"He’s not interested in us walking around sad and grief-stricken all the time."

A thought by Daniel Fusco, from his book, Crazy Happy (p. 51). The Crown Publishing Group, Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And I like that.

Looking sad.

Daniel says, "Thankfully, God’s plan doesn’t stop with mourning. He’s not interested in us walking around sad and grief-stricken all the time. He’s not trying to lead us into lives of despair and misery. The blessing Jesus promises for those who mourn is that they will be comforted."

He continues, "If you’re like me, you might be a little confused right now, because if our poverty leads to mourning, and mourning leads to comfort, what exactly is the point?

"Here’s a truth bomb for you: we love the outcome, but God loves the process. You see, Jesus is revealing part of God’s ongoing plan of redemption for the world—that even in our present reality, God is beginning to leverage the brokenness of the world and bring beauty from ashes, joy from sadness. His ongoing redemptive work starts with our soft hearts, broken for what we see, and our mourning drives us into the arms of the Lord, where he comforts the brokenhearted. That comfort we receive becomes the comfort we can offer to others. And this is how God can redeem even the most horrific situations through his children. (Our problems are not pointless; our problems are purposeful in the hands of God.)"

He goes on, "Talking about suffering always raises questions about God’s place within it, so let me be clear: God is never the source of the evil we endure in life. Nor is he handcuffed by it. He allows it."

Daniel then says, "Because God’s ways are infinitely higher than ours, that means his imagination is too. And the Lord can imagine ways to work in our lives in the midst of suffering, even when it seems impossible to us that anything beautiful could come out of the tragedies we endure. This is one of the keys to being crazy happy: remembering that God has a plan, even in our most heartbreaking moments."

And I'm so glad He does, aren't you?

Yes, yes!

Comments

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because God is good He will use e

"Jesus comes in the midst of the torrent."

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, You Are Never Alone (p. 60). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) We all have storms in our lives, don't we? Max says, "No one gets through life scot-free. At one point or another the sky will darken, the winds will rage, and we will find ourselves in a modern-day version of the Galilean gusher." John 6:16–18 (NIV) says, "When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough." Max goes on, "The hearts of the followers began to sink as their boat was certain to do. Their skin was soaked, throats hoarse, eyes wide. They searched the sky for a break in the clouds. They gripped the boat for fear of the waves. They screamed their prayers for help. But they heard nothing. "If only Jesu

“What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Rick posed this question at the end of his chapter, You Are Not an Accident. In this chapter he deals with the fact that God created you the way you are with a purpose. In other words you are not an accident. I am also reading the Apostle John’s view of Jesus and what He said and did while He was here on earth. In the beginning of Chapter 9 there is a story about a blind man. And the disciples who were with Him asked Him a good question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? ” Have you ever asked the same thing about something in you that you don’t like? Like that characteristic is a curse or something. Society has set a standard that is not a standard of God. Remember, He created you and you are not an accident. Jesus did answer the question about the blind

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog