The Saga Continues

Well another week has begun and the matter before me has not come to an end. Truly the Lord is teaching me patience and reliance and complete trust in Him! :)

As I have mentioned before, I have been studying through the Psalms...well I finished on Sunday and today I started reading from Proverbs. In other reading, I have completed the book "Why We're Not Emergent" and have started reading "A Better Way" by Michael Horton. I hope to post my review of that first book by Wednesday evening, so keep an eye open for that one! :)

So how am I holding up? Pretty well actually. I realize that everything is out of my hands at this point, so I trust that those whom God has working for me will do their jobs well and that He will use them to bring all of this to a favorable resolution. And yet if this does NOT end favorably for myself...I am at peace about that too. How in the world I came to this place where I can say that without hesitation, I don't know actually, except that I must give the glory to God for the wonders of His Word and the comfort that the Spirit brings to us when we rely solely upon Him.

Today as I was out on a bike ride I was feeling somewhat down for a bit, thinking about how I have always sought to do right and how when I have sinned have been able to avoid habitual behaviors and turned away from my sin...not always immediately but usually pretty quickly! :)
Anyhow, I was pondering this and thinking how "unfair" it was for me to be experiencing all of this...how my reputation was on the line, my character, and my ability to provide for my family. And then I thought..."whoa, you need to stop this!" I was reminded, yet again, that "all things work together for good to those who love God..." Romans 8:28 I have often read that this is not something you should say to someone going through difficulites times. That it is insensitive. You know what I think? Hogwash! (yes i just said "hogwash"!)

If those of us who claim to be Believers cannot be comforted by the Word of our Lord, then we need to repent of our negative attitudes! These words from Romans have been, throughout this tribulation, the greatest comfort to me! I don't know why this is happening to me, but I know that He does. And what is more, I know that He is using this experience for my good. How, I don't know. But, again, He DOES know. Why should this not be a matter of comfort to Christians?

So there I am, riding my bike...puffing and sweating and close to death from the heat and exhaustion (okay I exaggerate a bit), when I realized something. The Lord WILL justify me in all of this one day. It may not be in this life, but one day I will stand before Him and know that He knows my heart in this matter. I pray that by then those responsible for bringing me to where I find myself have made their own peace with Him. That they have turned to Him in repentance for all of their sin and that they have indeed received forgiveness and that the grace of God has given them entry into His kingdom. I pray that I will be able to embrace them as my brethren in the Lord. Why? Two reasons. Most importantly so that He will receive the glory for their conversion. But also so that they can be spared the retribution that otherwise will await them.

So yes...I will be justified in the end. May God receive glory for this. And may my testimony stand strong before the shafts of the enemy.

The saga continues indeed...