His Offering

God's comfort, although unseen at times, yet, felt so deeply, is like that of an unexpected cool breeze or an icy drink offered on a blistering hot day. Its can bring us to tears because the relief moves us to such deep gratitude, and the kindness felt by our soul is unmatched by any earthly treasure. The sufferings are assuaged by God's grace, either through His Spirit or delivered through the hands of one of His children. The touch of God and the realization of His deep love for us is His offering of a small taste of heaven for our hope. That blessing will always remain as a hot spring of healing in our thoughts when our souls are feeling so cold.

God has given me some wisdom as to why I felt so alone and why He felt so far away. Although I couldn't feel His presence, I still claimed His love and promises because my faith had grown through my many difficulties. I read the devotion in my book this morning and it's message lifted my heart to go on with a faith that transcends my feelings or circumstances. It read: "When nothing on which to lean remains, when strongholds crumble to dust; when nothing is sure but that God still reigns, that is just the time to trust. It's better to walk by faith than sight, in this path of yours and mine; and the darkest night, when there's no outer light, is the time for faith to shine."

This morning brought a new perspective to my mind and a light burst into my darkness that cast God's image of hope before me. He revealed to my spirit that this coming year would be one where His presence would not be so evident but that He was going to go on ahead a bit and call to me to follow Him in faith. Just as a healing soldier needs to push on through physical therapy, a child needs to crawl to develop muscles that will make them able to walk or a butterfly must struggle to emerge from it's cocoon so it's wings are strong enough for flight.......we must develop our faith in order to be able to handle what life has in store for us. God is not absent when hard times come, it is during those times when it is only His wisdom that can strengthen our weary souls and make warriors where there was once only fearful, complaining and doubting children.

We all want to think that life is like a Norman Rockwell painting or a fairy tale but we must grow in our faith to come to terms with the fact that life is hard. There will be losses, heartbreaks, challenges......and without mature faith we will crumble. It's those hard times that will build our spiritual strength so that we can go on, not just for our own good but for the uplifting of others. Faith is a muscle that must be strengthened and developed so that we don't go through life as weak and ineffective soldiers for Christ. We can not remain infantile, broken or immature in our faith, God is real, and just as our body grows so must our faith. We must believe even when we can't see Him........we must trust although everything around us appears hopeless and we must love even when we feel unloved, because He will be our unseen source of all we need and our full portion forever.

Perhaps you, too, have camped by such sweet waters,
and quenched with joy your weary, parched soul's thirst;
to find, as time goes on, your streamlet alters,
from what it was at first.

Hearts that have cheered, or soothed, or blest, or strengthened;
loves that have lavished unreservedly;
joys, treasured joys have past, as time has lengthened,
into obscurity.

If then, O soul, the brook your heart has cherished,
does fail you now - no more your thirst assuage,
if it's once glad streams have perished,
let Him your heart engage.

He will not fail, nor mock, nor disappoint you;
His comfort and care change not with the years;
with oil of joy He surely will anoint you,
and wipe away your tears.

J. Danson Smith