What God hath Promised

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through.

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the laborer, light on the way;

Grace for the trial, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, Undying love.

"The Lord is good to all." Psalm 145:9

I liked this little poem the moment I saw it. It is also dear to me because it's on this little plaque that used to belong to my Great-Aunt Etta. She was always an example of God's faithfulness and a testimony of a true soldier in God's Army!(Remember, God's soldiers do all their battle on their knees-in prayer! We do NOT wrestle against flesh and blood...)

Sometimes the rains, sorrows, pains, labors and weaknesses seem to last a very, very long time. Why do we wait so long to acknowledge the only one who can send us the comfort we need? Why do we stubbornly go our own way? Is it our pride that keeps us from calling out to the Lord? Unbelief in His unfailing love?

So many trials and tribulations come upon us-many without warning and so many without sign of relief. Sometimes the Lord seems very far away. Still, He has given us His Word. His Word tells us what our response to Him should be.

I encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 145 and meditate on it. Sift through and dig out the riches of this beautiful Psalm of God's wonderful-ness and our response to it.

Psalm 145:2 says, "Every day will I bless you; and I will praise your name for ever and ever." Is that my heart toward God, even when the answers to my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling? Even when no answer seems to come?

Yet, in Psalm 145: 18-19, the Word says, "The Lord is near to all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them."

"The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." Psalm 145:8

We must choose to believe God's Word and what He tells us about Himself. God CANNOT lie, He is love. Let us learn to be still and know that He is God. Let us learn to trust Him. He is as near as a whisper.

We need to know these things about our awesome God and bow our knee to the trials He allows; to mold us into the vessel He wants us to be. To go through the fire, and come out on the other side a beautiful vessel, fit for the Master's use.

We cannot allow our hearts to be bitter, we must yield to the Potter's hand. Then comes the beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Why? So HE may be glorified. HE is what it's all about friends. It's about HIM. Anything else is mixed up.

Like the Laodicean church in Revelations 3...do we have eye disease? Are our eyes focused on us or Him? He says to anoint our eyes with eye salve that we may see. I pray we turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow stangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Father, in Jesus name we come, help us to be vessels fit for your use. Help us to anoint our eyes with eye salve and turn them upon you. Grant us hearts to believe you, Lord and to call upon you for our salvation. Turn us away from our own selfish motives in life, and let us live to glorify you, today Lord. Amen.

Praise His Works and Declare His Mighty Acts to Another Generation in your Home-Sweet Today! (Psalm 145:4)