The Difference the Trial Phase Makes

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

This was the verse that came up today on the app on my phone. It seems to be following a trend of verses that God has exposed me to in the last few days. It's one of those, "I know that you are going through something, but I am taking you through. Don't give up!" You know those kind of verses?

When I am going through rough times, whether they are challenges that others can understand or ones that no one seems to comprehend, I need these verses. The ones that remind me that there is an end and there is a promise. Most importantly it's a verse that lets me know He is with me.

I can admit that there are times when verses like this make me angry. Deep in the midst of the trial, when the challenges seem to be killing me, this kind of verse frustrates me. I wish that it didn't, but I have to be honest that it does. God know exactly what I need to hear and when, and He knows how I will react when I see it.

A few days ago, when a similar verse popped up on my phone app, I was angry. I didn't want to hear it. When I read the verse today my reaction was quite different. Today I saw it for the promise that it is, the promise of an end, a reward, and His presence. What's the difference?

The difference is where I am in the trial. When I am in the right place of the trial, the healing, then I can accept a verse like this. God doesn't stop making the promise just because of where I am though. He is ever present. His promises are always true and they do not waiver. I waiver. I am changing. I sometimes live in the past or the future, and ignore the present. Thankfully, God knows all of that and His Word is always true.

Know that He knows where you are in the trial. He knows how you will react to His Word. He knows when it is too hard to believe and when it is easy to believe. Keep reading His Word and know that He will always be with you!

From Dead Leaves to Blooms

"O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit." Psalms 30:3

This is a double lavender impatiens that was all but dead since I got it. My sister-in-law received it from a student. Unfortunately, it is a shade plant and her yard is not shady. Mine, however, is very shady. I brought it home and hung it from a branch on my dogwood tree. It would received all the necessary shade to grow. But it didn't.

I watered it, picked off the dead leaves, and made sure it was in the shadiest spot under the tree. But it was dying. It got to the point where there were only three very sad stems sticking up with no more than eight leaves between them. I was ready to give up and through it away. Then the weather changed.

The days got cooler and the sun was less intense. I noticed that it was gaining leaves, so I decided to see what happened. Now it has a few flowers and buds! It's October and it was close to death and now it thrives.

Our lives can be just like this flower. We can be in the right place, getting feed, and pruned, but be close to death. Some will look at us and think, "Throw her away. She's dead!" Others may decide that even though we look dead they'll wait until we are good and dead to throw us out. Thank God, He knows that we aren't dead.

He knows that we are going through a death process, a process that the bad is being removed from our lives. It looks ugly, feels dry and withering, and leads to thoughts of just giving up. But God knows that there will be a change in our weather. He knows that the right conditions are coming. Once they come we start to grow. We start to bloom. We start to flower. Others look at us in amazement and shake their heads wondering how we survived. 

It's simple really, the Lord restored our lives from the ones that go down to the pit. Trust Him and His timing. He knows the seasons of our lives and He knows that our Spring is coming. 

Feel Like Dying Grass

" 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.' And this word is the good news that was preached to you." 1 Peter 1:24-25

This verse come up on the app on my phone today. I read it twice, because it touched me. I found such comfort in it.

As we all know, grass dies and flowers only last for a season. The verse says all flesh withers and falls, dies. It would be easy to focus on the fact that we die, to think that it is hopeless. But the verses don't end there.

It goes on to talk about the fact that the word of the Lord remains forever. Jesus is the Word. He reigns forever.

I don't know about you, but I tend to get stuck on the first part, the dying part. Maybe it's a dying a season in my life, okay maybe is the wrong word. I am going through a dying season. The old, ugly parts that God wants to remove is clinging on, but I trying to pry it's fingers off and send it packing. In this stage I feel like dying grass, I feel like I am withering. I guess that's because I am. I feels like a bad thing, but it's not. It is a necessary thing; no matter how painful.

Then I need to focus on the second part of the verse. Through the whole process, the dying, Jesus remains. He is always with me. He loves me right through the dying process. He reminds me that I am not alone, that He will never leave me. Knowing that truly is the good news. He id the Word and He is the Good News!