I have learned that you cannot escape trials. Every trial in life is either God orchestrated or God allowed. But what we must all remember is that God is with us through those trials; He will never forsake us, and will see us through to the end.
Today's devotional is about God leading us along the high road, but there are descents as well as ascents along the way. In the distance, we see the snow-covered peaks, and our longing to reach those peaks is good, but we must not take shortcuts. God instructs us to follow Him, allowing Him to direct our path. We need to learn to trust Him when things go wrong. Disruptions highlight our dependence on Him. Trusting acceptance of trials brings blessings that far outweigh them all. He has lovingly planned every inch of our way. We need to trust when the path becomes rocky and steep. He reminds us that we will make it to the end together.
John 21:19; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Habakkuk 3:19
God has seen me through some major trials, but the one that always stands out in my mind is the time we were financially struggling, which led to Jeremy going down a different career path. This new endeavor moved me and my then two children, to CT to live with my parents, while Jeremy lived a life as a truckdriver, exploring all 48 states. During those 14 months, we only saw Jeremy a handful of times. I never understood then why God has allowed the financial struggle, or the 14 months of our family being apart, but looking back, that trial brought more blessings that far outweighed the circumstance. I do not wish that on anyone, but I am grateful to God for doing what was best for our family. Our marriage is stronger than it has ever been, Jeremy is the best father He can ever be, and we never take for granted the time we have together. If you are going through a trial right now, just remember that God has your best interest in mind. He is not here to punish, but to love and redirect.
To update on my last night's adventure, I am happy to report that I did extremely well! I resisted the chips and salsa, ate grilled chicken and shrimp (minus the smothered cheese that is oh so good) with some lettuce and avocado, and half of my refried beans (which I substituted for rice). Then afterwards, we went to a coffee shop where I had a skinny latte with almond milk (which I just found out has fewer calories than nonfat milk), and passed on the AMAZING (as my friends put it) chocolate cake. I am dedicated folks, but I pray that I continue on this path. I am known to be such a yo yo dieter, but I want to put an end to that right now. What this week has taught me is that as long as I seek the Kingdom of God first, everything else will follow. I just have to let God help me in this struggle of self-image, and I will overcome this obstacle.
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