Mountain Top to Valley

Sunday proved to be an interesting day. Church was incredible. God’s hand was evident all over the place. I thought I was going to jump out of my skin, seeing and beholding the Spirit of the Living God working, ministering, comforting, renewing. In fact, we even had the ultimate miracle – souls were saved! If ever there was a mountain-top experience it was this morning.

Soon plummeted to the valley…

At home I was slapped with one of the issues that I was so confident about at church. It set me back in discouragement and heartache.

Soon thereafter, I was in excruciating pain and ended up in the ER. As you know, I suffer pain all the time, so for me to have made my way to the hospital, well…

Hours passed and all that kept going through my mind was, “from mountain-top to the valley in no time”. The diagnosis: Kidney infection.

Today I read this on “Our Daily Bread”:

“One of God’s purposes in pain is to brand the image of Jesus in our
hearts. Can we weep with those who weep? God may need to stain our
cheeks with out own tears so that we can genuinely empathize with others as
Jesus did. Are we self-sufficient? God may need to strip away our
security to conform us to the God-sufficiency that Christ displayed. Are
we faithless? It may require a tragedy to teach us to trust the Father as
Jesus did.

Next time you feel broken, don’t panic – praise Him! God is at work! – Jose Stowell

Life’s fractures can be mended by faith in Christ the Lord – at first the pain but then the gain and usefulness restored. – Hess”

There is a purpose for everything that comes our way. But the reminder, to me, is to be constant, steadfast, with all perseverance and confidence, in spite of what comes. No, God’s faithfulness and wonders of Sunday morning did not change because of the rest of the day. God was still glorified. God’s strong hand was not diminished because of the darkness that ensued – God is still all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-able. His ways are not mine, nor are my thoughts His thoughts.

Romans 8:18 – For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

…When eternity is brought into our calculation of a problem, future glory overshadows current pain. – Dennis Fisher

Greg Harris, The Cup and the Glory

“You will only walk upon the footprints of Jesus; you never out-walk them. No
matter where you are, or what you will go through, He will have walked
aninfinitely more intense road in your place. You will still find Hisfootprints
ahead of your own.

“But there are so many footprints and paths out there for people to follow. How will I know which ones are His footprints?”

You will recognize the footprints of Jesus; they are the only ones left
when all the others stop. You will recognize His footprints; they are the ones
stained with blood, as He heads for out cross. You will recognize the footprints
of Jesus; they are the ones that have your name written all over them."

God remains faithful. God remains powerful. God is still in control. He will never lead us where He hasn’t already gone before us. And He will supply the grace to carry on.