The path all too often not taken.....

"Tough times don't last, but tough people do." Sounds like a slogan written by someone not facing tough times! Hidden in this statement, however, is a challenge to hear the promise of God to never abandon us nor ever let anything separate us from his love (Read Romans 8:28-39 to get reminder of these truths!). Phil Ware, Heartlight.org



Realizing today that I am full of self righteous anger and questions that don't necessarily need to be answered. I just need to stay on the floor praying to God and giving my anger and questions and burdens to Him. So, that His perfect will may be done. Too many times, I believe, I try to fix everything myself, make everything fit into a neat little compartment and sometimes that just won't work! Not everything is black and white, Julie!

SO much going on right now in my mind. it has been a rough few months. I feel like I am drowning and the one thing I could count on has drifted away from me.I know that my God is there, but be honest, we ALL have felt this way at one tme or another, look at Job. Everything as I know it has changed and to make it worse, people that are supposed to care and be there for you, aren't there. I realize that I am depressed. I could take medication but it is not going to fix the problems that have landed me here. And to make it all even worse, I've recently been the subject of talk (gossip). I have to take the pain that I feel over this and remember that pain when I feel like I must talk about someone else. It always gets back to them and It causes nothing but pain for the people you are talking about. And hey, newsflash, you DON"T know everything about their circumstances. That is one confession I have had to make time and time again in my own life, I do not know what someone is going through in their personal life and it is none of my business, the choices and decisions they make are theirs and the actions they take are theirs. I am to pray for them and love them. That is ALL. So often, we blissfully ignore other's pain. It's easier to talk about them than to help them and actually get deep down involved in their lives, their problems. We so often close our eyes and our ears and consequently, our hearts, to those who are hurting. Because we are mean, we are callous, we are vicious, we are hateful, we are spiteful, we are jealous, we are easily offended, we are too tired, too busy, we give too much to these people as it is, why give them more of our time? our love? The list goes on and on. We are pathetic.

As I read Romans 8:28-39 today, I get the sense of being loved above all that I have done. Above all that I will do. God loves me in my darkest hour, even when I am angry and I can't feel his prescence because of the hardening of my broken heart. HE is there. HE is reaching out for me and HE loves me with an unending, everlasting love. HE is waiting for me to acknowledge that HE is there waiting to take me into HIS loving arms. How amazing is HIS everlasting love? I realize that I need to love others this way and most of all, I need to love those who have hurt me this way. Because our pain is not for nothing. It is used for a far greater purpose than we will ever know or comprehend. And to show those who hurt us, love, is to show them the never ending, self sacrificing love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Today, I want to be bitter and self serving and angry. Jesus wants me to be loving, kind, self sacrificing. I will choose HIS way because it is the narrow path, the path all too often not taken, but it is the path to HIM, it is the path HOME.

Romans 8:28-39

28We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan. 29God knew those people before he made the world. And God decided that those people would be like his Son (Jesus). Then Jesus would be the firstborn F69 of many brothers and sisters. 30God planned for those people to be like his Son. And he called (chose) those people. God called those people and made them right with him. And God gave his glory to those people that he made right.

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

31So what should we say about this? If God is for us, then no person can stand against us. And God is with us. 32He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for us all. So with Jesus now, God will surely give us all things. 33Who can accuse the people that God has chosen? No one! God is the One who makes his people right. 34Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died {for us}, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side and is begging God for us. 35Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? No! Can trouble separate us from Christ’s love? No! Can problems or persecution F70 separate us from Christ’s love? No! If we have no food or clothes, will that separate us from Christ’s love? No! Will danger or even death separate us from Christ’s love? No! 36Like it is written in the Scriptures F71 :
“For you (Christ) we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.” (Psalm 44:22)
37But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us. 38-39Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, not life, not angels or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Love and Blessings,

Julie