1 Thessalonians 5:9-10  “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.”

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There have been events of great blessing in my life.  There have been times of newness and hope.  Conversely, there have been long stretches of prolonged mediocrity. There have been good times and some not-so-good times. Every Christian has experienced these waves of life. During the occasional flounder in the low I respond to my dissatisfaction with cries for one more high spot in my life.

In the lows, I think the God I have is not the God I want.  I want to have every need met.  I want to feel the excitement.  I want the emotional high.  I want so much to have one more feeling of acceptance and love.  I want, I want, I want. Yet God doesn’t work that way. In my frantic wants, I must push toward the simple knowing: “Be still and know, that I am God.” I have discovered that in the worst of times and even in the “wanting times,” I can experience God’s assurance. I can in every moment know He is enough.  I have learned to live in times of dull sameness and the whirlwind of worship, that it is the same God.  I have discovered it is the assurance of faith that is the best of all.  It endures whether I am blessed or not. Assurance is the benefit of faith.  I live and breathe in the constancy of assurance of love and care.

Take a moment.  Stop fretting over what must be done today and allow God to wash over you.  Allow a sweet feeling of assurance to fill our hearts for a moment with a sweet glow. For a twinkling of an eye, let that experience fill you. 

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Lord, remind me repeatedly to stop and allow your presence, your inner assurance to soothe in the difficult times, rejoice in the good times, and just be open in everything in between.

#JustLarry