Good morning -
Difficult times inevitably come to us all. Sometimes we see them coming, like storms clouds on the horizon; other times they strike with paralyzing swiftness. The true test of character is what we do in the face of difficulty.
The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him." (Nahum 1:7)
Do we turn to despair or to the Lord in difficult times? The answer is determined by the character being formed within us on a daily basis. If the Lord is our strength and joy in the good times then He very naturally is our stronghold and refuge in difficult times. The Lord is both our joy and refuge so long as we are walking daily with Him.
I grew up in the Midwest in "tornado alley". It was a regular occurrence in the spring of the year to be alerted to the danger of conditions that could produce tornadoes. Our family had an emergency plan if we learned that a tornado was approaching - it consisted of a quick trip out of the house to a nearby cement well pit in the ground. Those cramped underground quarters could barely contain a family of four, but they provided safe refuge in the face of danger.
The time to develop a crisis plan is before the crisis occurs. It's too late to search for a safe refuge when a tornado begins to splinter your home. It's also disastrous to seek out the Lord as a refuge in times of trouble when we haven't sought and found Him in our daily existence.
The best preparation for adversity is cultivating a vital relationship with the Lord during times of prosperity. If He is our joy in prosperity then He is easily our refuge in the day of trouble.
It would be wonderful if everyone reading this was going through the best of times, but realistically I know that some are in "the day of trouble". If this be the case with you, may the Lord be your refuge even as He has been your joy in the good times. May each of us truly be able to say as did the Apostle Paul:
"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." (Philippians 4:11), and:
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
Seeking to stand strong today whether in storms or sunshine,
Pastor Steve
Difficult times inevitably come to us all. Sometimes we see them coming, like storms clouds on the horizon; other times they strike with paralyzing swiftness. The true test of character is what we do in the face of difficulty.
The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him." (Nahum 1:7)
Do we turn to despair or to the Lord in difficult times? The answer is determined by the character being formed within us on a daily basis. If the Lord is our strength and joy in the good times then He very naturally is our stronghold and refuge in difficult times. The Lord is both our joy and refuge so long as we are walking daily with Him.
I grew up in the Midwest in "tornado alley". It was a regular occurrence in the spring of the year to be alerted to the danger of conditions that could produce tornadoes. Our family had an emergency plan if we learned that a tornado was approaching - it consisted of a quick trip out of the house to a nearby cement well pit in the ground. Those cramped underground quarters could barely contain a family of four, but they provided safe refuge in the face of danger.
The time to develop a crisis plan is before the crisis occurs. It's too late to search for a safe refuge when a tornado begins to splinter your home. It's also disastrous to seek out the Lord as a refuge in times of trouble when we haven't sought and found Him in our daily existence.
The best preparation for adversity is cultivating a vital relationship with the Lord during times of prosperity. If He is our joy in prosperity then He is easily our refuge in the day of trouble.
It would be wonderful if everyone reading this was going through the best of times, but realistically I know that some are in "the day of trouble". If this be the case with you, may the Lord be your refuge even as He has been your joy in the good times. May each of us truly be able to say as did the Apostle Paul:
"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." (Philippians 4:11), and:
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
Seeking to stand strong today whether in storms or sunshine,
Pastor Steve
posted by steve @ 10:40 AM
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