.In the midst.

Sometimes in the midst of trials, you feel as if your head is under water. You continue slowly sinking-deeper and deeper, into despair. You can't gulp for air, no one is there beside you to pull you from drowning in the rushing rapids of life's troubles-or so it seems.
Do you realize that Jesus is by your side, "though the wind and waves beat against your faith?"*
All that's left to do is reach out to Him, rely completely on Jesus & He will rescue you.

You know, He is so good! He never gives us more than we can handle-because He IS our strength. God knows us intimately, so doesn't that mean that He knows, better than we ourselves, the heart issues we struggle with? God more than knows, and He has promised to be our strength in trials. Although we are tested through life's circumstances, there is a point where we must come to realize that the painful places we are at-so many times they are a tool in God's hand to shape and mold our character to be like Jesus.

Quite recently, a door was closed in my life that had seemed like it was the will of God. Well, the truth was I wanted it to be His will. But I had submitted it to Him- I asked that He would specifically shut the doors if it was not from Him. And it did-yet it was still hard. I had wanted it to work out, and since it didn't, it was a direct challenge to my will. I had a decision to make- would I praise God for demonstrating so clearly His will in my life? Or would I become upset and blame Him for circumstances being completely different than I had wanted or expected? I went to pray and read the Word of God- this is what I read when I opened the Bible:

Zechariah 13:7-9 (New International Version)

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!"
declares the LORD Almighty.
"Strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

8 In the whole land," declares the LORD,
"two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
yet one-third will be left in it.

9 This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are my people,'
and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' "

In this life, I tend to see through my human perspective- I can only see where I'm at right now. I can't see past it to what God is teaching me and the flesh that He is pulling out of my very being. Being made into the image of Christ is so much more intensive than we ever bargain for when we commit our lives to serve the Lord. Yet, it is so worth it.

So many times I have cried out to the Lord in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances, and many times more has He raised me up from the mire and set my feet upon a rock. He has brought restoration to very broken relationships, provision in times of need, and He has been my strength when I have all but lost hope. Truly can I say- Jehovah Jireh- My Provider- His grace IS sufficient for me.

*(Quotation: Lyrics from I Will Show You Love by Kendall Payne).