Every problem points to a promise ...

It's incredibly hard for some to see the sunshine for the clouds at times. And there are some who are convinced the clouds mean nothing other than a terrible storm. Been there, done both.

I'm doing another 'pass along' today. The following is part of a devotion I received. And I'm not sure about you, but I have needed, know someone who does, or know someone who has - needed each of these promises. I think the paraphrasing of the scriptures is on point as well.  

How about you? Know someone who could benefit? Feel free to share. I did . . .

It sometimes feels as if the fog of doubt and fear of darkness will never lift from our lives. The promises of God seem to get swallowed up by the problems we face. We want to curse our crisis – not praise God in the midst of that crisis. The hurt and pain overwhelm our faith, and we lose sight of the fact that this world is not our home and the troubles we face are only temporary. Lift your eyes. Fix your heart and mind on God – He is with you – and makes every problem point to a promise.

Promise of direction Proverbs 20:30 "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." 

God uses problems to show us the way. We would walk through the wrong door if He didn’t close it. Years ago, I dated a young man I thought I would marry. I began to pray, “Lord, if he is not the one, just close the door.” The very next conversation I had with this young man ended our relationship and resulted in meeting my wonderful, godly husband.

Promise of correction Psalm 119:71-72 "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."

God uses problems to correct us. When our daughter was a toddler, she was fascinated with electrical outlets. Nothing we said or did seemed to deter her … until the day she stuck a safety pin in the outlet. “Ouch!” she cried, holding up her little red finger for me to kiss. She never played with an outlet again.  

Promise of protection Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it keeps you from being hurt by something more serious. I dreaded taking our children to get their immunization shots. I took a healthy child to the doctor and came home with a little one who was fussy, sore and running a low grade temperature. Our pediatrician finally said, “Think of it like this. You are allowing your babies to experience a little hurt in order to prevent them from experiencing a bigger hurt.  A tetanus shot is nothing compared to tetanus itself.”

Promise of perfection   Romans 5:3-4 "We can rejoice when we run into problems ... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. Think of this: sweat is good for pearls. It helps them keep their luster. :)

God is at work in and around you.  You may not see His hand, hear His voice or even understand His process, but you can rest assured that you can trust His heart.

Remember, every problem points to a promise.

Until later :)