Today I was reflecting on the past week of my life. It was a week that could barely be described with words. It was a week ago today that I received a call that one of my best friends had lost his wife....and she was a good friend of mine too. So that phone call came with great shock, and great pain. However, the days to unfold after that would take pain and turn it into praise. Would take heartache and turn it into joy. Would take confusion over a situation and turn it into unexplainable peace...the kind only God can bring!
It's in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 that we find the words "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all."...and sometimes we can read right over a verse like this and think "yeah, I want that peace. I want God with me". But it is in days like this past week when you see that verse come to life. I saw people who should have been falling apart, living in peace. And I don't just mean peace in a way that they were just not falling apart...I mean peace and JOY. Like praising their way through the pain. Trusting God, building faith...and increasing the faith in those around them. Yes, the hurting were ministering to others. Sounds unheard of doesn't it? That's because in our own strength it is absolutely impossible. Why is that? Because God created us to NEED Him. Some may think that makes a person sound weak....I hope so! I am weak...and just like 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us, "My(God's) grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness"...realizing we are weak helps us realize how much more we need God. When am I strong, when He is fully alive in me. So when God enters into the scene HE can lift a person up so much that even in the midst of their own pain, they are ministering to others. And I witnessed that by some amazing people this week. I also witnessed the body of Christ come together and ask God to raise their faith to a new level. I saw people healed because we called down the presence of God so strong that the healings were happening without even asking God for it. It was all based on praising Him when then enemy wanted us to be devastated, and trusting Him when the enemy wanted us to doubt. Countless people were showing God that HE is enough! And there is no doubt in my mind that so many lives around us were changed because of this. I think we will be hearing for years of the people who came to know and trust Jesus through this. It was God's miraculous plan in the midst of a situation that seemed so dark. The person that left this earth to be with Jesus could not have been any more of a representation of Jesus to those around her...so why would we even be surprised that God could do so much through her passing. He is God...and He is to be glorified at ALL times, and I guarantee you that is exactly what she would have wanted. So, we honored her, and we glorified Him!
I want to end with this scripture. We have all heard it throughout our life, but too many times that means it can lose it's meaning. It is the last half of 1 John 4:4 "....He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world". Please, read that 2 or 3 times if you need to, but please allow the Holy Spirit to help that sink in. Greater is HE who is in you, than he who is in the world. He is in you..the God of the heavens is in you...and HE is greater than anything you can possibly come up against in this world. He is not just greater, but He also can help you get through anything you face in this world...IF....you place your love, trust, faith, security, confidence, identity and self worth in Him. When you do that, you also get to place your hurt, disappointment, confusion...and any other emotion the enemy tries to bombard you with, in Him. And when these things take place, you can come through something that the enemy meant to tear you down with...and come out glorifying God in the end!
God, Your word is full of truth about who You are, and who we are in You. I pray Father that we would allow You to show us those truths in our every day lives, and especially at the times when the enemy wants to destroy us. And I pray that again and again You will be praised and glorified in the midst of a storm by those who love You...so that those who do not know You will see You in those moments. We Love You, we Honor You, and we Trust You. In Jesus name, Amen!
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