WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT

I’ve heard all my life “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. Yeah Yeah Yeah. Sometimes it seems that life not only has handed me lemons, but rotten lemons at that. So no lemonade for me!!!

As we go through life the Bible tells us in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." So we know that we are going to have things happen in our lives. Things that are not pleasant and we really don’t want to face. However, Paul also wrote in Romans 5: 1-5 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience,; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Sometimes, I know when I’m going through trials and tribulations in my own life I can’t seem to “see the forest for the trees” as the old saying goes. All I can focus on is the problem(s). So my problem(s) seem to get bigger and worse as seconds tick away. I love how T.D. Jakes describes this type of thing in his book “Woman Thou Art Loosed”. He used the scripture from Genesis 3:16 “Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…” He went on to write “God explained that birthing comes through sorrow. Everything you bring forth comes through pain. If it didn’t come through pain, it probably wasn’t worth much. If you’re going to bring forth—and I’m not merely talking about babies, I’m talking about birthing vision and purpose—you will do so with sorrow and pain. If you’re going to bring forth anything in your career, your marriage or your life, if you’re going to develop anything in your character, if you’re going to be a fruitful woman, it’s going to come through sorrow. It will come through the things you suffer. You will enter into strength through sorrow. You will give birth! That’s why you have suffered pain. Your spirit is signaling you that something is trying to get through. Don’t become so preoccupied with the pain that you forget to push the baby. Sometimes you’re pushing the pain and not the baby, and you’re so engrossed with what’s hurting you that you’re not doing what it takes to produce fruit in your life. When you see sorrow multiply, it is a sign that God is getting ready to send something to you. Don’t settle for the pain and not get the benefit. Hold out. Disregard the pain and get the promise.”

We need to change what we are looking at and David said it best in Psalms 121:1 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." And by no means should we ever just give up. We should follow Paul’s example in Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Hold On and don't give up because we know that we have a promise in Psalms 30:5b "…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."