Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the saying, “Into each life some rain must fall,” but sometimes when it rains, it pours. You step outside and your umbrella is caught by the wind turning it inside out, and instead of protecting your head, it now contains enough water to end a drought. You step in a puddle only to find your rain boots have a hole, and if that isn’t bad enough, while you are walking in a parking lot, someone drives by splashing you with water, mud and debris.
Have you ever felt this way about the things going on in your life?
I’m kind of there right now personally. I always expect things to happen like this during the fast. Satan just doesn’t realize when he does a full court press, I lean into my Abba even harder and hold on.
My verse today on my Bible Gateway app is Philippians 2:14-16, Do EVERYTHING (I capitalized for emphasis) without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.
When the hard times hit, we are to do EVERYTHING without grumbling and arguing. If that doesn’t walk on your toes, make sure you still have toes. Grumbling and arguing and complaining makes us no different than the world. Who is listening to you talk that smack?
James 3:9-10, With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters these things should not be this way. You can’t run someone down and then turn around and bless and worship that person’s Creator. PLEASE! Get a grip on your lips.
When we grumble, gripe and complain about what is going on then what are you saying about God? Are you saying God isn’t big enough? God isn’t enough? God can’t fix? God can’t cure? God can’t heal? God can’t mend? When we grumble, gripe and complain it is very evident we have focused our attention on the problem and not the Problem Solver. We are focused on the challenge ahead of us instead of the Challenge Overcomer.
Get your head up, girlfriend. Straighten your crown. You are a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It’s time you acted like it.
James 1:2-8, Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God – who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly – and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.
Chew on the first five words of that verse, CONSIDER IT A GREAT JOY! Does joy grumble, gripe and complain? Joy has a sound, and that ain’t it. If you think I’m kidding, study the word joy. Joy does not mean you don’t have problems. Joy does not mean that you don’t have pain and hurt. What joy means is in any situation we find ourselves in, we know who holds our future. He is the one who determines our footsteps, not man.
In the faith chapter in Hebrews, Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Hebrews 13:6. Are you allowing to God to be your Helper, or are you doing what you think is right and hoping for the best?
If you think this truth-speaking blog walked on your toes, you haven’t seen mine. Let’s cut out the grumbling, griping and complaining. Let’s start praying for those who are providing the challenge or difficulty instead of cursing them. Let’s pray for the situation we find ourselves in, and let’s look for the things for which we can be thankful.
Let’s do some singing in the rain. Shall we?
