Everything hits you at once. We all know this. We can’t have things in spurts, because that would be too easy, lol. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong – all in the same day.
That being said, last week really tested my faith and my patience, and, as I was telling my hubby the other day, DANG. When God wants to get my attention, He really gets it!
I’ve been struggling with my faith because a prayer I’ve asked for has gone unanswered. And it makes no sense (seriously) as to why this “thorn,” I guess you’d say, hasn’t been taken away.
I woke up one morning just totally saddened and depressed because I felt a little abandoned. I was having my own little pity party, complete with melodramatic sighs. It was fairly pathetic on all fronts.
I got to work. Sniffled a bit. Didn’t do much work. You know, felt sorry for myself. And then I started browsing through your blogs, and I just want to tell you – God hit me over the head with a sign (as always has to happen, because apparently I never get the point). It’s like He said, “Excuse me? You just want to praise me during the good times, but when something bad happens, you want to give up all hope? Really??”
Yikes!…My bad.
So, anyway, I just wanted to share with you some verses (and lyrics) that I read on your posts last week that really encouraged me and made me snap out of my silly pity party and got back on track for what’s really important: serving God.
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1 Peter 1:7-9
"These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
-- lyrics from Mercy Me
Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
John 9:1-5
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
So…thank you for those of you who posted these things.
9 comments:
It's pretty cool the different outlets He can use to speak to us. :)
I feel like I am in a similar place. Thanks for posting all these great verses!
Wow - those are all really good refreshing scriptures and lyrics for me to see today. I'm glad you posted them.
Thank you for reminding me of God's Faithfulness.
I was just remembering today back several months ago when I was able to Thelma Wells at a conference. She said, "God is Workin' it Out!" We often do not see the hand of God moving behind the scenes. We only see our side of the story. God is constantly moving in other's people's lives to "Work it Out" in ours. So glad you were able to find comfort in his words.
Thanks for being honest and sharing your struggles.
I know I'm not much, but you always have me here! Just a hop, skip and a jump away =)
what an encouragement for those 'pity party' days! i'll remember this post, write down those verses, and use them as reminders to me when i'm feeling down and slumpy. thanks so much for sharing!
p.s.-i love your new bloggy layout! very pretty!
HI..'
I just joined the blogroll and just going around and visiting the the different blogs, Prayers unanswered seems to teach me about patience, and waiting on the Lord.(sigh) But I know he does all things well in his time.
I'm glad to hear your heart was encouraged by your visits to other blogs. I enjoyed my visit here as well.
Aloha Lorie
I often feel the same way. I like the new design!
I cannot tell you how much I needed to read this right now. I have been in such a slump/pity party/depression/whatever you want to call it. And I KNOW that God is good all the time, and not just when things are going great, but sometimes I just need a little reminder of that.
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