Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend!

Also, this Friday (January 15th), my Quarterly E-zine releases. This is a real treat for my subscribers. A number of my author friends give away free copies of their books, I write a timely devotional, offer great book recommendations, give ministry updates, share quotes that move me, and offer you a prayer to send you on your way. Lots of takeaway for you! If you're not on my mailing list, be sure to go to my website and subscribe so you can receive this FREE publication.

Now on to my topic...

We just returned from a 2000 mile road trip (we moved my youngest son across the country for college). I had lots of time in the car to read, pray, and reflect. And believe me, I needed it. I know I've mentioned this one or two times but this past year has been a refining one for me. I know it has been for many of you as well. 

Be encouraged today, my friend. God never intends for us to live in the valley of suffering or in a season of refinement. This too shall pass. Jesus is intent on seeing His reflection in us and He'll do whatever it takes to remove the dross that dims us. For the Christ follower, there are possibilities in every ounce of pain, there are treasures in every single trial, and God won't leave us in the fire one moment longer than is necessary. We are precious to Him and He is making something beautiful in us. 

Let's look at a couple of scenarios where God ministered restoration after the test:

Joseph (of the Old Testament): He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned. But he honored and trusted God through it all. After the trial, Joseph triumphed: "Until the time came to fulfill His word, the Lord tested Joseph's character. THEN, Pharaoh sent for him and set him free. The ruler of the nation opened his prison door. Joseph was put in charge of all the King's household, he became ruler over all the King's possessions (Psalm 105: 19-21). 

Job was a good man. He was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Satan asked permission to sift Job and 'prove' that he wasn't as upright as he seemed. Job endured unimaginable crisis, one after the other. Amazingly, Job honored God through his first phase of testing. But when his 'friends' seemed too much for him, Job tried to defend himself. God knew, that underneath all of Job's wonderful qualities, was a core belief - albeit understandable - that he had a leg to stand on before God. Once God spoke, Job humbled himself and said, "Surely I spoke of things too wonderful to me." God never stopped loving Job, in fact He honored Job by confronting Job's 'friends' on Job's behalf. He lifted Job out of the ashes and restored him to a better state than he was before: "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10).

If you are walking through a time of refining or testing, don't lose heart. Do your best not to complain, gripe, gossip, or lose hope. Don't camp here, don't make big decisions here; and don't make empty promises here. You won't do it all perfectly and God doesn't expect you to. His mercies cover our imperfections. Even so, to triumph amidst is our trials is to humble ourselves like Job did; honor God like Joseph did; and speak the Word like Jesus did in the wilderness! In due time, He WILL lift us up and bless us before a watching world. How we handle this test will determine how we fare once this season has passed. Trust in the Lord, He is with you and He will restore you!

He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because He delighted in me (Psalm 18:19).

~ Until next week