Journal Entry ~ 12/01/18

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! 
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!  - Psalm 105:1-2

In order to find the kind of joy that permeates and persists in our deepest valleys, we must deepen our understanding of God’s ultimate plan for our lives and this world. Our hearts can not grasp the level of gratitude that sings his praises and tells of His wondrous works when we’re in the most difficult circumstances until we know He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. 

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

So many times I've gone though the deepest of valleys, I’ve turned to this verse. I love the comfort that it provides. The words "we know" in particular bring me such peace. I don't just hope or wonder if He will bring good out of my trials, I can know that's what He is doing. He promises this to me, and the God of the universe doesn’t break His promises.  

Even when I’m walking through something that doesn't make any sense to me at all, even when it causes my heart to ache, I can know that He has a plan in it all and that plan is ultimately for my good. His ultimate plan in our lives is to conform us into the image of His Son, and for that to happen, He needs to reveal to us all those parts of our hearts that are hidden from Him, or are not yet fully submitted. 

He allows trials into our lives to bring into the light the places in our hearts that we still hold on to the world, where our idols have a stronghold, or where sin remains hidden. It's in the brokenness in our lives when our eyes are opened and our heart is revealed. And that is for our good because when our sin is revealed, and we confess and repent, we grow to be more like Him. 

This is where the gratitude that produces the steadfast joy in our deepest valleys begins. When we grab a hold of the truth that He is for us, not matter what we face, our hearts grow thankful. When we know that all He allows to enter into our lives is for our good, we can’t help but to sing His praises to all who will listen. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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