“Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”
― Oswald Chambers
I so easily forget to be thankful for the fact that my life is not my own. Why is it so hard to remember that trusting God is a good thing? Every time I try to take my life into my own hands it just becomes disastrous. And every time I put my life in God's hands I find contentment and peace. But, why can't I just leave it in God's hands? I can put it there for a little while, but when things don't end up going the way I think they should or I want them to, I get impatient and I take it back into mine. I constantly have to remind myself that I am not the painter, I am just the portrait. And this week is one of those weeks. When God tells me 'no', however painful and hard it might be to accept, I have to continue to trust in Him.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
I have this verse written on my mirror this week. Sometimes we all need a gentle reminder that there are greater things for us than we can dream of. No matter what kind of battle you may be facing this week, put your faith in God and trust him, and know that no battle is ever too great for you to handle. Remember that we can't see the whole picture. Right now, it might be kind of messy, but in the end He makes that mess into something beautiful.
