EXPOSURE…..

A word that can bring thoughts of—-Dread—-Fear of Revelation—-So Many Tribulations—-and the Peace of His Comfort. 
Consider an extremely cold, early morning when the coolness of outside permeates through the walls of our homes, and we just cannot get warm.  Maybe we awake to begin the day, and (maybe) it is a day, much like today. As our feet are “exposed” to the air outside the warmth of the bed covers…..Well, right then we experience DREAD.   Yes, we DREAD the thought of pushing aside the covers, rising out of our beds, facing our day, as we timidly place our feet on the cold floor.

Then, Consider an ordinary day, a workday, a Friday such as today.  We dress, prepare our lunch, brush our teeth, grab our keys and our book bag, and we head out the door to finish the work we have for the week.  Last night, we rested well, maybe we dreamed, and we took time before leaving the house to pause to pray, asking the LORD to bless our day…..THEN……Suddenly we encounter a situation, one that “exposes,” one that we may have tried to keep hidden over the years. Yet, (we are cognizant) in our hiding, we endure misery and pain and constant inner turmoil because we know the truth. When we consider sharing our burden with a trusted friend, we think, “What will he think if he knows the truth about me?……Well, right there, in that moment, we experience the overwhelming FEAR of REVELATION. Yes, others will know the truth, and that causes our hearts to pound…….Right then, (in that moment) we allow the FEAR of REVELATION to overtake us, knowing we cannot hide “THIS” from our trusted others anymore. 

And then also, Consider a day when life seems so normal, when we can move through the hours, accomplishing the daily tasks, without even really needing to think as we do our job.  We just move through it. Maybe it is a day, much like today, and we wish to see the hours tick by (as the clock travels through time) because something greater will occur after while, in our near future……Well, right then, the unwanted comes to our day……TRIBULATION, and suddenly, we are faced with a decision question—-Should we focus upon what is beyond our control, this TRIBULATION, as it becomes exposed within our day?
YES, Consider Dread.
YES, Consider the Fear of Revelation. 
YES, Consider Tribulation. 
BUT NOW, LET US CONSIDER COMFORT.
QUESTION—–How does Comfort appear, when others look at our lives?
QUESTION—–When others think our name, do they experience thoughts of someone comforted by the presence of God—-OR—-do they experience thoughts of someone uncomforted and striving alone?
QUESTION—–If we remain uncomforted and alone, where will that path lead us when our life is complete?
QUESTION—--If we journey through life—–Comforted, then with WHOM does our COMFORT originate and sustain?

Life is difficult.  Oftentimes, life becomes pieced together, as we live a string of days, ones filled with strife, encased with troubles, and burdened down with so many tears, and maybe with days, much like today.

We can become totally immersed in the here, the now, (THIS LIFE) & totally loose sight of WHERE WE WILL GO WHEN THIS LIFE IS COMPLETE. —-OR—-

WE CAN REMAIN EVER-COGNIZANT OF THE WHERE (HEAVEN) WE WILL GO WHEN THIS LIFE IS COMPLETE BECAUSE OF THE ONE (JESUS) WE HAVE ACCEPTED, BELIEVED, AND NOW KNOW!!!!
I absolutely love how the clarity of God’s Word provides us everything we need, every time we read and meditate upon His words.  Daily, like a cool drink of water taken in after a strenuous hike up a tall mountain, the Word of God is POWERFUL, CALMING, PEACEFUL, AND LIFE-GIVING.    During life, we hike through our trails, climbing and descending as we go, maybe even losing our footing as we journey, feeling the small rocks on the path as they diligently roll around us, deterring our path.   Quite possibly, we may even endure stumbles and scraped knees, bumps and bruises caused when we actually fell down, and just maybe, we may have fallen even more than once.  Quite possibly, we are surrounded by other travelers—–hiking with us as we go, and though we enjoy their company, when we fall, they laugh, or hike on without us, and maybe they even gossiped about us to everyone, “exposing” the reason for our fall.
Peaceful Comfort comes from the WHO.
Calming Comfort comes from walking close beside HIM.
Sustaining Comfort comes when we look up from our life path and realize…..HE is THERE, RIGHT THERE, WALKING WITH US AS WE GO.

We are doomed, We are separated, and We are without His presence providing us strength……if we do not BELIEVE. 
HIS Comfort can be only be experienced as we walk along beside HIM during the many days, yes, through days, much like today,.

AS WE GO THROUGH LIFE,

• WE EITHER GO WITHOUT GOD’S COMFORTING PRESENCE, OR
• WE GO WITH GOD WALKING CLOSE BESIDE US. IT IS AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION EACH MUST MAKE.

Thank You God, for Your Comfort, and how You—-Alone—-bring us through. Yes, most assuredly, Thank YOU, God, for inviting us, for choosing us, for calling to us, for loving us so much, and for saving us because YOU know we should not ever want to journey through life all alone. THANK YOU GOD!

Seasons of Life: Of DREAD,  &  Of FEAR, Of REVEALING our struggles,  &  Of the TRIBULATIONS that plague our days.
BUT…….God’s Comfort will bring us through—–&—–God’s Comfort will even walk us home into the afterlife.
Within God’s Comfort, we are never alone!
How can that be?
How can we know for sure?
How we can trust in this Truth?
WHO can we turn to for answers? God’s Word……The TRUTH……..FOREVERMORE!!! 
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation”  (1 Peter 4:  12-14).

All of us may wish for a life of ease.  BUT, God allows us to go through testing because HE knows we will hide our weaknesses UNTIL they are fully EXPOSED. 
All of us desire a life that allows us to hide our struggles and secrets.   BUT God knows as we endure the “exposure” that comes when we can no longer hide, that it is then (in our struggling to find our footing, to find our way), we will pause to humbly exclaim, “God, I just don’t understand why this is happening to me, and God, I am not really sure if I can make it through.  Oh, help me, God because I am just so scared.”

• It is then…..RIGHT THERE…..IN OUR DREAD……IN OUR SECRET SINS REVEALED……IN OUR TRIBULATIONS………WE FIND GOD.
• It is then…..RIGHT THERE…..IN GOD’S WONDERFUL PRESENCE…..HE BRINGS US WHAT ONLY HE CAN PROVIDE.
• It is then…..RIGHT THERE…..THAT GOD GIVES TO US WHAT WE SO NEED.
• It is then…..RIGHT THERE…..IN HIS PEACE  &  IN HIS COMFORT……HE GIVES SOLACE TO BRING US RELIEF.

God loves us. HE created us just as we are and HE understands our struggles, our concerns, our burdens. 
And in God’s love for us, HE sent His Son to die for us.
In God’s Omniscient Power, HE brought resurrecting power to His Son, Jesus.
God desires to share time, to share life with each of us, to know us, to walk with us intimately—–My LIFE—-God and me  &  Your LIFE—- God and you…..Hiking along the path…….TOGETHER.
There is a beautiful melody by Brad & Rebekah entitled “Hold It All,” and I hope you find a moment to listen to the lyrics today.

Let us cease in our struggling all alone, and let us cease in our hiding of our secret sins, and let us cease in facing our tribulations without HIM………..AND LET US EACH TURN TOWARD GOD……..AS WE RELISH HIS PEACEFUL COMFORT & OVERWHELMING SOLICE. Father God, This is our prayer we lift for today.