Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
In the midst of chaos, the Spirit often gives us a simple and clear mission, such as choosing to trust in God’s love, listening to another person, helping someone in his or her need, or preparing lunch. Your God has made you a partner in bringing his kingdom to earth. Look around to see what he is doing and how he might want you to participate with him.
If we have developed a robust faith history with God we can be more prepared than most to turn our fears and mourning into an opportunity to trust God moment by moment, day by day. Turning to God (swiftly and without hesitation); God will shower us with an otherworldly sense of peace and calm. Still, given the suddenness of some tragedy and grief, we can sometimes found ourselves having to regroup emotionally by turning instinctively (and repeatedly) to the Lord as we pray through all our questions, doubts, and fears.
God Promises His Grace
We feel the accompanying intense emotions that we all experience when suddenly blindsided by terrible news. We cry out our sorrow until we have no more tears to shed. We feel the weight of what our suffering might entail. And we must spend time in solitude before God asking him to give us grace for just today.
God Promises His Comfort
This very act of turning toward God rather than away from him in our trouble makes all the difference. In our desperation, we know the only place (the only Person) where help was to be found was in the person and presence in God. We know the only One who would supply us with the grace we need to handle each day’s challenges was God and through the Holy Spirit’s empowering we would survive the ordeal of life. Because we know the Who and the Where to find our help, we can rest in God’s sovereignty and perfect plan for our lives.
God Promises His Presence
When we know our Savior, we can also know peace in the midst of any and every storm. We learn to pray and give thanks at the end of every day. We must learn to view difficult circumstances through the lens of eternity knowing full well that God was weaving a beautiful tapestry of faith legacy through them and in our lives that would outlive us all. In truth, our prayer must be that God would use every heart rending situation to shine the brilliance of Jesus’ perfect love to all who knows us and that eternal, saving truth would change everything…it would transform the hearts of unbelief to those of faith.
Take-away Action Thought
When I feel my emotions spiraling out of control, I will find a solitary place to be alone with the Lord and allow my feelings to be expressed. As I cry out my pain, I will remember to cry out to God for his comfort, peace, and sustaining grace.
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