Trials of Life

I need to confess I should have written a devotion last night, but I just didn't get around to it as I should have. God blessed me with such a good day. I spent most of it gone to a baby gathering and then to visit a friend who had outpatient surgery on Friday. Philip and I actually ate out last night and didn't get home till 9pm.  Praise God for days like that.

So I promised Him I would do one today. Not been a bad day. I have had crickets with me, but we all  survived the day. As I thought of what my devotion should be,  I must admit I hacked into Philip's facebook and came across something one of his friends had quoted from a book titled, "Love Comes Softly". I hear the book is wonderful and should read it one day. I believe it is part of a series written by Janette Oke.

That was earlier in the day. As the day has gone on, I have had learned of friends diagnosed with Breast Cancer, a surgeon who suffered a stroke last night, another friend battling melanoma. In fact, there seems to be a ration of people diagnosed with that lately and other cancers in general. I think I have heard the word cancer more now than when I worked on the ambulance and dealt with cancer patients.

I could tell you of others that I recently found out they had cancer and I bet you could too. We always wonder why so many people go through so many trials in life, not just sickness, but a loss of a job because of the economy, death of a loved one. I could go on and on.

What I read earlier on Philip's post by author Janette Oke was, "The truth of God's love IS NOT that He allows bad things to happen, it's His PROMISE that He will be there with us when they do. 

I know I have said in some of my other blogs that very promise in a different way. But it always comes back to the reality that God will always be with us if we will call on him and always seek His ways and not ours.

It reminds me of the song by Daniel W. Whittle, "Moment by Moment".
"Never a trial that He is not there,
 Never a burden that He does not bear,
 Never a sorrow He does not share,
 Moment by Moment, we're under His care".

We don't always know why God allows trials to enter our lives, but we do know He intends to use them to heighten our maturity and deepen our faith. Lay them at Jesus' feet. He will carry them from there.

Blessings,
Beth