Is it Really So Bad?

This morning, I woke refreshed and felt alive again. As I begin my day and contemplate what my meditations should be I hear a little voice whispering in my ear... Is it really so bad? Consider the life of Job. He had it all and then all was destroyed.

The reality is that I still have tremendous blessing. It's easy to lose sight of what God has for you when the disconnection notices are coming, when the cupboards seem empty and you are swallowing your pride to find a way to do what needs to be done.

So I come back to the one thing that always works, the sacrifice of praise. " Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:20-21 (NKJV)

So I will praise Him in this storm, and I will lift my hands in praise.

Grateful for Growth

I have to remind myself not to tell God how big my storm is, but to tell the storm how big my God is. I don't know who coined that phrase, though from the heart of a believer, it puts life back in perspective. I have faced some days that I feel the storm clouds over me in the midst of a drought, but they will not rain. Heavy and humid and hot. Uncomfortable to say the least. I have been challenged to keep myself and my thoughts in check. And as I feel like I am drying up more and more, I am continuing to say YES to God. Knowing that He knows where I am, knowing that He has an amazing plan for me. My solace in stress is now moving into service for Him. As I write this, I am pleased with myself, knowing that I am more easily willing to be obedient. I am reaching out to His work to refresh me in a way nothing else on this earth can do. I know that when I step out in selflessness He knows my heart, He knows that I am turning over control to Him to work in me. It's when we serve others that we are served and refreshed.

In boldness I declare that I will serve the Lord and I will not let the enemy overcome.

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (James 4:7-8 NKJV)