Walking Through Trials? Are You Focusing on the Test or the Testimony That Follows?

When hard circumstances arise, it’s far easier to focus on the test before us rather than the testimony that will follow.

I recently heard a story of hardship & thought, “Wow! God must think this young gal worthy to entrust her with such suffering.” It seemed insensitive, but it was so the opposite! I had a sense that this hard thing could become a springboard to bear witness to the mighty hand of God if she would let it…& just a few days later, she did.

She sat in my home freely sharing personal stories of God’s faithfulness during the hard. You could almost hear a pin drop as she gave witness to God’s goodness to the peers who sat before her…

It’s so difficult AND important to remember that whether we intend to or not, we WILL testify to something on the other side of hard.

We cannot bear transformative testimony unless we bear the weight of the test.

Acts 14 tells us that in the past, God let nations go their own way, yet, He did not leave himself without witness. The wonders of creation bear witness to a Creator, so how much more might we?

It appears that our nation is “going it’s own way” on many levels & is in great need of witnesses!

If we know Jesus as Savior, then how might we let Him be Lord even amidst trials?  Peter tells us that the very genuineness of our faith will be tested by fire to show that it’s real.

Why? So we’d have a rock solid testimony that might be compelling enough to woo others to meet our Messiah!

Think about it:

“How can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust?

👉🏽& how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted?

👉🏽& how can they hear if nobody tells them?

👉🏽& how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?” (Romans 10:14-17 MSG)

Father, send us! Deem us worthy of tests SO THAT we might build strong testimonies! We know we’ve a choice to let trials break or build our faith, so Holy Spirit, we ask You to comfort us through the test so we may focus on the testimony that will follow. Help us keep lock-step with our Lord, praising You even through the darkest valleys, so we may build a compelling case for the overwhelming evidence of our good God!

#OneYearBible

June 22nd One Year Bible Readings

2 KINGS 3:1-4:17

ACTS 14:8-28

PSALM 140:1-13

PROVERBS 17:22

God Never Changes, but His Word Changes Everything

I sat in on an interview recently that left me thinking for the remainder of the day. As the interview closed, the candidate poised a question that left the room silent with great anticipation of the coming answer:

If you could snap your fingers & immediately change one thing about the organization, what would it be?

I think to the degree that her question stunned us, the COO’s answer did the same. He said, “if I could change one thing, it would be that every resident would feel cared for.”

I think we all desire that - for us & for the people we love.

His answer surfaced again as I read David’s account of our omnipresent God who knows everything about us…& STILL pursues us with his unrelenting love!

If I could snap my fingers & change one thing in the lives of my loved ones, it would be for them to know to the deepest degree that God never changes, but His Word changes everything!

Ps. 139:23-24 has been the cornerstone of my daily time with Him & here’s why: it’s an open invitation to transparency & authenticity with The One Who knows it all anyway. It’s a welcoming for Him to dig deep & reveal the hidden things, not so much for HIM to know, but for me to see the things I keep locked away.

Life travels at lightning speed, words are spoken, actions are taken, & oftentimes we don’t have time to process it all. How things change, however, when we invite the Lord to search! He loves us SO much, that He’s just waiting for us to lay our hearts bare before Him so He can reveal & heal the hidden things!

I love to begin my day praying through the two verses, & letting the things that bubble up guide my heart like a treasure hunt searching for Truth as I read His Word.🤗

Search us, O God, dig deep into our hearts, touching us with your holy fire. Let any anxious thoughts rise to the surface so you can remedy them with Truth.

Point out anything in us that’s offensive to You - do we need to ask for or offer forgiveness? Do not let us deceive ourselves…

And lead us as Lord over every facet of our lives, along your path of everlasting life.

May we make time to sit & soak in Your love, & be transformed with the Healing balm of your Word!

#OneYearBible

June 21st One Year Bible Readings

2 KINGS 1:1-2:25

ACTS 13:42-14:7

PSALM 139:1-24

PROVERBS 17:19-21

If The Story isn’t Good, God’s Not Done Writing

If the story isn’t good, God’s not done writing.

That’s a phrase that surfaced at church yesterday. I thought about it throughout the day, wondering about circumstances where the story seemed to end NOT good.

The one that had me stumped was a friend who lost a child far too early…& that doesn’t seem good.

Maybe what matters is how we define, “good”?

Today I read about the Good News of how Jesus conquered death so that we might too. Long before Jesus is born in the stable, God promises to raise Him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave.

There’s nothing more good than knowing that there’s life after death, & even more good that Jesus guarantees anyone who believes in Him is made good with God, SO THAT we can spend eternity in the Presence of His goodness!!

When we are in the middle of a mess, hopelessness can settle on our spirits.

I can only imagine what the disciples feel when their Teacher, Friend & Messiah dies before their very eyes. I can’t say that I would’ve seen any good in it…

Kinda like watching a movie we’ve already seen, we all know how the story ends-that He conquers death & appears to them again!

But for the disciples? They walked through a murky middle moment probably pondering Jesus’s last words, “It is finished.”

What’s finished?

The story?

This is how it ends?

Those are all questions I would’ve asked. I’m sure they’re questions my friend & husband asked.

Yet, when I talk with her now, even though there’s a longing for her daughter, there’s also an inexplicable peace that comes from knowing sweet Maya is with her Messiah.

Loss is hard & most times doesn’t feel good.

I’m not sure what unfinished chapters you’re facing this morning, but may this post be a reminder that if it’s not good, He’s not finished writing. And sometimes? The good unfolds on the other side of heaven.

It might not feel good for us, but it is good because we know our loved ones who believed in Jesus as Savior, have been made good with God & are now with Him for eternity.

Father, You’re the Author of our lives & we trust You even when plot twists seem hopeless. Even though things might not feel good, You’re our Living Hope Who IS good & we trust Your timing with our story.

#OneYearBible

June 20th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 22:1-53

ACTS 13:16-41

PSALM 138:1-8

PROVERBS 17:17-18