That's Life

This week, 4 of my cousins lost their grandmother, their last living grandparent. My heart goes out to them. Losing a loved one is never, ever easy. Praise the Lord that she was a saved lady, and they can have the assurance of seeing her again one day!

When times like this come into our lives, it is easy to ask, “Why me?” or, “Haven’t I been through enough already?” It always seems like I’ve been through so much, while the other person has an easy life...why didn’t this happen to them? I’ve been there, done that. And when I see someone else going through a trial, I find myself pondering those thoughts again.

Fact is, it happens to each one of us. For a reason.

I’m re-reading a book right now entitled, “When Life is Hard” by James MacDonald. My Uncle sent me this book at a time when I desperately needed it. It is full of important, thought provoking truths that are important to remember when life does get hard.

That is the basic truth of it. Life will get hard. Not if it does, but when it does.

Does that sound negative? I don’t mean for it to sound that way. I think this truth, that trials will come, can be a positive thing in every Christian’s life.

Hebrews 12:5
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

The writer of Hebrews is saying, How can you already have forgotten this promise, that the Lord chastens those He loves? Don’t despise it...it is for your good.

James MacDonald says,

“A trial is a painful circumstance allowed by God to change my conduct and my character.”

If we allow the Lord to work His will through the trial He has allowed, we will come out better Christians, better Christ-followers, better people. That sounds like a positive thing to me!

And the other thing is, He won’t leave us alone during this trial. He will be there with us, giving us all the strength and grace we need. This whole plan just keeps getting better and better!

So are we ready for the next time of testing? Because it will come. We need to be prepared to grow, to learn, and to be broken by this next truth we are to learn.

When Joseph was thrown into the pit, did he know that pit, that slavery, that prison cell, those lies, were all there to fulfill his dreams? Certainly not. But they were necessary for those dreams to come true!

“Being thrown into the pit may very well be the first step to God’s fabulous will for your life!” 

(Debbie Lavender, Overcoming Being Overcome)

Lets try to see it as such!