Are We The Kind of People….Full of Gladness….Despite What Comes Our Way?
Are we the kind of people who look to the future and in our minds, we find ourselves “putting our carts before our horses?” Maybe, Sometimes….If we are honest.
Are we the kind of people who want to “see the rainbow before the thunderstorm,” see the results before we experience the hard work required to produce the good results? Maybe, Sometimes….If we are honest.
Are we the kind of people who often fail to prioritize our lives, instead “flying by the seat of our pants” at times? Maybe, Sometimes….If we are honest.
Are we the kind of people who want to experience God’s goodness for our lives, who want to get where we are supposed to go, loving God above all else? Probably & Hopefully….If we are honest.
God will get us where we are supposed to go—-even if it’s not where we expected.
How is that so?
Why do we wish to hurry our lives?
Why do we wish to see the end results rather than enjoying the life-journey?
Why do we make plans as life happens instead of allowing God to show us our life-path we are to walk, stepping forward, daily, hand-in-hand with God’s Holy Spirit?
We know that if we are God’s children, if we have accepted, believed, and confessed Jesus as LORD, then truly we have only blessings to count because God’s Salvation supersedes all stress, all turmoil, and all pain and fear.
We know the truth Paul records in God’s Word in the book of Romans.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God”….&
(Romans 5: 1-5)
“In our tribulations…&
In our perseverance…&
In our proven character…&
In our hope…”
“And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
We have a resource alive inside us far greater than any persecution, tribulation, turmoil, or pain. As we grow in our faith (our spiritual maturity), then we resemble Jesus more and more. We must strive to grow so spiritually strong that others see Jesus living within us.
That means….as we rely upon the Holy Spirit to direct our days, our weeks, our moments, and our steps….even when we don’t fully see the end or don’t end up where we expected to go, still we can allow God’s love to take root, for God’s joy to fill our heart, and for God’s peace to direct our daily walk.
Everything around us tells us that God can make a way, that we only need to stand and declare, “God’s got this,” & “God’s doing good things to my being (my spiritual growth) and through me (to reach others for Christ).”
God is for us!
The Victory is HIS….For Sure!
Finally, I am reminded of the acts of the first Christians living and testifying in the known world. They faced great tribulations and stress and turmoil and pain; yet, their faith remained strong.
In Peter’s sermon to them, he quoted David, and today, I leave with these beautiful words—
“I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE;
(Acts 2:25-28)
FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.
THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED;
MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;
BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES;
NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.
YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE;
YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.”