Because He Wills, So Will I

How am I using every single thing that I am – to please my Savior?

We are given every single season of life (Ecc. 3:1), because the Lord wills me to have them. Scripture tells me so. I won’t understand the majority of my situations/friendships (the why), but I can choose to keep trusting my God! So that is what I am going to do. I am entering Summer, which means fiery trials for me and countless others who face chronic illness. Most of today, I felt like death warmed over. My best friend is my best friend, for this reason. I love it when I don’t have to explain it or what she will think of me if I so must as tell her “it’s one of those days”.

As I begin my “rough air” (or Summer), I am trying to think about goals to accomplish. Yes, from my bed. The distractions are welcomed, plus I need to keep growing in my faith. I attempt a project m0st Summer’s. A few years ago, I began to write out the Psalms. So tonight, I am resuming that as part of my goal. I don’t know what it will entail. Just that I absolutely need to spend quality time with the Lord. It’s really hard to get alone with the Lord in my thought life especially and willfully study the Word in any capacity – when I feel particularly unwell.

In Psalm 103, I am met with these words:

“1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”

This psalm is comparable to a great big hug from God. He meets us in our fiery trials, right where we are, and gives us everything we need. Just like 2 Peter 1:3 teaches us.

3By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires (2 Peter 1:3-4).

And I need to keep at the forefront of my mind what I am taught in 1 Peter:

3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see (1 Peter 1:3-5).

6So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Of course, there are many other Scriptures and things I could add. But, let us start small as we (or I) kick off a Summer of staying sane by God’s shear grace. Now if only, I could “hammer out” the details of my goals. Yes, I want to stay near to my Lord… but when unwell, I get sidetracked – when I can’t study or spend time with the Lord in my usual way.

Truth is: I can either whine and drag my feet – refusing to do anything for the next few months. Or, I can prayerfully give to the Lord and see what He chooses to do with my willful sacrifice to give Him the hardest part of my life.