My Good and My Bad

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Lots of people have taken on the November challenge of sharing something each day that they are thankful for. As I was pondering my own thankfulness, I stumbled across a few memories over the last 11 months that I didn't recall being so thankful for at the time. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 came to my mind and I realized what my challenge would be. My challenge would be to thank God for both my good and my bad.

Maybe you're always in the heavenlies and never have LIFE happen, but I'll be the first to admit that there were times when I wondered if I'd missed God, and yes there were some tear-soaked pillows, and even some mornings I struggled to release my bed because the bad just seemed to get worse and the good seemed to be so far away. I had to remember that regardless of what I saw with my natural eyes, I was walking by faith and God's perfect will would be done. Those were some trying times, but God strengthened me when my faith wasn't strong enough to stand on its own. He transitioned me from not knowing what He was doing in my life to 'Lord, have your perfect way in my life'. Have you ever been there?

Most of us have experienced some kind of struggle that left us feeling like all of God's goodness had tapped out like a gas station after a hurricane. The reality is that if it isn't you personally, you can most likely identify someone in your life who has experienced the death of a loved one; the loss of employment or a home or car; the end of a marriage; the loss of a child; a debilitating illness or disease; an imprisoned loved one; or even damage from a major storm. Yet, I'm reminded of Psalm 27:13 says, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."

My friends, I know that it's extremely difficult to see the expected good coming out of a potentially bad situation, but you must know that the Lord has a plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 gives us the security that the Lord's thoughts for us include a future and a hope, peace and not evil. We have the promise that His love will keep us during some of life's most greatest challenges. God has enough grace to cover us through our good and our bad. I'm so thankful for that! How about you?

Thankful for His love for me through my good AND bad experiences!

Tracy Gale



"Good and Bad" by JMoss. Let it minister to your soul:

 

It's THIS Week!

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