They were going through hard things—cancer, abandonment by a spouse, job loss, and wayward children.

There they sat in my Women’s Bible study, all those years ago, and each of them had a peace despite their circumstances, that caught my attention.

Oh, I confess, I wondered if they were all on Prozac because I could not imagine walking through their hard things without complaining, getting bitter, or falling apart.

The thing was, back then, my life looked practically perfect— big house, handsome husband, healthy baby— but I was pretty miserable and these women were full of joy.

Oh, they weren’t in denial of the hard roads they were walking, but they were walking them “without complaining or disputing” (Phil 2:14) and my lost heart couldn’t help but take notice.

For years, I had sat in church and had a religion that had never changed my life; and because these women were walking their hard roads in true peace, I began to understand I was missing something.

They were shining as “lights in the world”, “holding fast to the word of life” for their hope (Phil 2:15-16).

They weren’t running their race in vain. (Phil 2:16). No! They were allowing God to use even hard, hard things they had never wanted to happen as a “drink offering” (Phil 2:17) to the Lord.

And God absolutely used them to draw my lost heart to a real relationship with Jesus Christ.

Oh friend, maybe you are like I was all those years ago, wondering why your Sunday-only, religion has never changed your life. Perhaps you need to know there’s peace, hope and joy when you walk in real, daily relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. (For more on my story, see https://www.facebook.com/282411148452509/photos/a.753751131318506/3143100665716862/?type=3 )

Or maybe you are the one walking through gut-wrenching circumstances. Dear friend, this thing you are walking through may be the very thing God uses to allow you to shine as a light of the world to those walking in darkness.

Keep holding fast to the Word of life and as you do, God will give you peace that makes no earthly sense. (Here’s a short video I posted a while back on how I’m learning to do that in the day to day https://fb.watch/8TvD0iTqGN/ )

And as you hold tight to Jesus, others will take notice, and want what you have, like I wanted wanted what those women had so long ago….and the Kingdom will grow, and our Lord will be glorified!

What A Savior! What a friend we truly have in Jesus!

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