Lent 14: Joy, Peace, Hope

I am wiped and exhausted. My adrenal glands have taken a beating over the last weekend. My digestive tract was stressed. My mind was in turmoil. Yet, at this moment, I feel a joy that I can only attribute to my God and Saviour.

Today, as I listened to a video speaker during my Mom's Group, I felt God speaking to me (thank you Lord!). The words of scripture were like water, refreshing the soul, healing wounds, and reminding me of what I need to do in life.
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
I am a flawed human being. If I hope that others will forgive my faults, I need to extend the same grace to others.

More words, more thoughts come my way as I seek God's face.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Why is it that we have to go through difficult times? Here is one reason: because, through the challenges, we can experience the gift of joy and peace in spite of the circumstances if we trust in Him. Then, we will have confident hope through the Holy Spirit. These treasures of darkness cannot be mined from moments of self-sufficiency. They are discovered through pain and disappointment and defeat.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Right now, I feel weak, physically. I could just sleep the day away. However, I sense the prayers of friends and family. Prayer is powerful! Don't forget that kids. And there will come a time when you will fall heavy on your knees in utter defeat, not knowing what in the world to do. God will meet you there. Trust in Him even moreso in that moment. He will fill you with JOY and PEACE and HOPE.

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