Our Side

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ Romans 8:31

I am thankful today for God's covering. I look around, and there is pain and tragedy in every corner. I hear of people who are down and out with their finances, unable to find work. Families who are homeless, trying to stay warm and clothed. I see the devastating pain some carry due to other people's choices. And then there are the burdensome loads brought on by circumstances.

I found myself having a pretty good reason to get depressed today. Let's face it, this world is going down the toilet. Sin rules in so many hearts . . . love gets lost in words of hate. There are broken bones, unhealed wounds and shattered hearts - just to name a few.

Then there are the petty little annoyances, like this morning. My alarm didn't go off today. I could have sworn that I set it last night. At 7am my eyes opened up, and in a panic, I discovered that I was crawling out of bed one hour late. God miraculously got me out the door on time (minus about five or ten minutes), but I really could have done without the drama.

We get cut off in traffic, dinner burns and the customer support department we have been trying to reach for weeks continues to have a busy phone line. This is life - life on the planet earth. Inconvenienced, put out and trampled on . . . yes, this is the fate of human existence - at least from what can be seen.

The greatest part about inviting God to live on the inside of us, is that among an abundance of gifts, He offers us His perspective on things. Yes, life is difficult, we live in a fallen world. Nobody said that things would be easy, so why does it strangely feel like we are getting a raw deal?

Our hearts have been set for eternity. We want people to live forever, because we were made for such. We desire complete and total healing, because we are able to live in fullness without the obstruction of pain. We long for Leave it to Beaver and Brady Bunch (a little confession of mine) because life as we know it really isn't the end of the story.

As we move through the Monday through Sunday's of life, God wants to use every obstacle to prepare us for a better place. We are in preparation for eternity, where there will be no more tears . . . no more death.

If God is for us, who can be against us? We have a choice dear friend. We can either choose to let the sad parts of life bring us down, or we can turn our face towards the sky in patience praise. We can trust that God knows what He is doing - He has a wonderful plan. Unfortunately, the scrapes and the bruises just happen to be a part of it.

So are you feeling depressed now? It's okay to be real with your feelings - you can speak with God openly. He will always listen. And when you are exhausted after beating his chest and crying your eyes out, He will still be there.

Whatever you are going through today, be encouraged to know that God is on your side. With every one of your disappointments, every weary and sorrowful tear - He drops one of His very own.