moments you may walk through, be confident He’s going to bring you into the light. And when He does, it will certainly be worth it.
- Dr. Charles Stanley, Life Principles Devotional on the Bible app.
"Praise You in the Storm"
I was sure by now
God, You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
And once again
I say, "A-men" and it's still rainin'
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry, You raised me up again
But my strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You?
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth
(I lift my eyes unto the hills)
(Where does my help come from?)
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
Though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
And though my heart is torn
(Though my heart is torn)
I'll praise You in this storm
(Praise You in this storm)
(C)2005 Casting Crowns
"Next Year Finally Came"
Once I knew a farmer who reaped little what he sowed
While the neighbors' crops grew prosp'rous all around
And every year at harvest time this farmer did no good
Smaller crops kept coming from his ground
He'd smile and say:
"Thank you Lord, we'll do better come next year
I know you have a reason for it all. I'll try a little harder
And be thankful for the day. And next year's crops are gathered in the fall."
The neighbors saw the times get worse and couldn't understand
How this humble soul could call himself a man
They would gather round the market place
And brag on their success, this farmer's faith they didn't understand
He'd smile and say:
"Thank you Lord, we'll do better come next year
I know you have a reason for it all. I'll try a little harder
And be thankful for the day. And next year's crops are gathered in the fall."
Then came the day when all their land was bare and worn-out soil but the farmer's land kept growin' rich with rain
And everything he sowed he reaped in wealthy fertile years
And thanked the Lord that next year finally came
He'd just smile and say:
"Thank you Lord, we'll do better come next year
I know you have a reason for it all. I'll try a little harder
And be thankful for the day. And next year's crops are gathered in the fall."
And thanks the Lord that next year finally came
(C)1976 Charley Pride
These areas of thought coalesced to today's post: We aren't going to grow in Christ the right way, His way, without the trials and tribulations that make up a storm.
Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6 all are places to read of Jesus walking on the water and the storms that He walked through to get to them...and as it's written His intention was to walk past them.
Mark 4, Matthew 8, Luke 8 are of Jesus falling asleep in the boat while the storm battered the boat on their way to the other side.
In both instances Jesus proved a point and taught a lesson that they would remember that could only be taught in the storm.
I really like the two songs I put here for the same lessons. We can't wait for life to stop being difficult before we start praising Jesus for taking us this far. That's a twist on a statement of an artist that was on America's Got Talent.
We must look at our lives in light of this sanctification process that we are GOING to go through. We can't make a wooden object just appear on a workbench by merely thinking about it.
Now consider the passage where Paul said "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
I encourage you to seek out either the real deal or in the absence of that, a video watching a master carpenter take raw wood and make something wonderful out of it.
We are the raw wood and indeed Jesus is the Master Carpenter.
In Romans 9:20 we read "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?".
My Dear Reader...without the times where we go through that valley of the shadow of death and those mountain top views we would never become who Jesus wants us to be.
We gave up all rights to self when we came to Christ for salvation. People the world over believe they can keep pockets of self to enjoy at their leisure. That it's ok to live out those things without repercussions. That too isn't at all what the Bible says.
As Dr. Stanley pointed out...these things that we are enduring will only last as long as is necessary for whatever is necessary to happen for our sanctification. We came to Jesus in the raw and He promised not to leave us as He found us. That His grace and mercy will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Many many people will undergo many complex spiritual "surgeries" at the hands of our Great Physician in order bring about the righteous life that God desires for us.
He is mindful of our fragile frame.
He knows just what we need and when we need it.
He prepared for everything we are going through and knew every detail before we were born.
So if you're going through a difficult time...then realize fully that your Savior's hands are all over what you are going through and He will see you safely through it. There will be a better day ahead. He has His reasons for it all.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
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