Holdin’ Tight in Tough Times
Hey, there, friend, come and sit a for a lil’ ol’ spell with me on this ol’ front porch. I know you just watched a lil’ deer tryin’ to sniff on a garden gnome over there, and I’ve realized you plum needed somebody to laugh with you. I’m so glad you decided to stop by and have that laugh with me. So, pull up a rocker and git settled in real good. Some days life feels like tryin’ to herd a lil’ flock of stubborn guinea hens that scatter every direction except for the actual one you need. Other days it’s more like watchin’ an ol’ raccoon that’s found your feed bucket and is lookin’ at you like you’re the one who’s the intruder. You know, trouble comes in all shapes and sizes, but the Lord keeps whisperin’ the same truth. Nahum 1:7 reminds us that, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.” That there verse sits right beside Job 2:10 and Romans 8:28 to remind us that God ain’t ever confused, startled, or wringin’ His hands when our world gits to tiltin’ like a three-legged milkin’ stool.
Job knew something’ real deep. He’d lived in the sunshine of God’s goodness, surrounded by more livestock than a county fair. Sheep that wandered, camels that complained, oxen that snorted, and donkeys that acted like they were auditionin’ for a comedy show. Yet when all of it vanished, Job still said in Job 2:10,, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” That there’s faith with mud on its boots. Romans 8:28-29 tells us that “God works all things for good for those who love Him and that He uses every twist and turn to shape us into the image of His Son.” That means even the days that git to feelin’ like you’re wrestlin’ an ol’ possum that plum refuses to cooperate are part of His plan.
Another verse that steadies the heart is Psalm 34:19. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” That’s not a polite promise. That there’s a barn door that’s a wide-open invitation to trust God when life gits to feelin’ like a runaway wagon. Job eventually understood that God had never abandoned him. Instead, God was deepening him, strengthening him, and revealin’ Himself in ways Job had never even imagined.
Friend, when your life feels like a lil’ ol’ squirrel that’s plum gone and chewed through the wrong wire and left everything sparkin’, remember that God is still real good. He’s still present. He’s still workin’. He’s still shapin’ you into someone who looks more like Jesus. Bless Him in the sunshine and bless Him in the storm because He’s sho’-nuff’ worthy in both.
Father, help me trust You when life gets tangled. Teach me to bless You when blessings overflow and when troubles crowd in. Shape me into the likeness of Your Son and steady my heart with Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now friend, as you go on off this porch and git busy in other parts of your day ahead, remember that God’s goodness is so much sturdier than a fence post that’s planted way down deep in the Texas red clay. His faithfulness is way stronger than an ol’ bull that refuses to be moved. His love is a whole lot wider than a field after harvest, and His purpose is clearer than a sunrise over the open pasture. You’ve gotta be walkin’ in that truth and blessin’ His holy name.
With joy,
Gwen
