The Summer Devotions Pursuit 2014 begins TOMORROW!

The Summer Devotions Pursuit 2014 begins TOMORROW! It is not too late to join! Please share this video and invite as many friends as possible to join us in an incredible summer of seeking Jesus!

{More information in the video below and on the LTLM website - http://lovingthelordministries.org/event-items/summer-pursuit-2014!}


Summer Devotions Pursuit from Loving the Lord Ministries on Vimeo.

We would like to invite you to join us for the 2014 Summer Pursuit - a special time of seeking Jesus from June 1st - August 31st!

Here are the basic details:
WHO: You and Jesus
WHERE: Wherever you are
WHEN: June 1st - August 31st, 2014

WHAT IS INVOLVED:
- 15 minutes of devotions a day
- Memorizing 1 verse a week
- Choosing and contacting an accountability partner once every 2 weeks
... and an amazing summer with Jesus!

REWARD: When you complete the Summer Pursuit: You send in your chart by September 7th and you receive a reward in the mail - in addition to the best reward of knowing Jesus!
This year's reward will be a special surprise package!

You can watch the "Summer Pursuit 2014" video (http://vimeo.com/41883667) and visit the website (www.lovingthelordministries.org) for more details. You can RSVP on Facebook - HERE. You can contact us at info@lovingthelordministries.org with questions.

This is going to be an amazing summer of pursuing and meeting with Jesus! Pursue Jesus with all that you are this summer, friends. He is so amazing! He will meet with you - and you will never be the same!

"He satisfies the longing soul…” Psalm 107:9

"One thing have I asked of the Lord..."

 

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." 

~ Psalm 27:4

~ The Summer Devotions Pursuit is About a Relationship ~

As we embark on the Summer Devotions Pursuit 2014 {this Sunday!}, there is something I so believe the Lord wants us to remember:

We are seeking
~ not to simply follow some action guidelines, but ~
a Person.

JESUS CHRIST.

A personal relationship with the only One who can satisfy our souls. 

Jesus is pursuing you.

Devotions, time in His Word, prayer, memorization, and fellowship are an opportunity to respond to Him ~
to allow Him to meet us,
show us who He is,
and satisfy us.

He is:
~ Who we were made to know
~ Where we will find what we're longing for
~ The One who is the source of all that we need in life

Jesus.  As you meet with Him, you will be forever transformed.

The Summer Devotions Pursuit is a call to a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am so excited to embrace a summer of more of Him together!

Are you ready?

The Summer Devotions Pursuit Begins ONE WEEK from Sunday! {Join us and invite your friends!}

Summer Devotions Pursuit from Loving the Lord Ministries on Vimeo.

We would like to invite you to join us for the 2014 Summer Pursuit - a special time of seeking Jesus from June 1st - August 31st!

Here are the basic details:
WHO: You and Jesus
WHERE: Wherever you are
WHEN: June 1st - August 31st, 2014

WHAT IS INVOLVED:
- 15 minutes of devotions a day
- Memorizing 1 verse a week
- Choosing and contacting an accountability partner once every 2 weeks
... and an amazing summer with Jesus!

REWARD: When you complete the Summer Pursuit: You send in your chart by September 7th and you receive a reward in the mail - in addition to the best reward of knowing Jesus!
This year's reward will be a special surprise package!

You can watch the "Summer Pursuit 2014" video (http://vimeo.com/41883667) and visit the website (www.lovingthelordministries.org) for more details. You can RSVP on Facebook - HERE. You can contact us at info@lovingthelordministries.org with questions.

This is going to be an amazing summer of pursuing and meeting with Jesus! Pursue Jesus with all that you are this summer, friends. He is so amazing! He will meet with you - and you will never be the same!

"He satisfies the longing soul…” Psalm 107:9

The Treasure of the Storms ~ by Amy Vest {Repost}

Re-post Introduction Note:

My heart stands in awe...  Jesus knows exactly what we need to get us where we will experience the most joy, He will receive the most glory, and others will be the most blessed. 

This is hitting me in deep ways today... He is so trustworthy with our lives and the safest place is to be surrendered in His hands. For me personally, the past months have been filled with mountain tops and valleys, and in them all, my Shepherd has known just what I need to keep me close to His heart. {Psalm 23}

 

The following blog post is an edited repost from a few years past - and I believe these truths now more than ever and look forward to years ahead with Jesus, discovering the treasure of the storms.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

            It is often the things that we never would have chosen on our own that end up being the biggest blessings.  There is a beauty that comes through the storms of life that cannot be produced in any other way.  The Lord allows these storms out of His deep heart of love in order to accomplish His perfect will in our lives.

            This truth has been very vivid and a source of strength to me recently.  Over the past few months, as a result of many different things, I have experienced various health problems.  While it is something that I never would have anticipated or asked for on my own, the Lord has used it in more ways than I ever could have imagined.

            Suffering has become a sweet door for the Lord to teach me many things I don’t know if I would have learned otherwise, as well as an avenue to remind me of some foundational truths.  It is true that the storms will come in life, the Lord has a special plan for them, and your perspective and response determine the outcome.  Deep in my heart I hope that what is shared below will encourage you to embrace the trails in life with joy because you know the treasures from the Lord that they hold – and my heart wants to remember them with you.

- We see the Lord for Who He is and have an opportunity to draw closer to His heart.

            There was one night I could not sleep as a result of pain.  I lay on the couch looking up at the stars through the windows with tears involuntarily streaming down my face.  As I lay there and began to talk with the Lord, beautiful things began to take place.  I could sense that the Lord was so near to me, and found again the treasured reality that He is the Friend that never leaves you or forsakes you and the One Who comforts you in your pain and uplifts you in your trials.  As I communed with the Lord in my pain, a thought hit me and the tears began to flow all the harder.  The physical pain of what Jesus went through on Calvary became just a little more real to me in my state and resulted in thanking the Lord in a new way, with a whole new gratitude for what He suffered for me.

- We find that He is all that we need.

            There have been times when I was required to stay home from different events and sit out of certain activities as a result of my health.  Through being “withdrawn” from normal social activity, I saw in a fresh way that the Lord is all that I need.  He is totally fulfilling and Who He is satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts.  It can be so easy to find delight in people, activities, etc. and without realizing it, allow ourselves to try to have the needs of our heart met in those things.  This will only result in feelings of dissatisfaction and emptiness.  It is as we delight in the Lord that Who He is will meet the desires of our hearts!  “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalms 37:4

- It causes us to remember and focus on what really matters.

            Facing pain helped to sweep the shallow distractions of life aside.  Being forced to step back from some of the things that I would normally do, caused me to reflect afresh on what is really important.  With the busyness of life, it can be so easy to get caught up in the commotion of each moment and become distracted with things that really are not that important.  I was reminded that it is the Lord and His Word, people and their souls, and fulfilling God’s will for me and what will last for eternity, that really matter.  I want so much to keep this perspective every moment of my life!  “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

- It gives us an opportunity to become more like Jesus. 

            The key is how we respond to suffering.  Oh, that our hearts will be soft and moldable like clay in the hands of a potter!  His refiner’s fire is meant to strip away the “dross” of our self and allow the “gold” of Jesus to shine all the brighter through our lives.  The Lord wants to use the things that He allows in our lives to make us more like Jesus as we cling to Him in suffering.  The more we are surrendered and willing to let Him work in us, the more beautiful the results will be!  The goal is that it will be more and more of Jesus and less and less of us.

- We are drawn closer to the Lord.

            There is something about trials that draws you so close to the heart of the Savior.  One night, as I was lying in bed still experiencing pain, the Lord’s presence was with me in such a real and deep way.  It was so sweet and I had such a sense that I was in the center of His loving will.  I longed that I could always be in this state.  “Lord,” I said, “If pain brings this result, I am willing to go through this as much as You want.”  “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”  Philippians 3:10

            In studying Mark 4, the Lord brought a beautiful analogy that gave a sweet picture of a special part of what this “storm” in my life has been about. “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”’  Mark 4:37-41

            The Lord revealed that just as His disciples saw Who He was as a result of the physical storm, so He allows us to go through the storms in life so that we see and are reminded of Who He is.  He does this out of love and for our best.  We so desperately need to be reminded again and again that He is all that we need, He is the only One worth living for with all that we are, and He is the only One it truly matters if we please.  So often we forget these truths, which causes us to worry and try to deal with things on our own.  There are many times that we are like the disciples; worrying about sinking, trying to deal with the problem, and then finally turning to Jesus when we realize we can’t do it on our own.  As we keep our gaze on Jesus and His Truth, we will experience and find peace in Who He is!

I have come to see suffering as my friend.  So many treasures have come from the pain.  There is such a peace in knowing that I am in the Hands of the One Who is fully trustworthy and loves me more than I can ever comprehend.  I am grateful for this “storm”, for it has as allowed me to come to know my Savior in new ways and caused me to exclaim with the disciples, “What manner of man is this?”

      
            In the days ahead, may we view every circumstance of our lives as an exciting opportunity to draw closer to the heart of the Lord, know Him more, depend on Him in new ways, become more like Him, glorify Him, and allow His perfect will to be accomplished in our lives!  As a result, we will find more meaning in life than we have ever known and will begin to discover the treasure of the storms.

The Lord's Work in Suffering: Revealing Himself, Purifying Us, and Expanding Our Ministry ~ by Janny

 

Dear friend, is your precious faith being tried by fire? Fires have many forms for us as young women. In the chaos of flames, clarity isn't my mind's foremost quality. However, Scripture promises "they that seek the Lord will understand all things." (Prov. 28:5) I'm so thankful that in faith-trying times, understanding and comfort too have come through a particular fire story of ​three ​young believers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their unbelievable rescue. 

 

LovingtheLord.org's beloved Amy chose the title for this blog, understanding that each of the following areas reveal God's redemptive work in suffering.  (*redemption - my favorite word in the English language.:))

 ​​

Revealing Himself - "That I may know Him . . . in​ the fellowship of His sufferings"

 

Long ago I asked God to give me a special verse - a lifer! The response of heaven surprised me. Psalm 46:1​ - He would be my Present Help, my Strength, and my Refuge.  ​"​I need all those?​", I questioned. I had no idea how much! In life, every trouble and suffering (which could be renamed fire) comes with an amazing promise of Jesus: "When thou walkest through the fire, I will be with thee: neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2) His Presence is the secret place of His Spirit. It is more comfort than anything on the planet can offer. It is deeper than tremendous physical pain, broader than ​the shatters of ​a broken heart, stronger than persecution - a fire guard. It is safe from the enemy, free from any condemnation, and set apart from outside pressure. It is where our hearts learn of God. Trust is born there.

 

Imagine our three Old Testament friends getting to see the pre-birthed Messiah entering into their own fire.What would it have been like to host the presence of heaven and earth's Creator . . . there?! Astoundingly, beloved friend, He appears in our fires too! Oh how the revelation of Jesus brings grace! Much-needed grace!

 

​"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than ​of gold​ that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in  ​W​hom, though now ye see Him not​, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Pet. 1:7-9)​

 

Purifying Us - "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8)

 

I used to fear suffering of every description.  ​But I'm coming to see there is a blessing in it and learning, little by little, to cooperate with God's redeeming purpose​s. When fires heat up and the flames burn hotter, it causes hidden, unfelt or unconfessed sin to come to the surface, and reveals habits of thought​.​

 

 ​R​elentless ache reveals the true affections of our hearts. Rather than using my tongue to add to the fire of suffering (knowing that even a complaining tongue is set on fire of hell), I can use it instead in quick confession to the gentle Savior and experience the cool, cleansing water of the Word.

The Lord Jesus set a beautiful example of suffering well, suffering in a way that actually brought glory & joy. "Who, when He ​was reviled, reviled not again; when He ​suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." (1 Peter 2:23) May I comfort you with something huge? In the fire of those three friends, the only thing that burnt is what bound them. They walked around in that fire free men! In Redemption’s love, fire is purifying, refining us for the life-expanding ministry God has in store. 

​

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me." Psalm 138:7​​

 ​

Expanding Our Ministry - "for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." (1 Pet. 4:1b-2)

 

Through prolonged suffering our vision is taken beyond self-centered ambition to the vision God has for the advancement of His kingdom on earth, His will to be done. When we find God alone is the Source of joy, our hopes leaves the shiny glitters of earth for the Light of world. May our longing for the glory of God out-shine even our own longing for deliverance & personal rescue. 

As soon as king Nebuchadnezzar laid eyes on Jesus in the fiery furnace, he called to the young men.

 ​ ​

They stood in front of him no longer bound, not singed, not hurt.They didn't even smell like the fire.They'd just simply been with Jesus.The expanding effects were instantaneous. All three of the young believers were promoted but best of all God was praised and honored on a large scale for His supernatural deliverance of the servants who had trusted Him in the fire.

 

"There is no other God Who can rescue like this." (Dan. 3:29,30)

 

Praying for you as I sign off that knowing Christ in the LOVING REALITY of the secret place will hold you through your purifying times. It is the Lord's work to redeem suffering.  He will redeem yours, as well, that Jesus may be glorified. And in that, ​you​ are most blessed!

"But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." 1 Peter 5:10      ​

Clinging to His Promises in Pain ~ by Grace

My dear friends, whatever you may be enduring this day, no matter how unbearable it may seem, cling to the promises of Jesus.  It is in His words alone that we may find strength and grace, peace and joy during our time on this earth.  Some days you may be so worn out, so bowed down with cares, so wrought with worries and anxieties that you wonder if you can possibly endure another moment.  By the grace of God, you can do more than endure.  You can rejoice and be satisfied!  When life gets difficult (and we know that it will), hold fast to His words.  I continue to learn every day how absolutely necessary it is to have His Word written on my heart and in my mind.  James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”   I love this verse! Blessed is the one who remains steadfast in suffering.  Oh dear heart, this is so true.  When we let His Word rule in our hearts, we are able to be happy even in the midst of suffering.

Personally, I have known only a little of what trials and sufferings can be.  But it has been enough to make me cry out and beg the Lord for grace.  I share my struggles with you in the hope that you may be encouraged to trust in the manifold wisdom and kindness of God in your life. 

                For many years now, I have experienced chronic physical pain.  And I can attest to the weariness, anxiety, and frustration that can so often come as a result.  Honestly, some days I am very discouraged and struggle to keep my eyes toward heaven.  But the Lord is able to lift up my head and help me look to Jesus, even through tears.  And I know beyond any doubt that He hears my cries and prayers (Micah 7:7).  He is the God of heaven and earth, and He hears me.  What an incredible and beautiful promise!  But He doesn’t just hear us…

 

He will never forsake us.  Deuteronomy 31:8, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  I cling to these words each and every day.  Let me encourage you to believe this truth with all your heart.  For those of you who have been abandoned by loved ones, I understand your sorrow.  I am right there with you, crying and grieving.  But let me encourage you as a sister in Christ to not let this keep you from pursuing Jesus!  Rather, let His promise to never forsake you drive you to be a blessing and comfort to others.  Let it drive you to pursue Jesus Christ and live for His glory and honor.

He offers rest.  Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  We can find rest.  It is so easy for me to forget that the rest I so desperately need is in Jesus Christ—not myself.  I am in college (studying to be an ESL teacher), teach piano, and try to keep up with normal daily things.  And I will be the first to admit to you that anxiety has been a large part of my life, one that I am not proud of.  But my Lord is with me each day, helping me to overcome my fears and worries.  May we always remember that true and lasting rest is found in Jesus Christ.

He is sovereign!  Psalm 135:5-6, “For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.”  I remember when I first came to believe in the absolute sovereignty of God in my life, when I realized that nothing happens outside His perfect plan (Lamentations 3:37-38).  We often don’t know why certain things happen.  But we can have faith in the certainty that our God is working out His perfect plan in our lives and it is glorifying Him (Romans 8:28).  The freedom and peace that comes from trusting in His sovereignty is incredible and a cause for rejoicing!

He gives strength.  Isaiah 40:28-31“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  The Lord doesn’t just give us strength, He IS our strength!  These verses have brought me no end of comfort and blessing over the years.  I think of them often and remember that through His strength I can endure under heavy burdens, persevere through suffering, and run the heavenly race with joy.  There are so many times in our life here on earth that we will need the Lord’s strength.  And what wonderful, mighty strength it is!

I would dearly love to share more with you of how His promises have shaped my life, but I fear my post is long enough already.  May these verses strengthen you and cheer your heart today:

He loves us (Is. 54:10; John 15:9-13, 16:27; Rom. 8:35-39).  He is near to us (Ps. 34:18, 145:18; Is. 55:6).  He delivers us (Ps. 34:17-19; Col. 1:13-14).  He is our refuge (Nahum 1:7; Ps. 46:1-3, 18:2; Pr. 18:10). He intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27, 34; 1 John 2:1).  He gives us peace (John 14:27, 16:33; Philip. 4:6-7; Is. 26:3-4).  He forgives us (Ps. 86:5; Col. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:17-19).  He is our joy—I LOVE this one! (John 15:11; Ps. 16:11, 21:6, 40:16, 43:4).  He has given us a heavenly inheritance (Rom. 8:12-17; Luke 12:32; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).  He grants us grace (Heb. 4:16; Eph. 2:8-9).  He satisfies our souls (Ps. 107:9; Matthew 5:6). He comforts us (Matthew 5:4; John 14:16).  He gives us guidance (Ps. 32:8, 37:23-24; Pr. 3:5-6).  He has chosen us (John 15:16, 19; 1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 1:4-5).  He is refining us (Jam. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7).  He gives us hope (Ps. 38:15, 39:7; Rom. 15:13).  He keeps us safe (Is. 43:1-3; Matthew 7:24-25).

I encourage you, my dear friends, to meditate on the promises that the Lord has written to you.  Believe them with all your heart, for they are His Words.  And His Words are Truth.  Decorate your home with these truths and promises. Keep them in your purse or backpack, stick them to your mirror or fridge, hang them on your windows.  Keep a journal of all the promises you find!  Be constantly feeding Scripture to your mind.  When your body is aching and your heart is broken, your soul will be rejoicing because of Jesus Christ.

Dear sister (or perhaps brother) in Christ, hold fast to the Hope of Jesus.  For He is able to bring you peace and satisfaction, even in your greatest pain.  He will offer you strength in your most desperate moments.  He will fill you with unquenchable satisfaction and joy, even in your darkest hours.  He will give you hope.  He will be your Promise.

Jesus is Enough – The Sweet Presence of Jesus in Pain ~ by Jana

Be strong, be bold, don’t be afraid or frightened, for Adonai your God is going with you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.  Deuteronomy 31:6

The stabbing pain of grim news was brought to our ears through the doctor’s gentle yet concerned voice, “There is an exceptionally large tumor on the kidney.  It is serious.  You will be admitted to hospital now. We must do surgery immediately.”  My husband and I sat close on the tiny couch.  We looked deeply into one another’s tear soaked eyes and were dumbfounded.  The numbness quickly began to set in.  This was OUR little five-year-old boy, Ben, our only son.  Our world immediately began to narrow.  The blur of activity, appointments, surgery, recovery, radiation, chemotherapy, endless, long hospital stays, medical appointments and family separation had begun.    It was all coming at us like bullets from a gun.  Yet, through it all, there was a distinct peace and tangible presence of our LORD Jesus.  We never needed Him like this before.  Our valleys had never been this deep.  Strangely, we questioned whether He was able.  Could His mercy meet us here?  

Less than 24 hours before these trials began, we were sitting as a family in church.  Although we didn’t know it at the time, the sermon was a gift of preparation for us.  The pastor was speaking on living with pain and suffering.  One illustration he used was an earthly father who received the gut wrenching news of his son’s cancer diagnosis.  The message was to lean hard into God’s goodness during trials and trust that no matter how painful the road ahead is God is underneath us bearing us up during it all.  I thought, “great message, but that’s NOT us!  Thank God it’s not us!  Things have been going well in our lives.”  Oh, but it WAS us!!  Our merciful LORD was preparing our hearts to receive the news.  Even at that moment He had a tight and loving grip on us, His beloved children.

Ironically, our son’s cancer birthed for each member of our family a new and tender relationship to our merciful LORD:  one of utter dependence.

Valleys, sorrows and despair are all around of us.  We receive news that stirs despondency in our souls.  It might be a fatal accident, word of another fallen Christian leader, discord in our fellowship with other believers, personal physical limitations or failed health, or as it was for me, dreaded news that my little boy had an extremely rare, cancerous tumor.  We cannot escape these places the LORD Jesus allows in our lives, but the undeniable, comforting truth is that those who belong to Him cannot walk deep, dark valleys alone.  

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  Deuteronomy 33:26-28

HIS everlasting arms.  He is holding us and providing peace that ONLY He is able to give.  Our family instantly and fully experienced His comfort.  It has not let us go.

Jesus was the propitiation for our sins.  He took our punishment on the cross.  Without this sacrifice on our behalf, we would not be His children, have our eternal hope of salvation and a place in heaven.  But wait! There is MORE.  Have you ever thought about what else Jesus bore as He lived among man, suffered, hung and died on the cross?  Look at a familiar passage with new eyes:

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:1-5

In the tragedies of our lives, we long for answers.  We seek comfort.  The One who bore our sins and gave us new life also willingly bore our all of our griefs and carries our sorrows.  We BELONG to Him. When we rest in that, we experience HIS living presence through the pain and trials.  We are not alone.  We have Him who is acquainted with it all.  What comfort!

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.  

Psalm 56:8

 

The time of intense cancer treatment and major life change for our family is past.  We are through that valley and slowly our lives are returning to “normal”.  That is what we seek – but will never find.  We cannot forget how the LORD Jesus was present with us for He continues to comfort us and cause us to remember His goodness to us during our darkest times.  Our lives are filled with memories of His hand on our lives and we will never be the same.   

Other trials will surely come and because of His sweet promises we can be assured that we will not lose heart for He has promised, "God himself has said, “I will never fail you or abandon you.” Hebrew 13:5b  The literal translation is:  I will never ever, no not ever fail you nor never, ever, no, not ever abandon you.  Isn’t that amazing?  A doubled-triple promise!  There is constant nearness of our loving LORD during every valley, during every joy.  He is there comforting and reassuring us.   

He is reminding us that we have a greater hope and greater future, always nestled in His everlasting arms. 

It is my prayer that you will experience His presence and His comfort each day, especially during trials in a way that causes you to rest peacefully in the Man of Sorrows who was acquainted with grief.