Catching Up in The Word

I need to confess something. I did not read my Bible every day over this Thanksgiving week. The distractions offered by our vacation were more than I could resist, so I'm getting caught up now. I read four days worth of Bible readings today and I'm glad I did. I read a passage that I was not ready to hear until this weekend. Psalm 119:65-80.

This passage reminds me that God does not waste any of our experiences, even the bad ones. I've had a few bad experiences recently and I know God is using them for my good. He has done for me just what this passage says, humbled me and drawn me close to His side through seeking Him in scripture and through prayer. And he has shown His love tangibly to me through His children. Thanks, guys. You know who you are.

As I approach the end of this small valley I have been walking through, I find myself identifying with David as he wrote, "My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees."

I only want to follow Him and the best way to do that is by staying very, VERY, close to Him. Because we live in a fallen world, walking close to Christ is very likely to mean walking alone much of the time. It also means that others will be critical (see Psalm 119:69-70) and will attempt to discredit me. That is something I will simply have to accept. I like it when everyone likes me, but not at the cost of my friendship with Christ.

That means there will likely be people in the church who don't think very highly of me, as well. Pleasing God is different than pleasing the local church. And saying no to church stuff is a quick way to ruffle a few hen feathers. I am a church gal and want to be a team player in my local congregation in whatever way is helpful. But I am weary of doing church for the sake of doing church. That is a whole other issue, though, and one I'm not quite ready to tackle. But get ready. That conversation is coming up soon!

Again, I digress. Sorry. My point is that God disciplines those He loves. He uses all experiences to mature us and draw us to Him. It is a comfort that no pain we experience is ever wasted. He wants to use it all, scrape the bottom of the bowl of our heartache, and use every last drop of it to bless us in some way. What a mysterious God we serve. What other religions would consider punishment, God uses as a blessing. What an amazing thought!