I’ve had this post ready for 2 months. It was supposed to be my focus for March. I don’t know how many times I’ve scheduled things and the Lord said, “No, wait, not yet”. EACH time there’s been a reason. This time is no different.
After being in quarantine and our world being upended, I thought, well maybe focusing on our good isn’t really what I should post. Thoughts of focusing on family or prayer or eternity or even just God, went through my mind. But once again, the Lord said, “No this is it. Focus on your good.” And so I’ve left it. Unedited, saying what it originally said. And how true it is. I don’t know what God is trying to do. I don’t know if He sent this to get our attention or if it is just part of our evil world. But I do know, if this is what someone meant for evil, God can use it for good. And I, for one, don’t want to miss whatever He is trying to do in my life. For my good.
Back in January, I decided to focus on reading the Bible through. It’s been a long while since I did this purposefully. In Genesis, I was reading about Abraham and this phrase stood out to me: “an horror of great darkness fell upon him (Abraham).”
Here, we see that while this darkness fell, God renewed the covenant he’d ALREADY made with Abraham. Later on, we see that God fulfilled his promise through the rightful heir born to Abraham.
A covering of darkness
A covenant of blessing
A child of promise
As I’ve already shared, I came into this year, dreading it. Wondering what it was going to hold. But God reminded me that He has always been enough, no matter what. Even in what a new year could bring. And I began to think that it’s only through our darkest times that we see most clearly that God is renewing His covenant with us to fulfill the promise that “all things work together for good…”. Our good.
And that’s what I want to focus on for this month.
If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you already know that March 21st was the day when my greatest darkness fell. 5 years ago. I would’ve never imagined everything that God would end up doing through it, and sometimes it’s still hard to grasp, but He has fulfilled so many promises to me, that otherwise I’d not know about. His covenant renewed. All things, even the dark things, are working together for my good. (Insert the rest of the verse- to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. This promise isn’t for everyone.)
I tend to only focus on the dark, the pain, the loneliness, the endless days of waiting. But I want to focus on what God is doing FOR MY GOOD. How He’s using everything that happens to fulfill that promise. ALL.
We’d never know that God is working all things together for good, if the bad wasn’t mixed in.
We’d never know that He’d never leave us nor forsake us, if everyone in our lives always stayed. It’s when they walk away, that we sense His presence the most. Because He’s, many times, the only One left.
We’d never know the safety of His refuge if the storms never rolled in.
We’d never know healing, if we never shattered.
We’d never know that He would be enough, if nothing was ever lost.
He has been enough. He has always been enough.
He’s led this far. He will continue to lead.
He hears my cries, he marks the pain of my deepest heartaches.
And He has more of His unfailing love to offer.
His ways are not like mine. They lead through paths I can’t see. But He goes ahead of me. With more grace to give.
He bled and died for me. He’s holding on. He’s keeping my soul safe in the shelter of His blood.
Oh yes, He has been enough!!
What if every time the darkness falls on our life, we raise our focus to how God is going to use this for good? We focus on how much good He’s already done in our life? I know it’s difficult. I know it hurts.
But one day, the God who heard every cry, will wipe each tear away.
And though He never left my side, one day, ONE DAY I’ll never leave His. I’ll spend the endless ages at His feet. Those feet that walked through a life of heartache and pain and loneliness for me. Those feet that tread the rough pathway to Calvary for me. Those feet that took the nails for me. That’s where I’ll worship eternally.
My praise has been lifted to Him here on this earth, but one day, that day, my praise will rise to new heights.
And He will be enough. When this world fades and life down here is complete, He will be enough.
And I think, that one day, He might even show us all the countless ways He worked everything for our good.
Only eternity could contain it all.
Listen to the song here:
https://youtu.be/BOLJi8AuE9k
Words and Music by Faith York
Copyright 2020
