Sometimes life is rough. What hits you is so sudden it takes your breath away. You are left reeling and broken.
Utterly taken by surprised.
This week I have been through some of the deepest waters in my life. I don't say that lightly. And, at this point in time, I am not going to go into any more detail than that.
The details are important, but they aren't.
Even though I would not have guessed this situation was coming my way, God knew. And He has been preparing my heart the past few weeks.
-Last Monday, I shared the lyrics to the Getty hymn, When Trials Come. I had written that post several weeks ago, but God knew I needed it this week....
When trial come, no longer fear, for in the pain our God draws near. To fire a faith worth more than gold, and there His faithfulness is told.
These words rang through my heart over and over again this week. God spoke words of comfort to me before I even knew I needed comfort.
-Last Thursday I shared about the sovereignty of God in keeping us home from our vacation. That there is, in fact, a reason for everything.
I still absolutely believe that and I clung to that truth with my whole heart and both hands this week. I don't know the reasons for this trial, but God is working. God spoke words of truth to me before I really understood how much I needed the truth to shine in the lies.
-Since before I wrote about prayer for my 31 Days series, I have been burdened to pray. To pray specifically for people and situations. I have seen answers to my prayers. I think this situation is an answer to my prayers. Which doesn't make it much easier to bear, btw.
God placed me in a position of dependence on Him before I realized how much I needed Him.
Prayer is my anchor to God. My desperate, "help me, God!"
"In my distress I called upon The Lord, and cried unto my God. He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even unto His ears....He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters." (Psalms 18: 6,16)
I have prayed for mercy in several situations the past few weeks. I have prayed for mercy this week.
-I have looked at last year as my watershed trial moment. It was an intense year of intense trial after intense trial. Since last spring I have been catching my breath, and thanking God that that season was over with.
Yet, just like glass needs to be continually brought to the fire to be malleable, so God keeps bringing us back to the fire. To purify us. To make us more beautifully like Him. We need the time in the glory bowl. (if you don't click on any of the links in this post-click on this glory bowl link) Or we start cooling down. We shatter instead of grow.
-I am back where I need to be. Back imbibing the Scriptures for truth and direction and comfort and sustenance for my soul. I am on my knees. My hands are open ready to receive. My eyes are upon God, waiting for Him to work.
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. Great is Thy faithfulness!
