God's Pleasure to Share

This week has been continuing the saga that was started in mid-June with more bumps in our path and more challenges to embrace. My posting yesterday had been put to words after many weeks of multiple struggles ~ with "icing" added to the cake of our affliction on Monday this past week. Monday's trial was one of abiding in faith during difficult circumstances. God has given me a Spirit of deep faith in these issues, so it has not shaken me (though I believe it is affecting my dear husband differently). But ~ I have been shaken this week.

God did not depart from me on Monday, nor has He ever left me. However, the relational trials our family continues to face (as they escalate and ebb regularly, with a culmination this week on Friday) keep knocking me off center. I know intellectually that God desires for me to experience His peace and purpose my heart to focus upon His sovereignty during these trials. I have many moments of sheer joy in His presence despite the evils, but I have not yet experienced complete rest in Him

Well, I know that He would have me not blow in the winds of moods. He loves me and He desires me to walk in the joy and peace of the Lord at all times. I have not been as blessed in walking away from the influence of my heart/mind combination related to our relational trials. It has frustrated and disappointed me.

God blessed me tonight with His Word ~ speaking directly to me in so many ways as Bo and I participated in a sermon series wrap up at a friend's church. It was the first night I had had the gumption to attend (I often participate with them in studies, but had been out of the loop for a couple of months); I was pleased Bo and I could have an evening together to focus upon something real and meaningful with brothers and sisters after this week's fiascos. I now know why God prompted me to go.

Here is what He shared through the speaker:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Romans 8:18
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
2 Peter 3:13
13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And, finally: 1 Corinthians 2:9 9
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Praise God that He sees all, knows all, and loves us so ~ and what pleasure awaits in the things He promises to come...This life is so short in light of eternity. These trials such a blip on the radar screen of what is real and lasting. We have so much more than we can imagine, and He desires to pour out upon us so much more than we could ever dream. We are so blessed. Thank You, Lord.