Count it all joy! What a radical statement. But then, that’s God. ☺
For the longest time, I thought I was fighting all of hell in my life. What I’ve come to realize is that a lot of what I thought I was up against was actually God growing me up in Him. He was teaching me His ways, and I didn’t like it for a long time. I was rebuking everything in sight. I discovered that most of what I was trying to fight was actually God allowing situations to bring me closer to Him, to plant and cultivate His fruit of the Spirit in my life. Be encouraged. God is at work in you, my friend. He’s putting His life and Spirit in you and making you stronger than you ever thought you could be. ☺
The following is taken from page 71 in Merlin Carothers’ wonderful, faith-filled book, “Power In Praise.”
Dear brothers/sisters, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete (James 1:2-4)
God has a very special plan for your life. It began long ago when He first created you. He formed you lovingly, carefully, exactly to His specifications, every detail just as He wanted it – your looks, your abilities, your place of birth, the family you were to be born into (or the lack of it). Nothing about you or your life has been accidental. In love, He reached out and drew you to Himself through circumstances He had arranged just for that purpose. You were given a new birth, new life through His Holy Spirit when you accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior, and were baptized, saturated with the Holy Spirit. And now God’s plan is to make you full and complete!
For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be (Romans 5:2)
God bless,
Mark