Questions For The Road:

1. Read Habakkuk 3:1-3. Describe a time when you saw the goodness of God or experienced His faithfulness.
2. How are you embracing God in the middle of a difficult situation? Or, how would you like to embrace Him?
3. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18. How can you practically apply these principles to compose your psalm of rejoicing? 

Even among suffering and loss, Habakkuk has learned that he can trust God, and with that trust comes great joy—not in circumstances but in WHO GOD IS. – Pastor Chad Garrison

• One time of great significance to me when I saw the goodness of God at work in my life and experienced His faithfulness was a season of life where my husband had stepped down off of a tree stump and twisted his knee. He came home that day, and I just knew this was the kind of injury that would keep him from being able to work. He had wanted to get out of the tree service business, but not like this. Tree service was hard on his body, and it wasn’t a good fit for him anymore. He was unhappy but leaving and doing something else meant changing what he had been doing for about 20 years. Then that day came where he hurt his knee. He was down for weeks. Slowly he was able to get back up. He was on unemployment pay until it was going to run out. He thought he found a good job, but it didn’t work out for him. We had spent all our savings on bills, and unemployment was over soon. We gathered apples from a few friends and canned them. People gave us love offerings for the apples, and we were able to pay our mortgage that month. I went to a prayer meeting at our church and asked for prayer for our situation. One of the ladies gave a word that God had something tailor-made for him. We thanked God and went home. 3 days later, he had employment. That is where he has been for almost 4 years. God is faithful. He will get us through the hardest of times, showing His goodness all along the way. 
• I tend to embrace God, like running into a brick wall. I often try to do it all on my own until I fail miserably, hit the wall, and ask for help because I am hurt and tired. (just being honest) Something in my type 1 enneagram-ness causes me to think “I can do it.” However, it is true that when I run out of myself and my ability He is right there for me, every time! I would like to embrace God in a much gentler way than a brick wall, frying pan in the face way I’ve experienced. The trouble is I wonder if I did that, would I give it all I’ve got, until I couldn’t anymore? I don’t know if I would. I believe that faith and action belong together. It’s the “learning to rest in God” I struggle with.  I need others to say, “Starla, do you need to slow down.”
• I think I had a psalm of praise come flowing out of me this morning. I read this small post on Facebook by Christa Elisha. It said, “The voice of the Holy Spirit saying “Today is the day! The doors are open! My love has made a way!” It’s time to cross over into the ‘more’ you have been waiting for!” When I read this, I had a moment where my spirit filled up with hope and joy that I busted into song. When the night is ending and the dawn is breaking – joy comes in the morning! The scripture in 1 Thess. 5:16–18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Finding the joyful things and pointing them out, praying about what we are walking through in an ongoing dialog with God, and counting our blessings by naming them one by one in a chorus of thanks is how we walk out the will of God. He is with us all the way!

When we let circumstances dictate to our souls and minds what is good and what isn’t good. It is not a good strategy to live by. As we walk along with Jesus, no matter what amount of time we’ve been journeying with Him, we consistently find times our souls are trusting in Him and times our souls are not. Through it all, He is calling to us saying, “Come to Me.” There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, there is only invitation. 

Yesterday I felt that invitation to “come away” and my friend and I took a little road trip. We prayed, shared, laughed, walked, meandered, and felt the heaviness of the season lift. Sometimes we just struggle alone, don’t we? It’s time to walk together! We can get through this season together! The only way to do that is if we stop hiding the pain, the sorrow, the grief, the hurt, and the ache of loneliness that we’ve been carrying. The “do it alone” strategy is broken. It’s time to reach out! 

All is grace,

Starla