Faith Journey-Day 8

Day 8- Bitter or Better?

On Day 8, I shared Ryan’s diagnosis that changed everything about our lives. Our Ryan was Deaf. We had to grieve his hearing loss much like you would grieve a death. The Lord could not bring healing to our hurts until we accepted His will, whatever that may be.

The last stage of the grief process is acceptance. I want to be completely honest with you, friends. The Lord and I had come a long way together on our Faith Journey. He had grown me up spiritually in ways that I would not trade for anything. But, even with the great distance The Lord and I had traveled together…I was struggling to find His goodness in Ryan’s deafness. I was standing at a cross-road on my Faith Journey. I could turn away from my Savior in anger and become bitter OR I could cling to Him with what little strength I had and allow Him to make me better.

So, at this cross-road, do I choose the path named “bitter” or the path named “better?”   If I choose “bitter,” that would mean doing life without the help and guidance of The Lord. I would need to depend on MY wisdom…that’s scary.  If I chose “better,” that would mean complete acceptance of our situation, allowing His healing of our broken hearts, and completely leaning on His guidance and wisdom.

Kicking and screaming…I chose the path named “better.” I let The Lord know I was not happy about it. But, came to a place of acceptance.

In every situation, we have a choice. I chose the path leading to “better.” It was my choice of obedience over my feelings. I was not, at all, feeling happy that my child was Deaf. However, The Lord’s desire was/is not to make me happy. It’s to make me holy. He was asking me to look back at our Faith Journey together and remember who He is and what He has done thus far.

• Read 1 Samuel 7: 1-12

The Israelites are a fascinating people. One minute they are serving and praising God. The next, they are making and worshipping golden calves. They had experienced the literal presence of God and seen His miracles first hand. And yet, they had a pattern of forgetting all God had done for them when things got tough.

In 1 Samuel 7, Israel was is bad shape. Their cities were in shambles, armies destroyed, and they were being bullied by the Philistines. Why? They were disobedient to God. But, the Israelites had come to a place of desperation and needed God’s help. Verse 2 says that, “all of Israel lamented (mourned) and sought The Lord.” Samuel called them to repent with all their heart and turn back to God. They chose to be obedient to God.

Because of the Israelites obedience, God sent confusion over the Philistines and what was left of the Israelite army defeated them.

Write out 1 Samuel 7: 12

 

What did Samuel “set-up?” Why?

 

An “Ebenezer” or “stone of help,”  was set-up as a remembrance that “thus far The Lord has helped us.”

We should regularly set-up Ebenezers is our own lives. Your Ebenezers do not have to be actual stones. Use prayer journals or your Bible Study workbooks to record your prayers and how The Lord works in your life.

We need to be reminded often that “Thus far, The Lord has helped us.” So that, when we are standing at a cross-road on our Faith Journey, we can look back and remember His faithfulness. Then, confidently and obediently (not necessarily with happiness), choose the path named “better.”

Pray and give thanks, “Thus far, The Lord has helped us.” He’s not gonna stop now. He’s got too many plans for your sweet life!

Choose the faith path named “better” today. I’m praying for you, my friend!