It’s been about seven months since I’ve written a post on the blog and honestly, life has just gotten to a point that I thought I was done with it. But tonight as I read through my devotional, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, I felt that I needed to share what God was putting on my heart.
I was out for a walk with the kids this morning, our daily exercise and out of the house excursion, when this verse came to mind:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts
Isaiah 55:8-9
Given the state that our world is currently in, I can honestly say I’ve been wrestling with God’s ways. Another verse that came up in my devotional was:
…for the ways of the Lord are right.
Hosea 14:9
His ways do not feel right to me. I wouldn’t have chosen this path for our world/lives and I doubt many would. Sometimes I feel like we’re all going to wake up from this dream and things will be back to our pre-COVID lives. But what these verses do is remind me of the truth. God’s ways ARE better than mine or yours or anyone else’s. He knows what is best for each and every one of His followers. He knows what is best for the world that He created no matter how far from good it feels to us. He is wisdom. He is grace. He holds it all together through Jesus.
One last verse that I read that really stuck out to me was:
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Psalm 118:8
Turning on the TV, listening to the radio or scrolling through social media, bombards me with so many mixed messages. I’ve been struggling with what to believe, who to listen to, and what choices I need to make to keep me and my family healthy. It is beyond overwhelming. But God reminds me that it’s not man I need to trust. It’s not Fox News, it’s not CNN, it’s not Facebook, it’s not the president or future president, it’s God and God alone.
As I sit and reflect on where I was one year ago as our third baby turns one tomorrow, I feel a combination of awe and praise for our three amazing kids and sorrow for the world that they are currently living in. I never would have guessed what my family and everyone across the globe would be facing as I prepared for her arrival. The devotional I read today about God’s plans being far greater than our own, I had read on this day exactly one year ago. At the time, I was stressing and worrying about when the baby would arrive. Would I be ready, would the kids be out of town, would everything work out, would I be able to have her at home safely. When I read that day and leaned into God, I didn’t know that she would be here, healthy and strong, that very next morning.
God is good. He is good despite our circumstances. He is good in the waiting and the unknown. He is good in the storm and in the calm. He is good in the blessing and in the hurt. I needed this today. I needed this reminder that though my life is much different than what I imagined, in the end it will be much better because God has it in His hands. Are there going to be days when this doesn’t feel true? Yes, definitely. But I know I can always turn to Him and His word for reminders of His goodness, grace and wisdom. I hope you can feel that today, no matter what your life is like amidst the pandemic. And know you can turn to Him, whether you are currently a believer or not. This world is just shadows of what is to come for those who believe. He is my hope and strength!