Tag Archives: TEMPORARY

The Bump In The Road

Read

Galatians 5:7

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth

Thought For The Day

Friday Night I was traveling to Richmond, V.A. and we had just passed the state sign saying, “Welcome to Virginia”. I had yelled out, “Yes” because I knew we were almost to our destination.

Maybe 30 minutes or so after that Pastor Lacy said, what is that and as I looked all I saw was the tail end of something as it hit the front of the car and heard the bumps as it went underneath the car. I looked back in my rear view mirror, but I didn’t see anything.

It all happened so fast. It was as if someone literally threw something at the car. We were trying to figure out what in the world did we just hit. It had to have been a deer or something. It threw me for a loop because I wasn’t expecting that at all.

When we finally got to the hotel we got out and looked at the car and we saw the evidence of what had to be a deer. The front of the car was damaged. I was grateful to God that he spared our lives, because had we not been in a bigger car it would have been a little different. But yet, my heart was sad.

Needless to say I didn’t sleep well that night. I started thinking about the what if’s. I also wondered if the deer made it out ok. I had never hit a deer before, so I was a little traumatized. I prayed that it was ok.

When I woke up the next morning I was still trying to analyze what had happened and I heard the Lord say,

Don’t panic, it’s just a bump in the road

One of the things I dislike most about speed bumps is that I feel they are so unnecessary. Especially if I am in a hurry to get somewhere. Sometimes there are just too many in the same location. I even sometimes forget they are there until I run up on them. However, I do realize that those speed bumps were created in areas where we need to slow down.

Even though the speed bumps are permanent fixtures within the road, they only cause you to temporarily slow down. The only things that becomes permenent in our lives are the ones that we choose to.

Have you ever had anything happen in your life that caused a slight delay. It caused you to stop, pause, think and reflect. Maybe it even has caused you some discomfort, some pain, some heartache, some scars and some bruises. There are some things that can happen to us in life that will totally catch us off gaurd and if we aren’t careful it will keep us from moving forward.

God simply reminded me that the bumps I am experiencing in my life are only temporary and he’s using them to create a greater purpose in my life. As hard and as challenging as the process can sometimes be, we must remain focused and keep going.

Reflection

What are some of your bumps in the road? Have some of those bumps hindered you from moving forward? Are there areas in your life where you might need to slow down?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for who you are in all of your glory. I am grateful that in spite of the detours, delays and mishaps they didn’t cause me to check out before my time. Thank you that you have a purpose for everything that happens in my life and that you are causing them all to work together for my good.

Song List

“It Is Well” by Tori Kelly

These Thorns

Have you ever had something that was so painful in your life that you would pray and ask God to remove it, but it just wouldn’t go away. It seemed the more you prayed about it the worst it would become.

If you would speak to the mountain it shall be removed. That’s what the word says right, but sometimes that mountain just would never move. After all in order for the mountain to be removed it still has to be within His will.

Could it be the very thing that you are asking God to remove is part of your process.

Today’s Word 

grace

noun

  • the free and unedited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestow aloft blessings

We don’t even deserve God’s grace, but because of His love for us He continues to give it us anyway.

My Grace is Sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

Thorns

  • Divorce
  • Bad relationship
  • Betrayal
  • Guilt
  • Pain
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Road blocks
  • Finances
  • Church

These are just  a few of the thorns that we could be experiencing in our life, but no matter what we may be going through, His grace is sufficient for us.

God will sometimes take us through the wilderness experiences to see if we will trust Him. It could also be that when He takes you through and brings you out that no one else will be able to get the glory but Him. Everything that we go through and experience is part of God’s purpose for our life. Can we trust Him even when we can’t see?

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrew 13:5


Maybe our prayer should no longer be, “Lord remove these thorns”, but “Lord give me the grace to go through it”

The Lord is My Shepherd “Psalm 23”

When David was going through his valley experience he never prayed for God to take him out of it, but he prayed what God would do while he was going through it.  He knew that no matter what he had to endure that it was only temporary and that God was always with him.

As painful as thorns can be, yet the most beautiful things are produced because of the them.  Roses are one of the most beautifulest flowers in the world and it grows within thorns.  When someone wants to show affection for someone they  are normally presented with roses.

Be encouraged in knowing that no matter your thorn God is with you and that it is only temporary. Go ahead and bloom!

SONG LIST

“Safe In His Arms” Lucinda Moore

Because the Lord is my shepherd
I have everything I need
He lets me rest in the meadows grass
And He leads me besides the quiet stream
He restores my failing hands
And helps me to do what honors
That’s why I’m safe
Safe in His arms

When the storm of life is raging
And the billows roll
So glad He shall hide me
Safe in His arms

So glad, He shall hide me

Safe in His arms

Don’t Quit

I was getting off of work one day and as I looked up at the sky,  I could tell that there was a storm coming. The clouds were very dark and you could even smell the rain.  My goal was to get my girls and make it home before the storm.  I went into get the girls from Afterschool and I explained to them how we needed to try and get home before the storm began. As they looked at the sky they knew my reasons to why.  We were half way home and it began to pour down the rain to the point that it began to hail. It was raining so that you could hardly see to drive and people were pulling over on the side of the road.  It began to thunder and the lighting crackled in the sky.  My girls became afraid and asked should we stop like everyone else.  I replied, if we stop in the middle of this storm it will take us longer to get home and we are right around the corner.  I may have to slow down some, but the important thing is that we keep going. I remember asking the Lord to please just let us make it home safely. As we came around the corner to be able to turn up the street to our home, the rain subsided.  See girls the storm was only temporary and the storm has passed. Just think if we stopped, we would have still been sitting there waiting for the storm to cease. I was thinking how this is the 1st month of the new year and if this is what my year is going to be like then God you must really have something amazing for me on the other side of all of this. I have found out that in life when we are facing our greatest storms or challenge’s that is when there is a blessing, a breakthrough, a miracle right around the corner if we persevere through it all. I also realize that those are the times when we want to give up.  Yes it will hurt, no it doesn’t feel good and yes it seems like it lasts forever, but we still can’t quit. There is something greater on the other side of through.  As I began to focus on something other than what I might have been feeling or experiencing at the time the stronger I was becoming. The more I began to think and speak positive though the symptoms may remain and my situation(s) may not have changed, but because my perspective and my view on what I was going through had I was able to press through and not quit. Though there are some days that I feel like I can slay Goliath and other days I feel like I just can’t do it, I still find the strength to go through and not quit. One day at a time sweet Jesus that is all I am asking of you. Give me the strength to do everything one day at time.  When giving up no longer becomes an option then moving forward is the only thing left to do. DON’T QUIT……GREATER IS COMING!