This last week or two, I have needed some enocouragement for myself. So I have gone through and read some of my own posts from the last year. This week I am featuring some of my favorites. They have encouraged me this week:
Faith Lifts theme this month is “Joy”. Contributing writer, Paula, says that even in our trials we must consider it pure joy. She says, ‘As a child, I used to believe my life in Christ guaranteed me a world free from problems. As I’ve grown in my faith walk, I’ve come to realize that according to James 1:2, it’s not a matter of if I’m going to have troubles, it’s a question of when.’
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance.~ James 1:2 (NIV)
I wrote a couple of months ago about Problem’s being Opportunities Catapult. And it is true that we have to choose how to view our circumstances in life. Several years ago I had a friend whose 12 month old daughter drowned in a swimming pool. The strength they showed in that trial, the fact that they never blamed God, never became angry with each other, but instead drew closer to God, even that made me ask “God look at your faithful servants, where were you at to protect them?”
Nineteen months ago I lost a very close family member, a godly woman, to a tragic car accident. I couldn’t make sense of it. “God where were your angels?” I asked. “One centimeter and she would have been spared. Were you asleep?” I struggled for months. I couldn’t understand how He would allow someone with such Love for Him to be taken that way. All the questions everyone has, and even some fear of my own because I questioned, “where are the angels we pray over us and our children everyday, are they going to be on a coffee break when we really need them?”
While I will never understand the timing or reason of her death, I know God used it. It caused me to push past all my understanding of who I thought God was, and draw closer to find out who God is to me! So many times in our struggles we push God away, we blame him because we do not understand. When instead we need to seek Him, and His truth. As I became angrier and more frustrated with God over the situation He asked me something. “Emma lived her life with Joy, it is what everyone will remember her for. The smile on her face even in times when she should have been curled in a ball hiding, she was singing God’s praises. Would she really want you drowning yourself in sorrow because of her? Are you going to let all she put in you die with her?” It was then that I decided to close the book on my grief, and try to live the legacy she left us.
Isaiah 61 best expresses God’s heart to those who are in pain, and even turmoil right now. Be blessed with hope and joy this Christmas. He is Immanuel – God With us!
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61