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| Psalm 27:14, a photo by Sapphire Dream Photography on Flickr. |
I can smile now as I look back. Life is hard. God is good. And I am so grateful He spared me from my desires and longings once again. It’s good to be alive
and I have so much to be grateful for in my life. When I’ve been a
complete mess at times, He has remained faithful. I’m testimony to His
abundant, unmerited graciousness and love.
Yes,
my life isn’t going the way I foresaw it, but that’s okay. I have so
many opportunities, so many plans, so many new dreams. God is filling my
life every day with new challenges and new ideas. He is so faithful.
In
those times when I was at my darkest, when I was crying myself to sleep
wondering where my life was headed, I begged God to give me joy and
peace and a new dream. He has fulfilled that and filled my life with
good things.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6, ESV)
I
realize now that what I wanted so badly at the time was not at all what
the Lord wanted for me at all. There were so many times when He was
trying to gently grab my attention and show me the truth, but I
stubbornly drove headlong to see my dream through. It took an unexpected
jolt to make me see the light and even then, it took me awhile to admit
the truth.
I
can look back with regret on those times in my life when I stubbornly
ignored God’s gentle promptings and instead strove to fulfill my
desires. It’s easy to wallow in shame and regret, bitterness and
remorse. However, if I confess my sins, He is faithful to forgive and to
cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) He wipes my slate
clean and gives me a new goal, new purpose, new desire.
Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. (Psalm 34:5, ESV)
Maybe one day I’ll learn to focus on the Giver of my dreams instead of the gift. Hopefully, I’ll learn to pursue Christ as I worship Him through the gifts and dreams He has given me. He’s spared me from myself and my own selfish desires once again and I can’t be more thrilled. I know my life would have been miserable if He would have granted me the desires of my heart. Thank you, Jesus for being faithful in my life yet again!
Because of Christ, I have new beginnings, a bright future, joy in my heart, and the promise of His help every day. May I purposefully live only to His glory and not ignore His gentle guiding Hand.
“I
believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take
courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13-14, ESV)
- This guest post was written by Melinda Ruth of MelindaBlogs.com, where you'll find her original scribbles, heartfelt praise, and hopeful dreams.
Thank you for sharing, Melinda. Just a few days ago we got word that we have to move out of the place we're renting in 2-3 months, and that was NOT what we were expecting! But I think God must have a plan in all of it, even though it isn't apparent right now. Thank you for your encouraging words. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful that it was a blessing to you, Esther! Thank you for your encouraging words. I hope the Lord fills you with His peace and joy, even in the times of unexpected circumstances! <3
DeleteThank you, Melinda for such a great post! This past year, I can definitely say that I've had my share of trials and although each one was painful, I look back now and see God's plan in it all. God is so incredibly patient with me! Through each trial I knew that I should rejoice and trust God, but all I wanted to do was wallow in self-pity and seek my own way out. Instead God just kept gently pointing me in the right direction. Now, I'm no pro at trusting God though trials and tests, but I can confidently say that God was with me, even when I didn't think He was. All of the hurt was His way of teaching me to trust Him through e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Even the small things. Have I got this down yet? No, not really. But like I said, God is patient and we are constantly growing! There is always more to learn. :)
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your encouragement! God does have a plan and purpose in all our trials and pain. And, yes, we have such hope in His constant presence! Thanks for your comment!
DeleteI know this is old, but I just now found it. I am also a homeschooler, and I am actually the artist behind the Psalm 27:14 picture you used in the blog. This came at a time when I really needed encouragement to keep my artwork licensed under creative commons (someone used my artwork in an almost blasphemous setting, which was really discouraging and painful). Seeing someone use my artwork how it was intended (to encourage people and bring glory to God) was the encouragement I needed to keep my photos open to the public for use. I really appreciate what you wrote too.
ReplyDeleteThank you and blessings, Hannah (Sapphire Dream).