Thursday, October 16, 2008

Bittersweet: Temporal vs. Eternal

When my kids are sick (like they’ve been all week), they hate to take medicine. It gets to the point that we have to pin them down and sometimes hold their nose (nurse trick we learned once). They don’t realize that what they’re rejecting is the very thing that will help them feel better. At the moment, all they’re concerned with is the bitter taste which is only temporary.
That’s exactly what some of us do to God. He is offering us His help in our current situations but because we don’t like His answer, we shun Him.

* Someone may be longing for a child, God is offering you contentment as you wait.

* Someone may be longing for a spouse to be saved, God is offering you a submissive heart in the meantime.

* Someone may be longing for direction & guidance, God is offering you faith as you trust Him.

* Someone may be longing for healing, God is offering you strength to endure.

* All of us are longing for an answered prayer, God is offering us joy & peace as we persevere.

We may think we know the right fix to our problems. But God is more concerned about our hearts changing than our circumstances. He is all about eternal, lasting results not temporal, quick fixes (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). So, perseverance in a trial may seem bitter, but as we trust in God and hold on to His Word, we will reap sweet blessings.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

2 comments:

Laurie said...

Blessed, sweet and refreshing reminder!

Chocolate, Vanilla and Caramel said...

I too wish I lived closer so I could show you some cake decorating tips! It's really amazing what you can do with limited skill (in my case!). You should think about taking a cake decorating class. I took one at Michael's and it wasn't very expensive. I think they were running some special so it was half-price or something. I'll be waiting for a picture some day of the birthday cake you decorate!