“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” -I Pet 1:3-9
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Rom 5:3-5
“ My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – Jas. 1:2-4
If there is anything that God has been showing me lately it is that “weeping may endure for night but joy comes in the morning.” I am becoming more and more aware that in the midst of the night there is always a sunlight that i can bask in if i will but turn my heart in faith to the One who has declared he will never leave me. Jesus is the Morning Star. Have you experienced this? While in the midst of pain you hear the voice of Jesus whispering to your heart “I am with you…” I have. I have experienced it recently when i was heading into an event with anxiety in my heart at the expectation of what i would have to confront I heard his voice and recognized that His presence was very near. I then began to pray and declare that, “I will take Courage Lord!” “I will not fear.” And when I finally made it into the event it was not at all what i expected. FEAR. I’ve heard the acronym for FEAR. False Evidence Appearing Real. I know all too well how real that false evidence can sometimes appear. One other term i like to think of is the term “hasty heart”. The scripture that comes to mind is out of Is. 35:4 of the Amplified Bible.
“Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God He will come and save you.” – Is. 35:4 AMP.
To be hasty in heart and suppose that something will turn out a certain way is one of the things i battle as well. God wants us to live by faith and not by sight. Drawing conclusions before the outcome of something has been determined is pride and shows just how much i trust myself. But,. if i will believe, i will see the glory of God. God’s glory manifested by me bearing fruit and living a life that is surrendered to his will in the love and service of others is what He desires of me.
This year has been a wild ride for me. There has been a lot of change and a lot of what can be considered loss. In the midst of it all i have learned to continue to look up. To bend and not brake is what brings about Character. Character is the the indispensable that’s won after I have yielded to discipline and watched another aspect of my life come into line with the will of the Father.