Blessings in Disguise - Are We Listening??

​There are hard lessons in life.  Of course, we’ve all heard the phrase “blessing in disguise.”  Think about it.  How many times have you had a challenging experience of some kind, which lead to something very positive?  

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​A guy I know had a frustrating morning when a power tool shorted out one of the electric circuits in the house.  It should have been an easy click on the breaker to get back in business.  It didn’t work out that way.  The minor problem of no power to the grinder led to a discovery.  There was a short in the electric panel itself.  It’s easy to see the hidden blessing.  The electrical short didn’t burn the house down because it was discovered. 
 
It isn’t always easy to see a blessing that might be the result of a crunch.  About three thousand years ago, the people of Israel were taken off into captivity in Babylon.  They were held in Babylon for over a half-century.  Jerusalem was ransacked by the invaders.  Parts of the city, including the temple, were destroyed.  Even this hard lesson was a blessing in disguise.  The Scriptural record says this happened because they had turned away from God.  God did not turn away from them.  He brought them back.
 
Our nation may be setting itself up for a hard lesson.  It has been on a trend for a long while now.  There was a time when businesses were closed in honor of Sundays.  There was a time when prayer in public school was common practice.  There was a time when taking the Lord’s name in vain was simply not heard in movies, much less on radio or television. 

​Today, as a nation, we have come to accept sin at so many levels.  The recent weeks have seen street violence in many cities.  Worse, there has been clear evidence that even a modicum of appreciation and respect for God is dissolving.  Who would have imagined worshippers being fined for attending church in the United States?  It happened in Mississippi. 

A hard lesson may be coming.  Even so, always remember that our Heavenly Father does not turn away from His children, no matter the circumstances.  Our line of communication with Him is open, twenty-four seven.  He always hears our prayers.  He always answers our prayers with the answer, which is best for us. 

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Three messages from our Loving Father come to my mind:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.  (Matthew 28:20)

Pray, Praise and Give Thanks!

​+Pastor Rod