Once upon a time, I cried out in agony to God and said, “If this is Your way of handling my life, I can do a better job!”

Gasp!

That was years ago as I was in the middle of one of the worst trials of my life.  I had said, “Yes!” to God wholeheartedly as a young girl, and I had made a commitment that I would follow Him wherever and whenever He so led as long as I lived.  I really meant it too! 

However, when things got tough and didn’t make sense to me, instead of trusting, I blew up!  I couldn’t believe that God would let something like this happen to me, and I let Him know it!  I must have looked like such a brat to Him!  But, instead of scolding me or getting angry with me, He lovingly took me through a process of growth and understanding. 

I had slipped into a horrible, dark depression for many months during that time, but He held me in His arms and used that season to show me His love, compassion, patience, and wisdom.  He showed me that I really can depend on Him for everything I need, and He truly was everything I needed.  He turned my sorrow into great joy and showed me that He always has it all under control, even when I can’t understand it.  He completely changed my heart!

In time, I saw that He had worked the entire situation in my favor.  What had once brought me such pain ended up being exactly what I needed to prepare me for what He had for me to do.  He actually did work it out for my good as He had promised!

Since then, even amidst minor doubts that may creep up, I have always had an underlying sense of deep peace and a gentle knowing that everything is really going to work out for my good.  I often look fondly back at that time whenever I ever have doubts, and He settles my anxiety.  I have had a new sense of strength since then that with Him, I really can handle anything that comes my way.  What peace comes with trusting God!

I have learned that I really can sing praise to Him and worship Him with passion no matter what my personal life is like.  Life circumstances never change His worth!  If only we can all learn to trust Him no matter what happens in our lives.   It is so freeing to leave it all in His hands and know without a doubt that no matter what, He is always good!  He always has our best interest at heart!  He will always work every situation in our lives for our good!

Be at peace!

God has a specific purpose for my life.  In everything I go through, God is working it for my good. He uses it to make me more like Him.  It can be painful sometimes, but He uses it all to train me and prepare me for His purpose, to develop my character, to build my faith, to endow me with wisdom, to soften my heart, to strengthen my resolve, and to give me compassion for others.  All of this is necessary to fulfill my calling.  He lovingly keeps me and carries me through all of the tough stuff.  He is always teaching and training me in love.

He sees the big picture and knows exactly what I need. He is always good, even when it doesn’t feel like it to my human understanding.  It is God’s will for us to grow and to develop, and He often uses our trials and pain.  Embrace it and trust Him through it!  I need to have such trust in God’s handling of my life that I can praise Him and be full of joy no matter what happens.

Look to Him and trust Him no matter what my circumstances. 

To seek Him and learn all I can through all life’s situations.

To remove things in my life that weigh me down – habits and thoughts especially.

To continue pressing forward no matter the obstacles in my way.

To remove things in my life that have become a comfort to me yet are really roadblocks to my progress and growth.

To surrender areas that I have had a death grip on.  To surrender all to Him as He leads me day by day.

“What would it be like if we were so confident in Christ’s care that we sang in the middle of our gloomy days and our painful moments?”

“…Not everything that happens in life is good.  But regardless of what happens, God is still working in it.  If we look to Him, we will find strength for the hard things, patience in the daily things, and joy in all things.”

“It helps if we learn to believe, at the very core of us, that no matter what, we are in good hands.”

“…Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life…The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me…” Psalms 138

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,  have been called according to His purpose.  For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Romans 8:28-29

“…The Spirit helps us in our weakness and that all of these sufferings, trials, and hardships are working together for our good…because it is God’s will to conform us to the image of His Son.”

“Things happen tous, so something can happen in us.”

“How can we be carefree in a life filled with cares, sufferings, injustices, hardships, and pain?  By making a choice to fix our eyes on Jesus and to find purpose in the pain by allowing God to teach us the truth of being conformed to His image.”

“Choose joy because God is working, and never look back because you cannot run the race while looking behind you.”

“Dare to identify the thing that is not necessary in your life right now and eliminate it to clear the path ahead of you.”

“Believe that this pain will produce righteousness in your life in practical ways.  Believe that this pain will produce peace and will train you for the life you were born to lead.  Believe that this present pain is working to make you more like God’s Son, Jesus.”

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2

“Whenever life is hard, God has a plan.  I will look to God and count each circumstance a gift.”