Lamentations 3:19-24
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
It is very difficult to look beyond struggle and challenge then see the light. Dark thoughts and cold realities can challenge the very notion of God‘s presence in our lives. We can begin to think that every choice that we’ve made has let us to a season of disillusionment and disappointment. Yet we must realize that the arrival to the season does not mean that there’s not an opportunity to make it through.
Our rocky seasons, whether self-imposed or environmentally influenced, are not the end of our story. We are given the opportunity to lament, feel, struggle, and question. However, we are also given an opportunity to choose which way we will go beyond this moment. That is the reality of having free will.
Our relationship with God is always challenged and difficult moments. We might feel as if God is elbow dropping us Because of our choices. Sometimes, we are just paying a price for the consequences of our actions, not a sentence from heaven. Regardless, we must make a choice for what the next season will bring. If you know, God like you say you do, you know that God is waiting to shift everything. God is faithful to restore, strengthen, and heal us from all strife.
Great is God‘s faithfulness towards us. God‘s grace is new every day. God‘s mercy forever flows. I know which way I’m going to go. Will you do the same?
Dr. Charles W. Ferguson 