Boast In The Lord January 21st, 2022

How easy it is to rely on our own strength and wisdom when our lives are flowing smoothly – in terms of our relationships, our health, our families, our prosperity and other life issues.   But our pride and self-reliance will be brought into question when life’s storms come and reveal to us that our strength truly comes from God alone.  When we fall to our knees in repentance and humility, and seek His face, then we see and understand that we are truly strongest when we are at our weakest, when we ask God to be our strength, our wisdom, our guide.  
For me these truths have been evident through many challenges as a parent.  I was deeply aware of my own inadequacies and inexperience in raising children, and my repeated request to God during that season of my life seemed to be:  Lord, please show me what You want me to do here, and please heal my children of my mistakes.  In submitting my weaknesses to Christ, He gave me His strength and wisdom for each situation, and was abundantly faithful to heal and redeem our family when we stumbled. 
And through recent health difficulties Jesus has literally been my physical strength at those times when I had nothing of my own strength left.  God has not promised to take away the trials, but He has promised to be with us as we walk through them. God doesn’t always heal us here on earth or take away the storms in our lives, but He does give us His anchor to cling to, He gives us His sure footing through the storm. “…though the mountains fall to powder, when I lift my eyes again, I will see You standing faithful. Still You are God, still You are Holy … still You are holding me safe in Your hands.” (From the song “Still” by Zach and Sarah Blickens).  I know that God may heal us, or He may not, but still, He is God.  His ways are always perfect – whether we understand them or not – and He will be faithful to all His promises.  What an awesome God we serve!