January 12–Doing the Work

It’s the weekend! Ours is set to be a wet one. Yesterday, i got a text from my 18-year old granddaughter asking how I make cookies, because she needed about 3 dozen for homecoming. I said “Come by and I’ll help you make them.” But she only had about an hour between school and work (of course), so I said “You just come by and I’ll have them ready for you.” It was the least veiled hint I’d had in a long time! I loved it, because that’s exactly what grandmas are for. 


How often though do we do that to God? That’s not what He’s for. We ask Him to help us learn when we really just want Him to impart that knowledge with no work (or very little) on our parts. Paul told Timothy to study. He didn’t say “Ask God and He will give you everything instantly.” Obviously, He’s God, so he very well could, but walking through, doing the work is how we learn and it teaches us self-discipline, among everything else. 

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬


I know when I was going through intense grief, I would pray it could just go away—it was painful and debilitating. But grief, like other hardships and valleys, must be walked through. Day by day, step by step, working through, praying through, we GET through. And when we’ve made it to the other side, we are stronger, closer to God, and better equipped when we hit the next one. We are also in a perfect place to help others. 


 “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they [Paul and Silas] said.” Acts‬ ‭14:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬


Almighty God of the Heavens, Help us to remember, the easy way is not always the best way. You have set a plan in motion for our lives to teach us and grow us to be more like you. Help us to never stop learning and to hold tightly to you as we walk through our hardships. Forgive us when we ask you to do the work FOR us instead of WITH us. And when we walk through the valleys we will know you are still our God and we are still your people. Thank you for loving us in your perfect way. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, He alone is holy. We sing a new song to the One who sits on heaven’s mercy seat. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear friend,

Pam 

  


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