It’s been a tough week for us. Our faith is being tested and at times we’re white-knuckling it.
Normally Friday’s post is “Link Love” but I’m so mentally drained that I’m not sure I have enough mental acuity to sift through my blog and web reading. Instead, I wanted to find something in Proverbs that speaks to me. There is a verse I underlined at some time in the past and it is just the verse I feel God is giving to me to lift my spirits.
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart also will be glad; and my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. –Proverbs 23:15-17.
All at once I feel as though this is God speaking to me. At the same time, I am saying this to my stepson. He has had to learn a hard lesson this week about being wise and not envying sinners.
Here is the portion that I underlined at some point in the past:
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. –Proverbs 23:18.
I’m not sure why I underlined that before, but oh how I need it now! Again, this verse has so much meaning packed into it right now. It’s me sharing this with my stepson to remind him not to allow the troubles he’s experiencing now to affect his outlook on his future. It’s for my wife who is struggling with trying to cope with raising her teenage son and wrestling with home schooling verses public schooling. But it’s also for me, as I go through gut-wrench uncertainties with my job and role as sole provider. It’s a lot to deal with right now all at once.
The verse that I keep meditating on are Jesus’ words in Matthew:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28.
Yes Lord! May we draw near to You, sit at Your feet, and be in Your Holy presence!
May He Increase!
The thing with our “kids” is that even when they grow up and get out of the teen years…….”we” still have that tendency to worry. It’s a big bad world out there! God is sovereign and “we” need to believe that.
I admire you for allowing your wife to be a stay at home mom. Thats not an easy thing to do in a world that seems to need two incomes. You have shared several times about your financial “squeeze” ………..so maybe you should put a tip jar or paypal on your site. We are family…..and family takes care of each other. You could also share a “Book” of the week. If someone buys that book through your site……I think you get 8% of the purchase price. Just some thoughts.
Ike,
When my wife my pregnant with our son, my best friend–who had a little girl of about 2 at the time–told me: “You will never sleep as well as you used to now.” I understand what he means.
Tip jar … it’s already on the site but I’ve not called a lot of attention to it. I also recently signed the blog up on Amazon’s Kindle and put an ad for it up. I get a cut from that as well. I’ve been hesitant to monetize the blog more fully. I’ve doing my best to listen to God’s leading on this.
Thanks Ike!
Joe I hear you on the job thing. I have a while to go on unemployment, but it just doesn’t cut it, and the benefits… i would rather go thru the valleys with my Jesus than be on the mountain top with out Him. That is how He Increases! God bless you in your path!
Will, amen! Better is a crust of bread in peace than a banquet in fear. Yes, we’re struggling, but I’d rather struggle and trust God than have our path smooth all the time. We’re not home yet! :-)