Blessings

The devil is at it again.  He’s got me worrying.  I’m reading all your posts of how thankful you all are this month.  (What a blessing, by the way!)  And I think of all the things I am thankful for—our family is healthy, we haven’t had any major struggles or sufferings.

Then I read blogs and news articles about other people who really are struggling and suffering.  People who are very sick; children who have cancer or leukemia; cities wiped out by natural disasters.  And that’s where the devil gets me.  I feel guilty for all the blessings God has given to me and my family.  And I wonder when struggles will come into my life.  And I worry what those struggles will be and whether our family will be able to smile under those circumstances.

My husband just reassured me that God tells us that we will encounter struggles in our life.  But God also gives us some very wonderful comfort, too, about those struggles.  He tells us in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  We know that whatever we face, God has given us our eternal victory of heaven.  In Hebrews, we are also reminded that Jesus knows what we are going through.  “For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.  Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Reading these passages I am reminded of a saying I see occasionally in people’s houses:  “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”  I pray tonight that God helps me leave the future to him.  I can focus on all the blessings we have right now.  And I can thank him for all of you.  Your blessings and struggles truly help me see God's gracious hand at work.