It Is Well with My Soul

Can you relax and go with the flow? It's challenging at times. Joel Osteen says, "Stretching can sometimes be uncomfortable." It is during those times that it is important to stay in the present and be at peace. With this peacefulness comes power. That's because when we are at rest, God can take over. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Let God take your burdens and with a good attitude and a joyful spirit, let Him bring you the peace that passeth understanding. Our circumstances are not going to change until we do. There is a purpose for everything. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). I certainly have claimed this verse many times, especially when my daughter had a motorcycle accident. I also remembered the Romans 8:28 passage that "all things work together for good", which I am sure I've quoted many times on this blog. This takes a lot of the stress away because we know that if something "bad" happens, something good is going to come from it. Exodus 14 says that "if you will remain at rest and hold your peace, then the battle is not yours, but the battle is the Lord's". We show our trust in God when we stay in peace with a smile on our face. God is bigger than anything we are facing. Joel says, "He can make a way when it looks like there is no way. Don't quit living your life. Don't let that obstacle be the central focus of your existence. Keep pressing forward, trusting God, and knowing that as you believe, all things are possible." Psalms 30: 5 says that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning". I remember coming across that verse as a teenager when I was worried about someone caught in a snow storm in Nebraska. When I found out in the morning that he was safe, I rejoiced as I recalled that verse. Sometimes we have to go through trying times for our own personal growth, but sometimes we have to go through trying times for someone else's sake. It's not always all about us. What we go through may help someone else in similar circumstances. I remember my daughter ministering to others in similar circumstances after her accident because she understood their pain as no one else could. Like we discussed last week, we need to embrace the place we are. "Cast your burdens on the Lord. Release the weight of them and God will sustain you" (Psalms 55:22).