Confession time!

Is it not interesting how when “things” come together when you need to “hear” something. Circumstance, nope – G-d’s providence all the more likely as He moves and weaves Himself and His will into our lives.

I say that almost too easily. The L-rd is speaking all the time yet our ears aren’t awake and really tuned in to listening (and later to obeying).

For I am guilty. My daughter has had some serious health issues within the last year and other members of my family have faced divorce, relationship loss, death, and more. We have been a very troubled family this last year and while I would like to say I have been the rock of the family – I have been probably more like a pebble. I have succumbed to all sorts of emotions instead of trusting in the Most Holy G-d. I lack faith and even more have let some of these be expressed in negative ways.

Sure, people might say, “it’s ok, been a tough year” or excuse it away with the most sincere sweet intentions when they console with words, “I know it must be hard on you”, yet that is not the root cause. And that is not the struggle within. The struggle is two-fold. #1 – Having peace to start that comes from spiritual intimacy with Christ and #2 – using #1 to allow for gracious responses at ALL times.

Then there is pure action. I should go out of my way to comfort, to physically help via service, and more prayer for the person and situation. I should love my daughter more than I ever have, pray for her more often, and turn the other cheek when she says things that bother me. I should also show more grace when she is hurting or when she takes longer on a task then she used to.

I am growing but still have a long way off in these (and many more) areas. Sometimes I am patient. Sometimes I hold my tongue. Sometimes I pray. But other times….

I try to draw on my own strength with the above “good things”, yet the reality is – I fail!, and fail hard. I need His fruit of the Spirit. I need His strength. I need His patience. Ultimately I need to Holy Spirit to guide me, carry me, and to help me be more like Christ and more sweet, kind, loving, and truly just all around more like He wants me to be. A reflection of Him here.

The one thing I do know is that He is working things out. Like yesterday’s article – He is not done yet and will work this (me) out to completion. I just need to get out of His way and be on my knees more. Do you?

From the book “Connect the Testaments” by Rebecca Van Noord

Stability isn’t an inner strength, but certainty in God’s provision is. We can meet the uncertain with the certain when we trust God to help us work through the chaos. We can also remember that, at the end of the novel, the protagonist who endures conflict is changed by the experience. In the same way, God is working through the conflict in our lives to make us more wholly devoted to Him, since “testing produces steadfastness” (Jas 1:3). And there will be an end: We’ll “receive the crown of life that he has promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12)

Do you want to be changed by Him?

Do you struggle with doing the right thing when you are faced with knowing it?

James 4:17: So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.