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April 24, 2018 |
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4 (NKJV)
Last year was a year full of change and transitions, none of which were easy.
I reached a milestone birthday. I began working full-time after being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. I got divorced. I became a single parent and provider. I turned into an empty nester as I sent my youngest off to college.
I’ve always heard that the only thing guaranteed in life is change, and we all know that to be true. But that doesn’t make dealing with unwanted or difficult changes or new seasons of life any less trying.
But instead of surrendering to pouting, I intentionally dedicated myself to praying and positive thinking, reminding myself daily that although life changes, God’s faithfulness never does.
Psalm 37:3 reminds us of this when the writer says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”
When we dwell on God’s faithfulness and let it nourish our hearts, our faith and trust in Him grows. When we focus on doing good things, our thoughts won’t stay parked on the changes we don’t like. Instead of allowing our minds to wish things were like they used to be or feeling discouraged or upset over a hard season of life, we can place our trust in Him and live with peace and joy, not stress and distress.
Psalm 37:4 then says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
Being delighted with God means our hearts find peace and fulfillment in Him, regardless of our season of life or the changes we’re facing. When we look back to see how He has been faithful and trustworthy in the past, which delights us, we can better trust He will be faithful now and in the future, too.
With each new day I faced last year, I continually sought God to fill my life with His peace and joy. I asked Him for new opportunities and to help me fill up this season of an empty nest and an empty house. I prayed for Him to take away the loneliness and purposelessness and fill my life with people and purpose. To trust in His wise plans for my future, instead of doubting if He actually had any.
Over many months, I began to see His faithfulness and answered prayers.
- Existing friendships blossomed, and new friends came into my life as well.
- Friends and family continually helped me feel loved, wanted, supported, included and less alone.
- New doors opened for me to do ministry, which not only gave me new purpose, but also new direction and excitement about what lay ahead.
- I watched God miraculously provide and protect my family and me in this new season.
I felt my heart begin to heal and my faith strengthened. The more I saw His faithfulness shining through, the less I worried about the hard changes.
God has divinely allowed every season of our life with His sovereign wisdom, and those seasons may include some type of hard change. We can fight change, or we can trust God has a plan and purpose for it and allow our trust in His faithfulness to be the foundation for joyful living.
If you change the way you think about change, the way you’re looking at that change just might change.
Lord, change is hard. I don’t always ask for it, much less like it. Please help me focus on Your past faithfulness so I can strengthen my trust in You for future faithfulness and embrace whatever lies ahead — change and all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (NLT)
2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES:
Need some shifts in thoughts and perspectives regarding difficult changes in your life? Purchase Tracie Miles’ book, Unsinkable Faith: God-Filled Strategies to Change the Way You Think, Feel and Live.
Mother’s Day is May 13, and we’ve curated the perfect gifts to give the special women in your life. Whether you’re looking for just the right devotional, piece of jewelry or parenting resources, we’ve got you covered. Visit our bookstore to start shopping!
CONNECT:
Tracie’s new book Love Life Again: Finding Joy When Life Is Hard, releases in a few short months. Subscribe to her blog so you don’t miss out on all the pre-order freebies! You can also enter to win a copy of Unsinkable Faith, as well as learn her three top tips for changing the way you can view and manage change in your life.
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you remember the times God has been faithful in the past. Let those memories delight your soul and renew your faith in trusting Him with your current season of life.
What change or season are you allowing to steal your joy? What can you do to begin thinking about it differently? After you reflect on this, let us know your thoughts in today’s comment section!
© 2018 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org