As the title suggests, I've had a fair bit going on recently. Particularly in this past week in the job I do for the debt counselling, CAP, I have experienced the extreme joy of seeing a client have an actual miracle of being debt free, another client and her mother come to church for the first and enjoy it...to the extreme sadness of having a client die and their having to be investigated...and on top of all this, having to work extra hours and take on greater responsibility at work
Previously I will admit that I under lesser circumstances I have broken down, said to God its not fair and slowed down in my walk with him in order to try and sort out the mess on my own...which doesn't work! But Praise God as he tells us in the Word-that when we are in Christ, He changing us from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18) and I have changed, I realise now-looking back...Yes I cried in both circumstances but not once did I question, did I wonder about the exist of God or His kindness or goodness...those questions never entered my mind-I learnt that I need to surrender and to trust (realising the increase of my faith in Christ!) I did not realise the truth of this until last night when we sang a song at choir last night. Its one we have sung for a long time, but with everything that had happened over the past week-the words had a new meaning to me.The chorus goes like this...
For Thou Oh Lord, are a shield for me. The glory and the lifter of my head.
For Thou Oh Lord, are a shield for me, the glory and lifter of my head.
I understand that these are words of comfort for those in troubled times but if you think about them, they are so much more than that. These words, based on scripture, are a beautiful illustration of what God does for us.
In our circumstances He is our shield, protecting us to make sure that what we face is not too much to bear. He is our protection and guard and with Him I know I can face the battle.
Our glory-in all the good times, when good things seem to rain down-He is the cause, He is the one who made it happen, He is our Glory...He is the only way that we can have any glory, it says in the Word all good things come from Him and therefore any good from us is from Him anyway. He is our glory.
He is also the lifter of our head-in hard times, this calls us to raise our head above the circumstances and focus on Him but in the good times reminds us that a) the best is yet to come and b) that He, as I said, is the only one who can bring our good times anyway-He is the only one who can bring us through. Jesus tells us in JOHN 15, apart from him with can do NOTHING (verse 5)-we can't produce good fruit, which includes patience,kindness,goodness,gentleness...without Him. He is the source of our everything...He has to be...and that is SO liberating knowing He is in control and that ALL He does is good...
