Today's Scripture:
Nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life.... Our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow... nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)
The topic of today's excerpt is a woman I've heard of, but didn't know a lot about: Harriet Beecher Stowe. I knew she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, but that's about it. Turns out she was raised in New England by a God-fearing family led by her father, a Puritan preacher. Her faith ran deep when she was a child, but as an adult, things changed a bit. She began to have doubts when one of her children passed away, her husband was put in a sanitarium, and she was left to take care of six children on her own. But through it all, she trusted God. She even wrote a beautiful hymn for Him:
Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee!
I'll admit, I've had doubts: Am I doing what God has planned for me? Am I going in the direction? Am I the right person for this? Am I good enough? It's depressing and makes my head hurt, but I shouldn't dwell on such thoughts.
It is no shame if you, like Harriet, are tempted at times to doubt God's ways. Most Christians deal with confusing doubts now and then. However, Jesus does not leave you in these times, nor do your doubts separate you from God. Even when you don't sense His presence, Jesus' hand remains firm in yours.
God doesn't make mistakes. God will both open and close doors to guide me; He will put the right people in my life and take out the one's who will hinder me. Even if something bad happens in my life (or any life), God can turn it around and use it to bless me even more--I trust Him for that. If God didn't think I was the right person for the job, He wouldn't have put the dream in my heart. But God did choose me, regardless of me being "good enough." I would never be "good enough" without the forgiveness of my sins through Jesus Christ; I am nothing without Him. Thanks to Jesus, I can reach my full potential, and He can make me more than good enough for the task(s) in front of me. Through Jesus Christ, I am "more than a conqueror."
Actor Chace Crawford says, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs." I couldn't agree more.
In Jesus' name, God, please extinguish whatever doubts arise in my heart, soul, mind, or spirit. I know that You are always with me, and You will never leave me. You know the desires of my heart, and I trust that You will make them all come to pass in Your time. Dear Heavenly Father, I love You with all my heart, and I always will. Please continue to watch over us--my family, friends, myself, and all of Your children--and bless us with all that we need. Please guide the lost, heal the sick, and comfort the hurt. And whatever You need me to do, Dear God, let me know and I will do it. And please continue to guide me in all of Your ways and teach me to be more like Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You so much for Your grace, mercy, and love, and all of the other blessings You have given to me. Thank You, Jesus, for life and for making it so beautiful; with You, it always will be. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!
Love and God Bless,
M.C.
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