Sep 30, 2010

Harvest is never easy . . .

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that my blogging has taken a backseat to life recently.  After all, what in my life have I EVER done consistently?  The truth is, I simply haven't had much to write about over the last 2 months.  My beloved husband is still gone.  I've had some particularly hard weeks dealing with that and wondering why God has left me feeling so alone.  So, today's post will be very brief.  

David, the great King of Israel, a sinner who loved the Lord, was no stranger to bouts of melancholy.  Here are his words from Psalm 13:  "How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long will I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day?"(vs. 1-2)

We all get bogged down with the weight of life.  For me, this deployment is heavy.  I carry it around all the time.  It sits on my shoulder taunting me.  And the Enemy uses it to magnify my insecurities.  But God hasn't changed.  And no matter what burdens we carry or what things in our lives are weighing heavily on us, David reminds us that we have every reason to trust and praise the Lord.  He writes, "But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." (vs. 6)

The following quote from Samuel Rutherford stuck out to me, "Why should I be frightened and surprised by the plow of the Lord, which makes deep furrows in my soul?  I know He is not some arbitrary or irrational farmer. His purpose is to yield a harvest."

Let's take this beyond coffee (did you have yours today?).  It's true that life can be hard.  And there's no need to compare your hardship with others'.  God plows us each differently because he made us different, and he has a different purpose for each of us.  Whatever hardships you may be experiencing, and whatever burdens you're carrying, take heart.  God is not an irrational farmer.  He deals with us kindly, though sometimes painfully, so that a rich bounty might be harvested in our hearts and lives.