Jeremiah 6:16 - “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ” (a favorite)
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Do you ever have one of those times when you feel like everything is working against you? We all have periods of our lives where the troubles seem to be mounting and at best, holding our forward progress at bay and, at worst, pushing us backwards.
When these times occur, it is a good time to examine ourselves and ask the question: “Am I on the right path?” If we are being honest with ourselves, I think we all see opportunities to make changes in our lives which would lessen our struggle. The choices we make every day have an impact on the life we are leading. Many times, we know these choices are not in our best interest, or, we have been deceived to think that they are. In either instance, when we make the decision to consider our position, path and progress, we often see that there is another way.
But, I will say, I also see situations where people whom I believe are living on God’s path have really tough things happen to them. Are they somehow not walking the path God has planned for them? From the outside it seems that they are on the path. From the inside, the piece I cannot see, I’ll never really know and it is not for me to know. The question remains, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
These examples can be a challenge to witness. They can cause us to question what we believe, wondering if God is good and truly keeps us in His care. We start to think that maybe we are on our own, with no sure help or salvation to come. It can become disheartening. My good friend Stephen is going through one of those very tough time right now. His wife Kristine had surgery last week, but went back in late last night for emergency follow up surgery due to unforeseen complications. This family needs our prayers.
Do I think in some way that they are not on God’s path? I do not. I believe thy are. But then, how do we answer the question as to why these things happen? Fortunately, there are other answers to this from scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:14 “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”; Job 2:10 “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?”; Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”.
Stephen’s favorite verse is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I send these words to him this morning.
When I look back on the rough times in my own life, I can see, in almost every situation, the good things God had come out of those experiences. There are others, however, that I can’t see the good. Maybe later in my life, for some of these, I will have gained the wisdom and gift of clear hindsight to know. For others, I won’t know until I have been reunited with Christ in Heaven at the end of my earthly life. Or most likely, I won’t feel the need to know any more. That will be a joyous time!
So, when times of trouble come, stop; look around. Is there another path for you to take? Is their a stream running alongside the one in which you are struggling that is running in the other direction? By stepping out of the life you are leading and stepping onto a new path, settling into a new stream which God has designated for you, your struggles will become less. A new direction may be just the thing you need.
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