Farther Along

“In God we trust” stated a sign printed over the lunch counter where I often stopped for coffee. Just under that phrase in smaller print it said, “All others pay cash!” As a young man I decided to trust God for my salvation and I felt confident that I now understood how God wanted me to handle life’s problems. But I was puzzled that many people at my church seemed to act as if they didn’t seem to share my calm assurance.

After getting married and becoming a father it began to dawn on me that lots of things were a just little more complicated than I had realized. Today, I am entering my senior years with many inabilities I can only overcome with the help of others and I am learning that only God knows most of the answers. The good news has been that rather than feeling that this is a personal failure it has been a relief because to realize that I don’t need to figure it all out. God is okay with me simply trusting Him! I hope that my simple rendering of this song, “Farther Along” will bring some hope, comfort and a smile to someone else who is also holding tightly to God’s hand through the changing seasons of their life. Blessings…

 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  Romans 8:24-26

 

The Complaining Trap

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Ephesians 1:3 NKJV

Someone heard me loudly complaining about how not enough people were there to help me when I needed it. I hadn’t realized how badly I had fallen into the complaining trap until they strongly pointed out my words. I was quite embarrassed and ashamed and apologized. So this week I am asking God to help me stop complaining and to be more thankful for things. I love that this hymn writer shows us that to avoid the complaining trap we need to begin asking God to tune our hearts to praise and end with confession and thankfulness. May you have a blessed Sunday and watch out for that complaining trap!