The Master Designer

Dear Readers,

The longer I live and experience the mountain tops and valleys of life, I become convinced that everything has a Divine purpose.  God after all is the "Master Designer". 

Having said that, the Lord is always working on our behalf even when we don't sense His presence or see changes taking place.

I am in the midst of the greatest struggle of my life with no end in sight.  My emotions have been all over the place this past week in particular but even before that.

I know in my heart that God loves me and only allows things to happen to me for His purpose.  What is that purpose, I ask?   I don't know.  I may never know. 

Sometimes I am tempted to think that maybe God is punishing me for some reason.  After all, God is a God of Love but He is also a God of Justice.

We are living in a day of grace which means that God loves us enough that he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and He conquered death 3 days later when He arose from the grave.  He now sits at the right hand of God intercessing for each of us in our behalf.

Does that mean that God does not punish His children or allow bad things to happen to us?  We live in a fallen world which means that SIN reigns for the present.  However, God is still in control and nothing happens to us without His knowledge or consent.

Therefore, when difficulties come our way, God is fully aware of our needs and is working "behind the scenes" for our own good.  This is where FAITH comes in.  When all else makes no sense and yes, even when God doesn't make sense, we need to rely on our FAITH to pull us through.  Trusting our "unknown future to our known God".

I write this after receiving a MAJOR disappointment in my life just today.  It leaves me with many more questions than answers.  All I have to rely on now is my FAITH or TRUST in God.  How strong is my faith?  How much do I trust God?  I wish I could say it's never been stronger, but I'd be lying if I said that.  However, I DO have faith and I DO trust God.  The Bible says that if we have the "faith of a mustard seed" we can move mountains.

Well, I have a major mountain to cross right now, I'm tired and weary.  I believe what the Bible says and based on that truth, my faith should be enough to carry me through and help me cross the mountain one way or another.  I'm tempted to give up at times, and yet my faith will not allow me to give up.

How about you?  Can you relate to my story?  How strong is YOUR faith?  How much do YOU trust God?   What is YOUR mountain that you are facing?  Do you have the "faith of a mustard seed"?

Think about it.

The Old Steel Mill

THE OLD STEEL MILL

By:  John Edwards

One quiet evening I looked up at the sky gazing upon the morning and evening star,

  I asked the God of the Universe "why do you seem so afar?"

"I served you with distinction striving to follow your every will,

Now when I need you the most, I'm told to be calm and still."

I then asked myself "how does one remain calm and still when he sees his life desinigrating like an old steel mill?"

Like the old steel mill, I too was once thriving with activity, purpose and bright hopes for the future,

Like the old steel mill, my life is now full of "what used to be's" along with it's memories of success and regrets to be sure.

So what does one do when life isn't what it "used to be" and is now painful, uncertain and lacking in purpose?

There are no easy answers since in His divine wisdom God sometimes chooses not to disclose His plan,

Yet, this one thing I know, He has promised to faithfully provide for us if we willingly take His hand.





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