By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Bless God in All Circumstances

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

Bless God in the good and the bad, in the pain and the joy. Doing so indicates that we are growing spiritually.

Being spiritually mature doesn’t mean we drop God like a hot potato if things don’t go our way after we’ve prayed. We praise in all circumstances. When God doesn’t give us what we want, we still thank Him for his faithfulness, His love and for what’s coming next. In other words, our relationship with God doesn’t change if we don’t get our way.

Holding everything lightly as a sacrifice to Him is a way to become spiritually mature. Our homes, children, cars, jobs, even the breath we inhale is all because of God. Some of us have been through really hard times and it appears they aren’t over. Expecting problems but not living in a negative mindset is hard. Letting go of expectations but holding onto hope takes practice and isn’t easy.

“Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrow. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 English Standard Version

Jesus recognizes that problems are constant but how we manage them and who we turn to will make all the difference in how we process them.

When problems on Earth arise, it’s good to remember where our residence is. Paul tells us we reside in heaven now that we are in God’s community.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”
Philippians 3:20 English Standard Version

So, how do we live like we are already in heaven? In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.’ Continuous communing with God brings heaven to Earth to affect the problems we encounter and helps others taste and see that the Lord is good.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Psalm 34:8 English Standard Version

Problems and hardships will always exist for humans on earth. Understanding the deeper level of God’s refining work in our lives in the midst of hardships makes them more tolerable and makes it possible to see how overcoming those issues will create a testimony for others who will need strength in a similar battle. This is part of the joyful process for us.

Embrace the hard and unknown stuff of life with humility and praise. This will take us deeper into the valleys with Christ.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado