We have spent days getting ready to celebrate a new baby to our family.

We’ve seen God’s Hand answer our prayers as my niece and her husband, who have suffered through years and years of infertility, are ready to welcome their little one.

And we rejoiced.

But before all the guests arrived, before everything looked so pretty, my sister-in-law, who is also a prayer warrior and dear friend to me, talked about all that is going on in our world.

She said something that struck me as so true. “Many of us are grieving”. I don’t think I understood that is what it was until yesterday.

We are grieving a life in this country that seems to have so rapidly changed into something we don’t like nor recognize.

Wrong called right.
Truth is scorned.
Foolishness abounds.

I am grieving a time when morality, and many of the ways of God, were still held as valuable in this country —things like integrity, hard work, selflessness, freedom, life, traditional marriage, faith, church, motherhood, and on and on.

So much of what we thought this country would at least recognize as good and true, even by nonbelievers, now seems to be criticized, redefined or threatened with extinction.

As we celebrated my great niece, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of world she will face. And I grieved.

As I looked around the room at so many young people I love with all my heart, I thought how much harder their life of faith has already been than mine. And I grieved.

And you know, I think it’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to long for those “easier days” to be a Christian for ourselves and our children.

But we can’t stay stuck there.

Clearly, our Father is on the move. He seems to have hit the “fast forward” button as many things we see happening are quickly happening just as He said they would.

And I wonder, will we see Christ return in our lifetime?

Can
You
Imagine?

Oh friend, may our grieving hearts remember eternally better days are coming for those who know the Lord.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”. (1 Peter 5:10)

One day our faith will truly become sight!

But until then, while our eyes still so clearly see the trouble all around us, may we remember and be encouraged because-

“we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb 10:21-25).

Oh friend, He who promised, He is faithful. He is still faithful and always will be.

No power of Hell, nor scheme of man, can change that or pluck us from His protective Hand!

He, who cannot lie (Num23:19), said He will never leave us or forsake us. (Heb 13:5)

As the Psalmist said,
“I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints. (Psalm 37:25-28)

Oh friend, let’s worship the Lord together today! Let’s gather together and encourage one another!

Yes, grieving may last for a night, but JOY is coming! (Psalm 30:5)

SundayThoughts

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I’ll be back in Philippians next week! I hope you’ll join me! It’s such an encouraging book!

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