Someone once asked me after a particularly difficult time in a particularly difficult place, “How was it?” my response was and often is just two words, “Rough blessing!” While this may seem like an oxymoron we serve Abba!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“I have seen the enemy and it is me” – this famous quote often sticks in my head in times of difficulty because of The God I grow to Love more each moment I am awake to Him!
I have seen war, starvation, poverty and natural disasters on a Biblical scale and Yes I can honestly say, I grow more in Love with Him in each moment I am awake to Him!
Why after all I have seen, heard and done can I say that?
In simple terms when I am in the midst of Hell I know He has me there, and when I am in the midst of Heaven I know He has me there! Each and every moment and each and every event and each and every person that you come in contact with was sent to you by God, Yes even the one that will eventually end your earthly life!
REST IN THIS AND WHO YOUR DADDY IS!
He controls ALL things and when you struggle He is doing two things:
1) He is bringing you back to His chest, wrapping you up in His Mighty Arms of Love and just rocking back and forth!
2) Getting you ready for someone who will desperately need the lesson you are learning in that moment!
Live in the awareness of this and Life Abundant IS Here and Now – if you don’t frustration will be your constant companion!
Thanks for this encouraging post, Bob. This is a hard truth: “In simple terms when I am in the midst of Hell I know He has me there, and when I am in the midst of Heaven I know He has me there! Each and every moment and each and every event and each and every person that you come in contact with was sent to you by God, Yes even the one that will eventually end your earthly life!”
Thank you sister for reading and taking the time to respond!
The Love of God Is the hardest perhaps of all truths as it is the hardest to believe!
The old words “I have seen the enemy and it is me” come to mind and the force called satan or the devil is very much at work on this in two primary ways from what I have experienced:
1) distraction – sex, drugs, power, religion or anther pain reducer we choose instead of accepting the truth of His pain Eliminator!
2) disillusionment – in ourselves, those who say they are Christians or in what we see as god that isn’t the real God! Thoughts of we aren’t good enough for His Love while true are rarely followed by “WOW and He still Loves me – Glorifying Him Alone! Brennan Manning said in His book The Ragamuffin Gospel and in Abba’s Child that the reason most don’t find Grace is that His Love is so Amazing people just cant believe it!
Thanks again for your input and sharing sister!
Amazing but true that, “…accepting the truth of His pain Eliminator!,” is more painful than, “…distraction – sex, drugs, power, religion or anther pain reducer we choose…” It’s so easy, but hard because the flesh is a serious contender who is always with us in this life. Yes, the being behind it, “…the force called satan or the devil is very much at work.”
Thank you for sharing Sandi,
This is why I take a very simple Bible study with me everywhere I go, which hopefully means Africa this summer as well as my regular stop in the Philippines. I just ask people to answer a few questions based on scripture. It looks like this:
https://www.begracefull.com/let-the-journey-begin/
For the vast majority of Christendom the biggest battle is with legalism as opposed to Grace. That’s the way it was for me and for many that struggle. Until we see the law in its proper role and in its proper place a relationship is a pipe dream.
Thank you again,
Bob