Our story continues….
He wants to play! Jack, my puppy, wants to play! How did I go from a calm, consistent life of morning quiet times to sharing these special parts of my day with a four-legged, wiggly, demanding little creature?
I’m really not sure how it happened, but saying yes to getting a dog was so far from my plans that I’m convinced God’s hand is in this situation somewhere. But it’s not easy. Sacrifice is involved. And patience. And discipline. And PRAYER.
This morning I read:
It is a common misconception that the Christian’s walk of faith is strewn with flowers and that when God intervenes in the lives of His people, He does so in such a wonderful way as to always lift us up out of our difficult surroundings. In actual fact, however, the real experience is quite the opposite. And the message of the Bible is one of alternating trials and triumphs in the lives of “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1), everyone from Abel to the last martyr (Streams in the Desert, August 22).
The author continued to give examples of the Apostle Paul who faced trial and adversity throughout his life and ministry. Imprisonment to being shipwrecked. Starvation to flogging.
Why would anyone go through what Paul did and still believe? Was God not being faithful to him? Had God forsaken him? It would appear so if only observed from the outside. But we who believe know that God was always faithful to Paul. Despite the trials, Paul’s faith grew and the Church grew. Actually, because of the trials, imprisonment, hunger, and beatings we read some of the most profound and powerful words ever written by man. The ink used to write Paul’s letters will never fade because of the power of God in His life. That power didn’t make things easy, but it gave him the strength to overcome.
Every trial and struggle we have is a chance to trust. And without trust it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6 ~Complete Jewish Bible).
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Before we got the doggie gates! Close encounter. |
Jack is now sitting at the doggie gate whining trying to get to the cat who loves to taunt him. I know this is a silly little trial compared to the big ones many of you are going through. I know the heart wrenching trials too. Yet in every trial whether small and irritating such as traffic or puppies or a big struggles like life altering illness or tragedies, God is with us.
And we have a choice.
There is peace to be found and even joy in the process when you and I choose to see His hand in everything- good and bad, irritating and blessing- so I choose to see the good.
What trial are you facing today? Can you see the goodness of God in it?
Much love,
andy
