Romans 15:13 -

~ Romans 15:13 ~

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

One of my dearest friends messaged me this morning. What she wrote blessed me exceedingly, but what struck me the hardest was her exclamation of JOY in a statement that exudes the knowledge of suffering. She said - "God NEVER wastes pain!"! Wow. Just what this heart needed to hear this morning ....

and it is true! For God has ordained all this to come, for us to walk through these valleys, not because He is unloving, or uncaring, or thinks that we will be greater people because of it, but because HE LOVES US with a deep and unbounding and powerful LOVE.

He CALLS us to suffering. Can't you SEE Him there? With His hand out, like a Father calling His child? Saying ... Come, Walk with Me. Walk with Me all the way to Heaven's glory. It will be better than you could ever have dreamed, even in ALL the PAIN. Because I AM. Because I AM EMMANUEL. Because I am Jesu - "JOY of Man's desiring".

Because He is the One Who goes with you.

As the tears fill our eyes at the prospect, He scoops us up and holds us close to His heart. Trusting again, we JOYFULLY hold tight the hand of God and ... walk on.

For in the suffering, we meet Jesus there.

With love and HOPE,

~ Jean Marie ~