Tag: God’s perspective

God’s Perspective

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/26293/day/17

The devotional today is one that encouraged me and made me think, too. Where is God in my current circumstances? But, God… Fill in the blank with a praise for what you are going through and what God has done in the middle of your challenge. For example, we had planned to go to PA just as we do every summer. But my health has made it so that living in a place that is not air conditioned is not feasible right now. I really dreaded telling my daughter that we couldn’t come. She said that she would talk to her husband and they would come up with something. When she called back with her plans to do a staycation at our house, I was overwhelmed with praise for God that He was working things out for me to see my PA family! But God worked things out in an unexpected way. I thought the answer would be that we could meet them at a beach or somewhere (which we don’t have the funds for). Or maybe that the visit could wait until the weather was cooler and I was feeling better, but that would mean not seeing the kids in college. But God had a different plan and has worked things out so that we see our daughter’s entire family and get to spend time playing games and doing all of the things I love best about visiting PA, only without the long trip and the lack of AC. I confess that I didn’t see things from God’s perspective, but I did trust Him to work things out so that all are content with the plan. And bonus! Aaron is going to work on repairing our steps. I love my husband dearly, but he cannot fix anything…not cars, household maintenance, nothing. Things were easier when we were both working and could pay for repairs, but since we are both retired, our steps are sadly lacking in safety. Another but God…He knows what we need and supplies it in unexpected ways.

Need a Vacation?

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/23192/day/6

Everyone looks forward to getting away for a while, escaping the humdrum of everyday life. But I have found that when my husband and I get away, we take the humdrum stuff with us. My husband still listens to news like it’s his source of life and reports the things he considers important to me diligently. I have told him numerous times that I don’t watch the news for a reason, but he has decided that it is his obligation to keep me informed. So, I just listen without commentary. Anyway, the news goes with us. The challenges we face in life before we go away don’t disappears; they are just placed on a back burner and continue to simmer there. I like the advice in this column that tells us to be thankful and know that God is right there through it all. Being thankful is a choice, just as focusing on the things that make us need a vacation to begin with. If we could just keep our focus on the “author and finisher of our faith”, we would be much better off and more likely to be thankful first and complain later, if at all. God listened intently to the whining complaints of Job’s friends and how they blamed Job for all his own troubles. Then, God listened to Job and his complaints about how he had been faithful and still suffered. When God answered, it was not to tell Job that he had valid points and should have been able to complain. No, instead, God reminded Job of who He is and His sovereignty. Job recognized God’s control all along and pointed out to his friends that God was still his Lord in spite of his circumstances. If we could only get to the point where we can be thankful regardless of our problems and the world’s pressures on us, I think that we wouldn’t be feeling as much pain in our dilemmas and we would be able to be thankful all days in all ways. Vacations are necessary, but they shouldn’t be to get away from problems. I think they should be used to get closer to God and to ask Him to see our problems with His perspective.