Still Learning

Prayer for the day:

Help me through this day Lord.  Guide me with Your joy and peace. Help me to see Your whispers of encouragement throughout this day.  I'm feeling very overwhelmed and flooded with things. Give me the peace of your presence and empty my mind of these worries, fears, doubts, and troubles.  Empty all my cares and fill my crowded mind with your presence instead.  Please take my desires and feelings into your hands today as I should be surrendering them to You each day.  I don't know what Your plans are or where you're taking me, just help me to trust that they are good.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

            Lately, it seems like trials are just piling up on me.  It's kind of funny, because I was praying before the evening service at church the other day that God would take these trials away.  Then, Pastor Tim preached directly on that subject.  Instead of begging for the trials to go away, we should pray that God would help us learn from our trials and become a stronger Christian because of them.  Needless to say, I felt convicted because I had been searching for a way to escape; I was blaming myself and my failures.  God uses the hard times to bring us closer to Him and to shine His light to others.  He is in charge and He has a plan for each of us.  We have no need to be anxious because He is in complete control of the length and intensity of our trials.  So, if you feel trapped or worried about the future, fear not, for God knows what He's doing.  He wants us to grow and to bring honor to His name.  He will use our circumstances, no matter how tough they seem, to achieve that growth and glory in our lives.

"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."  Isaiah 41:10