”This earthly life is a battle,” said Ma.
“If it isn’t one thing to contend with, it’s another . . .
The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are,
and the more thankful for your pleasures.
~~Laura Ingalls Wilder
This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.
God has given us many good things to enjoy, and yet this world is cursed by the results of sin. Both parts of that equation remain true for our entire lives. If we expect “happily ever after” in this world, we’ll be disappointed. On the other hand, if we look only at the bad things of life, our joy and gratitude can be stifled.
Life is full of suffering, sorrow, betrayals, financial hardships, and everyday trials. Even the best moments carry hints of imperfection, and they end all too soon. But God truly does bring good out of bad. He used suffering to teach us his sustaining power; he uses storms to bring rainbows. We can take Ma’s advice and refuse to be surprised when we contend with difficulty. Once we make up our minds to do that, we’ll be so much more thankful for the pleasures God has given.
Prayer for Meditation
Father, thank you that you are good even when circumstances aren’t.
Scripture for Meditation
All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay And God, in his mighty power will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.
These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery 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 1:3-7
Music for Meditation
Build An Ark
If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com.
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