Amazing love

Once again, God has shown His love to us by using His people.  We just had someone knock on our door.  It's a neighbor that lives several houses down our street.  I've only met her one time and that was about a year ago.  She is a stay at home mom who also home schools her children.  She told me today that the neighbor that lives beside her is also a home school mom.  Well, they just found out the news about Chandler.  She came to give her condolences and tell me that she and her neighbor want to provide a meal for us.  She asked about next Tuesday.  Tuesdays happen to be a great day for food to be prepared because we are gone most of the day and I don't come home and prepare a meal.  We eat left overs or whatever we can find.  So, the day they picked couldn't have been any more perfect.  Thank you Lord!

On another note, my devotion today was another good one.  I've also read some other things today that spoke to me.

And there came a lion.  (1 Samuel 17:34 KJV)

     It is a source of inspiration and strength to us to remember how the youthful David trusted God.  Through his faith in the Lord, he defeated a lion and a bear and later overthrew the mighty Goliath.  When the lion came to destroy his flock, it came as a wonderful opportunity for David.  If he had faltered and failed, he would have missed God's opportunity for him and probably would never have been the Lord's chosen king of Israel.
     "And there came a lion."  Normally we think of a lion not as a special blessing from the Lord but only as a reason for alarm.  Yet the lion was God's opportunity in disguise.  Every difficulty and every temptation that comes our way, if we receive it correctly, is God's opportunity.
     When a "lion" comes to your life, recognize it as an opportunity from the Lord, no matter how fierce it may outwardly seem.  Even the tabernacle of God was covered with badger skins and goat hair.  No one would think there would be any glory there, yet the Shechinah glory of God was very evident underneath the covering.  May the Lord open our eyes to see Him, even in temptations, trials, dangers, and misfortunes.     C. H. P.

There is definitely a huge "lion" in our life that we are dealing with.  In our case, the lion will never go away.  We've got to learn to live with our lion.  There are days when God makes it a little more bearable because He makes it clear to me that He is with me.  He uses other people to bless us in some way.  He speaks through His word.  Then, there are days when I question if God is with me on that particular day.  The pain is more intense.  I haven't received a Word from the Lord that day.  I sometimes don't feel His comfort.  But, even on those difficult days, I'm going to trust Him.  Lord, help me to see this trial we're in to be an "opportunity from the Lord".  Help me to be faithful.  Help me to continue to trust in you.  When the day comes and I meet you face to face, I want to hear "well done".  And, when they day comes, I'm hoping Chandler is standing there near me and says "Mom, you're Da Bomb!"

Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name.  You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end-
because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you. . .!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
-Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message

Swim through your troubles.  Run to the promises, they are our Lord's branches hanging over the waters so that His children may take a grip of them.  -Samuel Rutherford

He writes in characters too grand
for our short sight to understand.
We catch but broken strokes
and try to fathom all the withered hopes
Of death, of life,
the endless war, the useless strife. . . .
But there, with larger, clearer sight, we shall see this:
His way is right.
-John Oxenham

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for,
But everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all people, most richly blessed.
-Unknown Confederate Soldier

We shall come one day to a heaven where we shall gratefully know that God's great refusals were sometimes the true answers to our truest prayer.  -P. T. Forsyth

Do not be afraid to enter the cloud that is settling down on your life.  God is in it.  The other side is radiant with His glory.  -L. B. Cowman

All of these things I've read today make me realize how much God loves us.  He may not answer our prayers the way we want Him to but there is a reason for that.  He knows what's best and He loves us.  He may put us through a huge trial but there is an opportunity in disguise there because He loves us.  A cloud may be over us right now but God is there.   On the other side of that cloud is His glory because He loves us.  He paid a huge price for us because He loves us.  His love is amazing!