Daily Devotional
Growing In Times Of Despair, Part 2
March 22, 2017
God is not nearly as interested in making you happy and healthy as He is in making you holy. Knowing that, you will then understand that sometimes God will bring trouble into your life. Psalm 4:1 says, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer” (emphasis mine).
I have grown the most in my own life in times of deepest despair. When Joyce and I had a little baby boy step over into heaven, we grew a quantum leap. When I had a daughter go through a deep heartache and distress, God stretched my heart. I never want these things to happen again, but they did happen. And I’m here to tell you that I am a better person because of it.
The following poem titled “Along The Road” by Robert Browning Hamilton shares my sentiments:
I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chattered all the way,
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me!
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
