Dear friend, God may send you some valuable gifts wrapped in unattractive paper. But do not worry about the wrappings, for you can be sure that inside He has hidden treasures of love, kindness, and wisdom. If we will simply take what He sends and trust Him for the blessings inside, we will learn the meaning of the secrets of His providence, even in times of darkness.
~ A. B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Matthew Smith
“Faith does not say, ‘I see this is good for me; therefore God must have sent it.’ Instead, faith declares, ‘God sent it; therefore it must be good for me.'”
~ from Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman, May 1st entry
God has been teaching me more and more about faith.
Left to my own devices, I get caught up in wrong thinking. I wonder, “Is this what God wants me to do?” I worry, “Do I have the ability to carry out what God has called me to accomplish?” And I whine, “Why doesn’t the Lord make this assignment more easy for me?”
But God has promised that He is faithful to complete what He has started in me. If my Father has laid out a task before me, I must believe that He will provide the strength, grace, and courage needed to carry it out.
What is left for me to do is to rely on Him, and to trust that because He has sent it, it is the best possible situation that I could be in.
What situation do you need to trust God with today? ❤
I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
by all the honor of your name.
As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.
Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
for all of them will hear your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.
The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me.
~ Psalm 138 (NLT)
Knees to the Earth 