Good morning fellow Steemit, be encouraged as you read through this;
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There will be times of darkness in our lives; times when thunder cracks our feeling of safety and lightening exposes the flaws in our security. There will be times of doubt and times of pain. But, darkness brings an appreciation for the light. Thunder often serves as a wake-up call and gets our attention when we have allowed our spirit to slumber. Doubt can be found in everyone’s heart, but is quickly chased away by faith. And pain… pain makes us both stronger and weaker. In our weakness, we lean more heavily on God and He makes us stronger than we ever could have been alone
I believe with all my heart that when we are sad and hurting, not only does God see every tear, but He sheds His own along with us. Remember the story of the death of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. John 11:35 records Jesus’ reaction to the sadness that Mary was lost in after her brother died. It says, “Jesus wept.” We know that Jesus did not cry because Lazarus had died. Before leaving for the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jesus plainly said, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14) Jesus knew he was about to bring Lazarus back to life. That is the purpose of his death – to show God’s power over life and death. However, Jesus was still moved by the emotions of the people he loved. Though he knew her mourning would soon become rejoicing, his heart cried with hers. Our Lord is compassionate. Though He knows that the painful paths we travel down are for our good in the end, our momentary sorrow causes Him sorrow as well
Life on this earth can be hard, but if it wasn’t, would we appreciate and long for heaven? This life can be joyous and overwhelmingly wonderful, but if there wasn’t pain would we know true joy? I know I am happy because I remember sorrow. I understand salvation because I felt the utter despair of being lost. Both the highs and lows of this life have a purpose, and neither last forever. When we understand this, we will be able to join with Paul and say, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)