From Grief Bites: Finding Treasure In Hardships YouVersion Reading Plan
Wouldn't it be nice if life was like a neat little Hollywood movie?
A problem would present itself...there'd always be a short time for the problem to run its course...there'd be a neat and tidy solution to the problem...everybody involved would learn a powerful life lesson...people would see the folly of their ways and instantly become a much better person...the situation would have a dazzling happy ending...and everyone would get along and live happily ever after.
Sounds nice, doesn't it? Just writing that makes me wish a few trials I'm presently going through would experience the cheesiness of a Hollywood movie ending!
The thing is, that usually is not what happens in majority of people's lives.
• conflict happen within marriages and families
• illness sometimes cannot be healed
• a child rebels and moves out regardless of how much their parent loves and treasures them
• a person gets laid off no matter how much good they've invested into their job
• people are rejected and mistreated by family and others no matter how hard they try
• people disappoint us and we disappoint other people
• terrible tragedies happen everyday
We live in a fallen world filled with fallible people...and we are fallible ourselves. Life can be frustrating.
So how do we change things to make life better?
It's not what you think...
We think we must change other people or our circumstances to find our happy ending...but the truth is, our focus needs to be:
1. Delighting in God
2. Doing our responsibilities
3. Waiting on God to work in HIS time in HIS way
Psalms 37:4 NLT Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Difficult to do...Especially when your world around you is falling apart.
We desperately want our situation(s) to change. We want our loved ones to do the right thing. We want a great life. We greatly desire harmony in our marriages, families, and relationships. We want justice for the times we have been wronged.
We want to meet our goals, be successful, and also be valued for our work by our employers and colleagues. We want a better financial situation. We want family and friends to love and value us. In short...we all want the silver lining in every area of our life!
What if we never are given our silver lining? God has one question for us: "If our lives..or circumstances..never changed, would we still love Him and continue to be devoted and loyal to Him?"
On the journey to God's best for our lives, we must first seek God. As we learn to love, obey, treasure, and delight in Him..regardless of our circumstances, grief, or losses...we find He is the true treasure we've always needed.
One of the best promises God gives to us is that He will be making up for all the heartache, pain, tears, frustrations, and failures we experience in life.
Joel 2:23-27 NLT Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.
God is all powerful. Sometimes, He will give us the desires of our hearts here on earth...other times, He has us wait...and waiting is HARD. It goes completely against our human nature and tendencies.
I can guarantee you this: One day, all of God's children WILL experience the happy ending they crave. God has a purpose and plan through EVERY situation.
It's our job to love God and be loyal to Him, continue to do our God-given responsibilities, and to wait on Him to work out every intricate detail of our lives.
Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Wouldn't it be nice if life was like a neat little Hollywood movie?
A problem would present itself...there'd always be a short time for the problem to run its course...there'd be a neat and tidy solution to the problem...everybody involved would learn a powerful life lesson...people would see the folly of their ways and instantly become a much better person...the situation would have a dazzling happy ending...and everyone would get along and live happily ever after.
Sounds nice, doesn't it? Just writing that makes me wish a few trials I'm presently going through would experience the cheesiness of a Hollywood movie ending!
The thing is, that usually is not what happens in majority of people's lives.
• conflict happen within marriages and families
• illness sometimes cannot be healed
• a child rebels and moves out regardless of how much their parent loves and treasures them
• a person gets laid off no matter how much good they've invested into their job
• people are rejected and mistreated by family and others no matter how hard they try
• people disappoint us and we disappoint other people
• terrible tragedies happen everyday
We live in a fallen world filled with fallible people...and we are fallible ourselves. Life can be frustrating.
So how do we change things to make life better?
It's not what you think...
We think we must change other people or our circumstances to find our happy ending...but the truth is, our focus needs to be:
1. Delighting in God
2. Doing our responsibilities
3. Waiting on God to work in HIS time in HIS way
Psalms 37:4 NLT Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Difficult to do...Especially when your world around you is falling apart.
We desperately want our situation(s) to change. We want our loved ones to do the right thing. We want a great life. We greatly desire harmony in our marriages, families, and relationships. We want justice for the times we have been wronged.
We want to meet our goals, be successful, and also be valued for our work by our employers and colleagues. We want a better financial situation. We want family and friends to love and value us. In short...we all want the silver lining in every area of our life!
What if we never are given our silver lining? God has one question for us: "If our lives..or circumstances..never changed, would we still love Him and continue to be devoted and loyal to Him?"
On the journey to God's best for our lives, we must first seek God. As we learn to love, obey, treasure, and delight in Him..regardless of our circumstances, grief, or losses...we find He is the true treasure we've always needed.
One of the best promises God gives to us is that He will be making up for all the heartache, pain, tears, frustrations, and failures we experience in life.
Joel 2:23-27 NLT Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.
God is all powerful. Sometimes, He will give us the desires of our hearts here on earth...other times, He has us wait...and waiting is HARD. It goes completely against our human nature and tendencies.
I can guarantee you this: One day, all of God's children WILL experience the happy ending they crave. God has a purpose and plan through EVERY situation.
It's our job to love God and be loyal to Him, continue to do our God-given responsibilities, and to wait on Him to work out every intricate detail of our lives.
Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
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