Hope

Heart Failure

Although heart disease may be one of the leading causes of death in America, it’s not the only type of suffering that our heart endures.

Our heart contends with the pain of losing a loved one, the regrets of words unspoken and the shame of loss jobs. Hearts battle with the uncertainty of an unknown future, the fear of unforeseen enemies, and the discord of broken relationships. Our hearts are fragile, and the older we get the more we realize that it’s not broken bones that we must be concerned with, but broken hearts.

However, through all of this, Scripture says our heart can stay strong, because we know the One who gives it strength.

As Psalm 73:25-26 states:

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Did you catch that? Not only does God provide what we need for eternity, but in the dredges of this Earthly life, He promises that we can endure, because we have His strength to fortify our hearts.

So when our hearts are weary, we can keep going.

When our hearts are heavy, the burden is lightened.

When our hearts are failing, they can be strengthened.

Because of God’s provision.

And the more we seek and trust in Him, the more we realize that He’s all that we need, for this life, and the next.

 

 

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Growth

Perfect Timing

Recently, I wrote an email to a colleague that I had been putting off for awhile. There was a looming project, and as is sometimes the case, I was hesitant to tackle it before I knew I could really devote the time to seeing it through to completion.  Additionally, since I knew the project could potentially cause some uneasiness, I was mindful of the fact that along with the actual work involved, there might be relationship building that accompanied it as well.  As I carefully crafted the email, I hoped that it would be well received. Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when the response I got back was “Perfect timing! I had just been thinking about this!”

As I relished in my good fortune that God had aligned the timing of my email writing, with the timing of the other individual’s thought patterns, I was reminded again of how, in most things, timing really is everything. Something that can be a bad idea at one time, could be the best idea at another. Words that will be brushed aside, can be well received if the person is ready to listen. The circumstances often determine the success of the venture.

The truly amazing part is that God’s timing is never in error. He knows just what we need, when we need it, and He faithfully provides that to His children. He cares for the details of our lives and aligns our circumstances to for His glory. In the moments when I can’t understand why things are happening the way that they are, I can rest in the fact that God is orchestrating His plan, and that through His timing, He’s bringing about His will.

It’s a truly amazing thing, to know that regardless of my understanding of why things happen when they do, I can trust in the One who not only understands, but who is using the hands of time for His purposes.

I’m grateful that God arranged it so that my email was well received, but I’m even more grateful that with God, His timing is always perfect.

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