Thorny Paths: Troubles To Triumph

Tears and sighs, groans and troubled thoughts, waiting and wanting are all cups God often uses into which He pours His choicest consolations through His Word. We all love “easy street” but let’s face it, we have a tendency to turn into “shallow Hal’s” (or worse) when the going gets too easy. We become quite comfortable in our “status quo” spiritual lives – seeking God’s Word and time on our knees less and less and concerned more and more about what our eyes see and what our flesh longs for.  Make no mistake about it. We are never static in our walks with the Lord. We are either going backward or forward. And God has “further still” for all of us to go. God desires our wholehearted devotion and willing minds not tepid, half-hearted faith. Sadly, it often takes things getting stirred up to move us off the coasting track. We seek His will and His ways more when we are at our wits end, Amen? And being at our wits end is a beneficial place to be as it causes us to look up and not in.

King David was a perfect example of this. When he should have been with his men at war, he stayed at home and in his leisure he began to long for what didn’t belong to him. Fast forward, he gets himself into big trouble and he follows it by more trouble still. Then God gets his attention through His faithful prophet Nathan and repentance and remorse follows suit. Don’t ever be afraid to hear the hard, weigh it against God’s Word and if it fits wear it, if not, disregard it. When we become too confident and secure in our thinking that we are above falling – watch out Humpty – Dumpty. Only God can put us back together again. And when He does, go and tell others of His faithfulness to you. It becomes the “beauty in the ash” bringing comfort to those in our spheres.