TORNADO SIRENS to Confident Hope!

 

I heard the tornado sirens go off last night. Every time I hear them I think and pray about those people who are in the path of the storm. I kind of tense up, wondering if I am next. Do you ever look at prayer requests that way? I am almost embarrassed about how blessed Stephanie and I seem to be. Yes, we have faced some trial, but I often say, I know we did nothing to be as blessed as we  are. AND I have seen so many wonderful people face trials that I have never had to face. Whether it is a dear friend facing back issues, people facing cancer, or serious medical issues, or trials of lost loved ones, or financial and job issues, I ache for them and wonder why God seems to protect me and keep me from those same issues. 

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment." (Romans 5:3-5, NLT)

I DON'T KNOW WHY I AM SO BLESSED. Really, I just don't get it. We have faced some of our own issues, but in all honesty, I don't look back and say WOW, HOW DID WE SURVIVE that? They just don't seem like a very big deal. 

I know many people who are praying the opposite, saying, "WHY ME LORD? WHY AM I GOING THROUGH THIS TRIAL? "

I have learned a valuable lesson in life. I am not sure it is biblical or that I am the originator of this, but

"Things are never quite as BAD as they seem and they are never quite as good either!"

In some ways, I think that is the message here in ROMANS. PROBLEMS AND TRIALS are not the END OF 

THE WORLD. We will survive the trials and the pain. We will ENDURE and you will make it to the other side of these dark days. These stressful days have value for our good. We can learn from them. I don't dread trials and problems as much as I used to. Call it age, call it wisdom, call it the influence of the LORD, I just don't stress as much as I used to. Some of you might say, WOW, I wonder how he used to be? Trust me, you don't want to know! LOL!

 For a time in my life, EVERYTHING BOTHERED ME. EVERYTHING STRESSED ME OUT. Now, when I stress it is usually in fleeting moments. Somehow, through the power of God living in me, the thoughts and stress of the moment quickly fade. I would like to say I have figured it all out, and that would be a lie. I have figured out this one thing. God is in control and even in the darkest of times if I rely upon him, the stress and strain quickly fade away. Thank you LORD!

Are you facing dark times, the storms of life, that overload your mind? It might sound easy for me to say, but SCRIPTURE supports this. If you trust in the LORD, these trials will not lead to disappointment. Rest on the confident hope you have in JESUS. He smoothes out all the mountains, calms all the storms, and delivers us from all trials. I KNOW THAT WITH ALL MY HEART, MIND, and SOUL! I want you to be confident in HIM who has always delivered me!