Dear Ones,
Hope you had a good weekend! We got more snow yesterday but is melting today. This morning I made individual egg dishes and went to Aldi’s and to my exercise class. We are off soon to do some errands this afternoon.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How much do we really trust God? Do we trust Him completely with our lives or do we waver especially when going through hardship? This morning I was reading about the Apostle Paul and all that he and other believers suffered for Christ. He said in I Cor 1:8 (God’s Word) that the suffering was so extreme that it was beyond their ability to endure but…. The but is important as he said in verse 9, “But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life.” Why are we surprised when we go through suffering since we were told that this would happen? Our culture paints the picture of being happy all the time and doing whatever we need to, to make us happy.  Even some Christians think that life should be all roses, but it involves hardship, sweat, and work as well. Gen, who has stage 4 cancer and who so many are praying for, asked family and friends to listen to Pastor Phil Manginelli’s message on hardship. He told the story of when he was newly married and he and his wife had their first fight. He had no clue what he had done but instead of letting the problem separate them, he tried to get on the same side of the problem. Whenever we have trials, it is important to partner with the Lord and not let it separate us from Him. Pastor shared how hardship isn’t something we should run from, for in the midst of our pain and struggles, God shows us who He is and waits to bless us. Rather than viewing our struggle as the enemy and trying to get out of it, see how it brings us closer to the Lord. Suffering is not a sign of God’s absence but an invitation of His presence. It is almost like a mystery unfolding when we see how God uses hardship to work glory into our lives and gives us joy in our trials. When I look back on a hard trial that we went through in one of our churches, I am left with such gratitude and praise for how the Lord carried us through; we leaned heavily on Him and knew our future was entirely in His hands. Whatever we go through today or the future, we need to humble ourselves and get on the same side as God. He will give us strength to act and will equip us for whatever is ahead. Let us trust Him in the hardships and pain and welcome His plan for our lives.
Challenge for today:  Trust God in your whatever you are going through and lean into Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy