Welcome back to Heartstrings

Have you ever been in a position where you have to be still? I mean, be still and know that He is God? We are called to this but, still in our choices we allow distractions to throw us around in all directions. I know some of you are heavy loaded with work, raising children, and still is not a word in your vocabulary. You think, some day when things settle down. I am here to tell you, that day may never come.

I don't mean to bring you down this morning. But, what makes us think that God owes it to us? Things go wrong at the drop of a hat, right? All I was doing was putting a piece of paper in the woodstove to light and my back went out. I couldn't walk by myself and the pain nearly took me to the floor. That was on the first of this month. Am I better today? I sure am, by the grace of God.

Did He see this coming? I know He did. Does He see or even care about our coming days? I know He does. Let me back up a bit. I kept hearing in my spirit to be still and know that He is God. But, as long as I had the power, my mind was set to put that urgency to the sidelines for a bit longer. Then, it happened. So, I have a whole lot of time to be still before the Lord. I have no doubt He turns our troubles into good. The pain into praise, even while still in it. How? Surrender to His Sovereign will.

I am not the only one learning this. My life has also been touched by the terrible news that a precious family member has stage 3 cancer. I can't share the details. But, you know what she told me this morning? An encouraging word. And, here I called her to encourage her. God knew I needed to be given His Words of Life also. We both received His special gift of love. Here is the Word.

2 Corinthians 4:14-17...(from the Amplified version) "Assured that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence.

~ For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God."

During your crisis, or trouble do you ever wonder how on earth God can use you in this condition of such need? How can your prayers effect others. What kind of testimony do you have?

And here it is. Verse 16 says, "Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.

~ For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]."

You can read on and really get what Paul is saying. His experiences are written there to encourage us to hold on! Mans opinions will fail us, the Lord is our banner lifted high. Jehovah-Nissi is His name! 

So, this battle you and I are in have a purpose. God is Sovereign! And the Bible doesn't say, "He won't allow more than we can handle." It says, He will go with us through the valley of the shadow of death. His rod and staff comfort us. Hold on to His hand, trust His Word. They are life to us! Ask God to cover your mind with His Spirit of Truth today. Don't put it off. 

The ride may be rough, but hold on! Don't be foolish to set your love on the things of this earth. Let His Love lift you higher and higher still. Give honor and glory to His matchless name, amen.

Abundance is...progressively renewed day by day