Look Beyond

"In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Saint Paul and the other authors of the New Testament were obviously some of the most joyful, faithful and Spirit-filled people you will ever encounter. So, some of you might read this verse and think, "yeah, that's easy for you to say… you don't know what I'm dealing with… I can't just give thanks to God when everything is so hard right now." But if you look at the lives they led, they should be your role models when everything is hard because they probably had it much worse. All but one of Jesus' apostles died a martyr. Saint Paul, who tells us in this verse to thankfully accept everything we're going through, was imprisoned for years and beheaded, but he always kept his faith and joy in Jesus because the most important aspect of faith is looking beyond the present and at the love and goodness of God.

A friend of mine was upset that something she really wanted didn't work out and right away I told her that God, who loves her and has an even better plan for her, is in control and won't let her settle for less. Setbacks suck and I know what it's like to not see a way out of a situation or have your hopes crushed and stepped on, but as people of faith, we need to learn to brush it off and TRUST. Doesn't our faith tell us that God is bigger than what we see right in front of us? Doesn't our faith tell us that He is good? If your faith isn't doing this for you right now, then you need to reevaluate yourself. In faith, through tears and frustration, I have been able to wait on the Lord's goodness and I can tell you that He has come through. And each painful experience has been fruitful because if I have gotten anything out of it, it has been to grow closer to Him and actually see the results my faith has told me time and time again would come.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord, You are good. You never give me more than I can handle and behind every obstacle, You are there to open bigger doors for me. Throughout it all, never let me lose sight of You. In Your Name we pray, amen.