This year has been challenging in many ways. Since about March it seems like one thing has happened after another-I feel like I am a lemon being squeezed. I know God is definitely with me, but there have been many times where it honestly hasn't been easy.
My reaction to the squeezing in various situations has not always been the best. I've reacted in ways that I shouldn't have. And it is easy for me to think that how I sometimes react when the lemon is squeezed "isn't really me"-I mean it's easy to think that under "normal" circumstances I wouldn't react in such a way.
But you know what? How I react when the lemon is squeezed is so just like me-it is me. When a lemon is squeezed it can only release the juice that is already there. What is produced by the squeezing is a reflection of my heart, of areas that still need to be transformed to be more like Christ-and those areas instead of what they reflect now, need to reflect other things like His patience, love that bears all things, gentle answers, and perfect trust.
The result of the squeezing, even though I don't enjoy it, is truly for my good--to sanctify me and make me more like Christ day by day. And being transformed into His likeness is worth it-no matter what I have to go through, no matter how many tears, heartbreaks, disappointments, or things that just don't make sense.
God is perfectly good-nothing has touched my life apart from what He has allowed for His greater purposes. So I trust Him as He in perfect wisdom squeezes the lemon----that these momentary trials will produce the testing of my faith and that in the end I will shine as gold.
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, JESUS IS ENOUGH!
1 comment:
Praise the LORD He works in us!
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