The Bait or the Blessing...

Tonight is a difficult night. I wanted to blog and update our world on our family life. That seemed important, and it is. God sees us, enthroned above the circle of the earth be that He is, he sees us--AND cares for us. HE is GOOD. Simple. Enough said.

But, then there is the fear inside crushing me like a cowardly lion. As the darker times draw near, I know I'll have to pick one side of the battle or the other. That probably sounds overly spiritual, like some complete and utter science fiction movie. The Bible is clear. And, I choose to believe it. One day every knee WILL bow. And, I want to be on the right side, out of the right kind of Godly fear. Today, tonight, right now, the wrong kind of fear is coursing through me. I am being baited by Satan.

Often times when we experience difficulties, the world watches--and watches closely. They say we foolishly believe to simply give ourselves a false life raft, of sorts. A numbing agent. A salve to soothe our wounds. A feel-good kind of philosophy. Maybe we believe because we have to believe in something or we'll never get through what we're experiencing. Psychologists say if we just believe in something positive, we'll heal faster. They never name names, of course.

Isn't God so amazing? He told us that this would happen! "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corin. 1:17-19).

The "we" I am referring to: Christ-followers. Even though I have given my life to the Lord, dedicated my whole existence to him, I am plagued by doubts. And, I am agitated by this!! I want to BOLDLY tell friends that everything truly IS going to be okay, that they will get their hearts desires, that nothing bad is going to happen. That is what I want to tell my daughter. What am I really saying? No pain. That is what I am secretly wishing for. A fairy tale. The greatest and very best part of the Gospel though, is that it is NOT a fairy tale. It is real. And, in a real story there is conflict and a very true resolution and redemption. Perfect.

My heart is terribly burdened by pain tonight--not my own--pain for those I know who are suffering. An old friend suffering from leukemia, facebook friends' dealing with struggles with their children, stories of infertility and miscarriage..............................brokenness all around.

THANKFULNESS:

Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Thankfully, in the Lord, it's just faith in our bodies that is existing. The pain is happening in our earthly bodies, in effect, to affect our faith. To God's glory, we cannot escape from pain until we are truly FREE in Heaven. Would it be Heaven on Earth if we experienced that kind of freedom on Earth? No, because Heaven is in Heaven! God beckons us because He loves us (1 John 4:19) and perfect loves casts out fear [of all varieties]. Because, believe it or not, there is a place and there is a God who is making all things new. So, tonight, I can either be baited by the enemy. Or believe. And, belief is surely real because there is a reward. If there are rewards, there is a rewarder: God.