Hebrews 5:7-9 "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and was heard because of his reverent submission.  Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him..."

  I feel that the Lord has given me a perfect picture this weekend of what a map of life here on earth might look like.  Friday night a good friend of mine shared some heartbreaking news with me.  That someone I love dearly hasn't been honest with me, that this person I care so much about is on a road leading to brokenness.  That same night I received a text from one of my best friend's in college letting me know that she and her husband have been blessed with their 1st child a healthy and beautiful baby girl, Emme, entrusted to them as a gift from God.  I spent all afternoon Sat. surrounded by my girls from college staring at Emme, Joel, & Lauren and marveling at the miracle of life.  Sunday came with another dose of hard news keeping me up in prayer, teary-eyed and in deep thought.  

This is life.  Valleys that lead to victorious mountain tops and then back to another valley that we might again gain even more strength to conquer the next obstacle ahead.  It's funny how the Lord prepares your heart.  All weekend I was reading short segments out of a sermon by John MacArthur that spoke about why trials happen.  Yesterday I finished the sermon and the one thing that pierced my heart the most was the verse above.  

We will face trials, hardship, & heartache.  And God does not allow us to go through these trials b/c He is testing us to find out the strength our faith.  He ALREADY KNOWS the strength of our faith.  He allows us to face trials so that WE can see the strength of our faith.  As we face the valleys of life's journey we will see for ourselves the strength of our faith, what we trust in most, whether we react in pride or humility, the things of this world we treasure above the Lord, and we will receive 3 gifts 1) The ability to recognize the status of our faith 2) The ability to rely on God to increase our faith 3) The ability to comfort others around us with the comfort that he has given to us.

If your facing a trial a season of a valley that seems to have no sight of a mountain ahead remember the verse above.  Jesus offered up prayers & petitions to God who he knew would deliver him.  He cried and trembled at the thought of the cross but with reverent submission to God's will for He knew that God would keep his promise to work everything together for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.   He saw the cross in the distance standing at the foot of the mountain top experience He knew would come and he learned obedience by suffering.  And after he suffered he was made perfect.  Jesus understands what it is to suffer, he knows the pain we feel as we enter these times of hardship.  He came here and experienced all of life and overcame sin and death & by Him we to shall overcome and be perfected through our suffering to be more like Jesus. 

After all falls Apart

He Repairs, He Repairs

Oh, the Glory of it all is:

He came here

for the rescue of us all

that we may live

for the glory of it all

the glory of it all......