How is your joy supply? Are you struggling to keep it flowing? Is it seeping away faster than you can replenish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this strange time in history, many are feeling beaten down by circumstances we can\u2019t control. We feel as if a tornado has touched down, leaving chaos and destruction. Nothing is normal. And we have no projected date for the return to normal. What will normal even look like? In this hard place we have more questions than answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David knew about hard places. The shepherd-boy who became king of Israel, said to the Lord, \u201cYou have shown your people hard things\u2026\u201d (Psalm 60:3 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy heart is severely pained within me\u2026horror has overwhelmed me\u201d (Psalm 55:4, 5 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed\u201d (Psalm 143:3-4 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSave me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God\u201d (Psalm 69:1-3 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know the feeling, don\u2019t we? Besides being thrust into this totally altered life-experience, many deal with the assorted challenges of their once-normal life. Sickness and physical decline. Marriage stress. Wayward children. Work challenges. Financial difficulties. Personal struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now this crazy virus spreading fear and anxiety, death and sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s too much. Just too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only consolation I can offer is this hard-learned truth: God never brings us through a hard place without a purpose. I don\u2019t have to see his purpose to know he has a purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hard-learned truth: God never brings us through a hard place without a purpose. I don\u2019t have to see his purpose to know he has a purpose. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my favorite things to do as I read the Bible is to underline every so that<\/em>. Those obscure words build my faith because they reveal how God works. He did this so that<\/em>. Many times the purpose is \u201cso that they may know that I am the Lord God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps someday, when we look back on this distressing time, the so that<\/em> will become clear. Meanwhile, may these thoughts comfort and encourage you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not\u201d (Jeremiah 33:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus\u201d (Philippians 4:19).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him\u2026\u201d (2 Chronicles 16:9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us\u201d (Ephesians 3:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBehold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared\u201d (Exodus 23:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye\u201d (Psalm 32:8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?\u201d (Psalm 27:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?\u201d (Psalm 27:1).. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGod is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble\u201d (Psalm 46:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only\u201d (Psalm 71:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord\u201d (Psalm 27:13-14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let the precious Word of God drive out fear and fill you with joy! Let\u2019s sing his praise together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts. And I will declare Your greatness\u201d (Psalm 145 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please tell me how the Lord is helping you cope with uncertainty today. And I\u2019d appreciate your sharing this with your friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Scriptures from KJV unless noted)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 Dianne Barker 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How is your joy supply? Are you struggling to keep it flowing? Is it seeping away faster than you can replenish? During this strange time in history, many are feeling beaten down by circumstances we can\u2019t control. We feel as if a tornado has touched down, leaving chaos and destruction. Nothing is normal. And we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[504,9,14,17,77,438,103],"class_list":["post-1333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-coronavirus","tag-dianne-barker","tag-encouragement","tag-gods-purpose","tag-joy","tag-living-the-maximum-life","tag-suffering"],"yoast_head":"\n