This past week has been, what I consider, an emotional week filled with some pretty heavy burdens. Last Saturday my husband preached the funeral of a man from our church. Part way through this past week, a dear couple in our church had to say goodbye to a loved one. Oh, and then, there was the day we got the news about one of our men finding out that he had cancer. There is a friend of mine who carries the burden of watching a loved one struggle with an addiction. One of my friends has a mother with cancer. There is another dear lady in my church who has a daddy suffering from cancer. One of our ladies is caring for her mother and it is a day to day struggle watching her mother lose the ability to care for herself. I could name many other burdens, all, from people in my small realm of life. This list could be very extensive, but all of this to say...people carry heavy heartaches and loads...some of which we may never know.
Day after day, we walk through life going about our business. We are busy getting life done. We are taking care of our families. We are maintaining our homes. We are fulfilling our work obligations. All the while, we are surrounded by hurting hearts and maybe, just maybe, we are one of those hurting hearts.
Well, today, I was reading in the Psalms (as is my habit each day) and I read the familiar passage found in chapter 34:1 which says: "I will bless the Lord at ALL times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." vs. 3 - 4 says, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us EXALT his name together. I SOUGHT the Lord, and he HEARD ME, and DELIVERED me from all my fears." Reading a bit further down in vs. 8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
I have read these verses (I cannot even count how many times), but today they had a different and more special meaning to me. It was as if God was audibly saying to me "remember, my child, no matter what the burden one carries...I AM still GOOD!" WOW!! I needed this reminder. My heart has been so sad for all of the people that I know who have been hurting and to be honest, I have felt helpless to do anything to ease their burdens. Yet, God reminded me that even in our darkest time of need He is good. The very God Who created the universe and all that is within...the LORD, HE IS GOOD.
I stopped and thought about the fact, that, in reality, we are quick to praise Him and brag on Him when everything is going good in our lives. BUT, what about when things are hard? What about when that loved one is dying? What about when we lose that child? (which I have experienced 7 times) What about when our job is gone? What about when we are mistreated? What about when we are facing sickness? What about when our finances are tight?
What about it, friend? Do we "bless the Lord at ALL times" or do we only do that in times of goodness and prosperity? The Bible is very clear that we are to "bless the Lord at ALL times"...this tells me that means in good or bad. We are to EXALT His name TOGETHER...we need to spend time talking about His goodness and bragging on how good God is to those around us. Our mouths (conversation) should be filled with praise to Him (not just at Thanksgiving). This praise should become a daily habit in our lives. Yes, it's easy to praise Him on the mountaintops of life, but in the valleys, well, that is another story. I have to wonder, though, if we are truly praising Him on a daily basis...then, when those valleys come, it just seems like we would stay faithful with our praise because it has become habit in our lives.
I remember when I went through losing my sweet babies, it was hard, but God gave grace and somewhere along my journeys of miscarriage I learned to really trust God and believe that all things are for our good. People would ask me if I wondered "why me?" My honest response was "why not me?" That is hard to explain, but I think it came as a result of years of trying to trust and realize the goodness of God. He owed me nothing. Would I have loved more children...YES, but that was not God's plan and at some point, I had to remember to be thankful for the two boys I have here with me rather than spend my days constantly mourning and being discontented because of my losses. You see, ladies, I am not a saint with this attitude...far from it...I just had to choose....TRUST or DOUBT. GOD IS GOOD!!
The Lord is good whether things go right or things go wrong...He is GOOD!! So, even though I have have carried a hurt and burdened heart for so many people this past couple of weeks, I was reminded, again, of how good God is to each of us. I am thankful that we serve and know a good God. It sure makes facing the heartaches more bearable knowing that we face them with a good God...a God Who wants and knows what is best and delivers us from our fears during these times of trial.
My take away thoughts:
1. Think on the goodness of God.
2. Share with others the goodness of God.
3. Choose to remember the goodness of God even in the trials.
I don't know what you are facing today, but God does. I don't know how weary you have become, but God does. I don't know how you will get through your heartache, but God does. I don't have these answers, BUT I know the God Who does and I know a God Who is good and so, may I just say to you...hang in there!! May I encourage you today, as God has encouraged me....
THE LORD IS STILL GOOD!!
From My Heart,
Robyn
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