Dealing with life's blows By Cecelia Campbell

When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall now overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire, though shalt not be burned, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee, for I am the Lord they God, the holy one of Israel they Savior" Isaiah 43: 2-3.

These past few weeks life has thrown me some real hard curves. I have gone from doing the mundane things to everything being a struggle. Health and strength is something that I have always taken for granted until I ended up in the hospital with very high blood sugar and an infected kidney. Suddenly it seemed as if my whole world was crashing down around me and I didn't know how to handle it.

Stuck in bed, in a lot of pain and feeling as if I just could not go on I realized one very important thing there was still enough left in me to reach out to the Master. The only thing is I prayed and I believed with all of my heart, but then I was still suffering and trying to come to grips with my illness.

I then started to question my faith. How come I prayed so much even used the Olive Oil and I didn't seem to be feeling any better. Was there something wrong with my life?

My situation is not unique and like myself many are going through a lot of things right now in their lives. They may not have been shackled in a hospital bed; but may be bound in some circumstances that they just can't get out of. The principle is still the same look to the Master. Suddenly every cruel curve that life is throwing at you will all make sense.

In Isaiah 43 there is a certain comfort to be derived from the fact that it doesn't matter what the circumstances that come our way, we shall not be defeated. No matter how high the water rages around you, no matter how hot the fire is, you still will not be burned.

If you focus a bit longer on their verse you will realize that it encompasses the rough waters you have to tread through life's journey. The easiest thing for anyone to do is to focus on their 'now' situation because they can't see past the heat, the flood, the pain or havoc of the moment. This is why it is such a comfort that God understands all of that. He knows that going through is never easy, hence the assurance that no situation will ever crop up in your life that will be enough to destroy you. He is still in control and knows when to take you out of the 'heat'.

Suffering for me never made any sense but you know what these past few days I have found myself praying a different kind of prayer. Now it's all about thanking God for His goodness and His grace. And yes, I have even thanked Him for that stint in the hospital as it has taken that for me to realize that life is a gift and good health is not a coincidence it has to be maintained.

Are you going through a rough time right now? Do you feel as if you have nothing left to live for? Is your situation on top of you and you are wondering where God is in all of this? Don't worry; you are not as alone as you seem to think. Just read the entire chapter of Isaiah 43 and you will see that you are very precious in the sight of the Lord. There is no area in your life that He isn't concerned about. Don't be defeated by life's curves, just use them as stepping stones to a greater life in Christ.

Cecelia Campbell is an ardent Christian and enjoys writing. A journalist by profession she is a part of the Sunday School ministry at her church, Miracle Tabernacle Church of God of Prophecy in Jamaica. You can email her at cecelia.campbell@gmail.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com