"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference?" Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
i've been searching. searching for the right words. searching for words that would help me make sense of this whole thing. this whole thing we call life. something that would help ease the pain, heal the hurt that many feel for various reasons. where else can we run? where else can we turn?
i opened my word today, something that i admit i dont do enough. in the back of the book, after God's word, the lovely people at zondervan put a few pages with selected scriptures arranged by different topics. the immediate one i landed on was the topic dealing with comfort. it led me to 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. and God's word says:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. and our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
i liked how the niv words that it "produces in you patient endurance." too often we (and when i say we i always include myself) forget God's reasoning; however we hardly ever know what that is. it's not for us to know. i struggle to grasp that every single day.
i leave you with this song. i saw phil wickham a few wks ago open for the david crowder band. now, prior to the show i could care less who phil wickham was. honestly. im not easily impressed musically. just another guy with a guitar. i downloaded his cd "Cannons" and have only lately been listening to the lyrics. several incredible lyrically strong songs. this isnt really on the comfort subject matter, but it declares the incredible love of Christ. the video and the music are just for support. what i really want you to grasp here are the lyrics.
Phil Wickham's "True Love"
Come close listen to the story About a love more faithful than the morning The Father gave his only son just to save us
The earth was shaking in the dark All creation felt the Father's broken heart Tears were filling heaven's eyes The day that true love died, the day that true love died When blood and water hit the ground Walls we couldn't move came crashing down We were free and made alive The day that true love died, the day that true love died
Search your heart, you know you can't deny it Come on, lose your life just so you can find it The Father gave his only son just to save us
The earth was shaking in the dark All creation felt the father's broken heart Tears were filling heaven's eyes The day that true love died, the day that true love died When blood and water hit the ground Walls we couldn't move came crashing down We were free and made alive The day that true love died, the day that true love died
Now Jesus is alive Jesus is alive Jesus is alive Jesus is alive Jesus is alive oh He is alive He knows he can
When blood and water hit the ground Walls we couldn't move came crashing down We were free and made alive The day that true love died, the day that true love died
Matthew 6:27-34-Message
