THRUTHEFIRE
When thou pass through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isa. 43:2
It amazes me what length we will go to, to avoid going through a trial or tribulation. We will run ahead of God, as if that will prevent the trial, when actually it hinders what God is trying to do. In this walk with the Lord, I have learned that it is better to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, then to do what I think is right in my sight. It can be painful, and at times you may feel as though you are in it all by yourself. I know, because this is how I felt. Then the ministry of the Holy Spirit comforted me with the above scripture. This scripture let me know that there is a going through, but not a staying in. If you find yourself in a trial or situation, know that trouble won't last always. There is something the Lord is doing to get us to a better place in Him. In order to get to the other side, we must go through. Reader, I am just one of the many that has gone through, and continues going through, but I am here to tell
you that going through is what makes us more than a conqueror. We often act as though the trial in which we are in is where we are going to stay. Don't unpack your bags, this is not your final destination. This is just a pit-stop along the way to greatness.
During our trial, we put our trust in everything except God. Many of those things are unstable. We often trust in advice from a close friend, or companion. Maybe we put our trust in the stock market as volatile as it may be. We even trust in ourselves. The Bible tells us to TRUST in the Lord. As hard as it may be, that's our only alternative. There may be a time in your life when you've had to speak words of encouragement to someone. I've found that it's easy to tell another, not to worry, God is going to bring you through. But what happens when that person is you, and now you need that word of encouragement? What do you do? Who do you turn to? There has been many times when I've offered words of encouragement to others, having confidence in the God I served that He was able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us. But did I really believe those words when the opportunity for me to walk through the fire existed? I struggled, because I took my eyes off of the Lord, and looked at what was going on around me. I became frightened. It seemed as though what I was going through was bigger than the God I serve. The challenge was great. My character was tested beyond what I thought was reasonable.
Did I actually believe those words I often spoke to others, should this be my same confidence? I found out that it is so easy to tell someone that God is for them and not against them, because what affects them has no bearing on my life. I found myself in a precarious position. Know this, God's ways are not our ways. Everything God does, works out for the good of us who love Him. When you find yourself going through, know that it's just that, a going through. Ask God to help you understand what He's doing in your life. It's an awesome thing to know that trouble doesn't last always. And with it there is a way of escape. In your trial or tribulation, it may seem a little hot, but know that you're not going to get burned.
1ne Accord
Min Lena J. Dixon