Healing & Hope

Today's Reading:
Psalm 107:1-9

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.  Has the LORD redeemed you?  Then speak out!  Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.  For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. 
Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.  Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.  "Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.  He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.  Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.  For he satisifies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

     It begins like this: Give thanks to the LORD for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.  Has the LORD redeemed you?  Then speak out!  Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
     Now here it is  speaking about God saving his chosen people, the Israelites, from captivity after their blatant refusal to obey him.  It continues in verses 3-9 describing how he saved them.  He heard thier cries for help and rescued them from their distress.  He led them to safety to a place where they could live.  Let them praise the LORD.  Verse 9 sums it up.  For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
     This is a perfect example of what God wants us as Christians to do today.  Call out to him in whatever distress you may be suffering.  He will offer you healing and hope.  He won't just save you but will also bring you out of it.  He will give you a place to live in peace.  He wants you to live, not to perish under this strain.  And when he has done this, simply tell him "Thank you LORD," singing his praises to the world.  Share your story so others might see his love and compassion at work in a world where these attributes are so rare.
     I'll share my story.
     After our first sone was born, I thought we had it all- good jobs, a house of our own and a beautiful son.  But we were under a strain, financially and emotionally.  We soon saw our "happily ever after" fall apart.  Bud don't get me wrong.  It was our own version of "happily ever after" not the one God had planned for us.  That's why it fell apart.  God's plans aren't our plans and vice versa.  So most times, things have to change to allow God to work in our hearts and lives. 
     After all the hardships we went through, we are now blessed with a roof over our head, a rented one but a roof none the less, another beautiful son was added to our family, an opportunity arose that allowed me to be home with our sons and still help our family financially. Now I am running my own crochet business, Fleur De Lis Crochet, putting those years at Wal-Mart to work for me.  We have even found a church where we can worship and feel like we are part of a family, something I have longed for for a very long time.  Now don't get me wrong.  Our lives aren't perfect but we have it seems come into the peaceful years after the storms of years past. 
     God alone has done this.  And He can do it for you too.  Whether you are on the brink of a storm or have just come through one, God will guide you and protect you if you only open your heart to him.  Cry out to him for help and he is already there.  He is always at your side ready to help when you call.  Call on him today and praise him through this storm.  There is hope and healing in God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The next time you feel the give someone a piece of your mind, take inventory and make sure you can afford to lose it.