Every so often I can’t help but reflect back on one of the hardest {thus far} times our little family of four has experienced. In fact, it was five years ago this past week that we learned one of the most valuable lessons from that difficult time. I hope we never lose sight of the faithfulness of God that HE poured over us during a season that demanded our 100% trust in Him to move us from day to day. He was and IS so Faith-Full! Five years later we definitely see God’s wise Hand as He guided us and called us to blindly trust and follow Him. He was setting the stage to teach us and bless us in ways we couldn’t have imagined at the time.
The Lord and I were wrapping up my quiet time this morning and putting the finishing touches on Sunday’s SS lesson when He brought this season back to my mind and prompted me to share it’s truths again today. Because of how Faith-Full and Loving He is… I’m trusting that God will use this to speak a word of reminding encouragement to all who need it. Our season of testing and trusting may have been different from yours… but our Faith-Full God remains the same, and His Truths are true for each one of us.
Praise the Lord! And, I’m praying for YOU today…
Previously published on January 14, 2010:
This Friday is January 15th. This date may not mean a lot to you, but to our family, it is the first day of a life whose security has nothing to rest upon except in our God. Our severance package ends, and so does all of our insurance. We honestly thought that by this date, James would be in a new job. We never imagined that we would hit this date unemployed. As we thought toward our future, we expected to celebrate the 15th of January with hearts full of gratitude to the Lord for all He did while we were unemployed, as we happily rejoiced in all the new things God would be doing in our lives through the new job.
But the 15th is here, and there still is no job… and not for the lack of trying. We are still at the “rejoicing in the things God is doing while we are unemployed” stage.
I imagine that for various reasons, this has been a difficult week for many of us. I don’t know about you, but for me, that battle between faith and sight has been tough. Burdens of our own, and those we are carrying for others (ones we know and ones we only know about) have been heavy. I’ve cried a lot. Prayed a lot. And I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate. 🙂
As I’ve rolled those burdens upon the Lord time and time again, The Lord has been gracious, comforting, loving, gentle, and firm in His reminder that He is on His Throne. In our own life situation, as well as in the devestation in Haiti, with the martyrs around the world, the lost, the lonely, the grieving… God is still working, loving, comforting, strengthening, healing, saving, and He will not let go of His hold upon us. (Heb. 13:5-6, see below.)
While we’ve done what we can for others, filled our minds with Scripture and our home with Praise Music, God has blessedly calmed our hearts and made us glad. We look toward the future, uncertain of what, where, and how it will be, remaining certain of Who it is in.
A sweet friend wrote this to me the other day: “The God who loves you, provides for you, comforts you, and sustains you on the 14th, will be the same God who loves you, provides for you, comforts you, and sustains you on the 15th…”
So true! Not just for the Walker family and our “deadline”, but for you, too. I have a feeling that someone, besides me, needed to be reminded of this today. This side of Heaven, we will not completly understand the mind and heart of God, but we can trust that no matter what, He is and will always be Who His Word tells us He is. He is good. He is loving. He is just. He is merciful. He is our Shield, our Strength, our Portion, our Deliverer, our Shelter, our Strong Tower, our Ever Present Help in time of Need! He is Everything!
If you need a reminder today of just Who Jesus is for you, spend a few minutes listening to and praising Him through this song: Made Me Glad. Because, no matter what happens, or what day of the week it is, or what deadline comes and goes, when we put our lives into His hands, He is the One – the Only One – Who forever can make us glad.
I love you, and am praying for you~
Jennifer“Since God assured us,
“I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”
we can boldly quote,God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6 The Message
