When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me-until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.

Psalms 73:16-17

Have you ever been overjoyed at the prospect of working through a problem and growing from it? Or do you tend to be like me, overwhelmed by the problem and oblivious to the fact that God can help solve it? Expecting a life without problems will leave us continually bitter and disappointed. Earthly existence means earthly problems-hopefully  with breathing spells in between.

Our job is to eliminate, through healthy choices, as many problems as possible. How? One way is to ask, as problems come into our lives, “What was my part in letting this problem happen?” We can confess the answers to God and then learn from them the next time we encounter a similar circumstance. We can confront the problem and do everything we can to solve it.

We can also claim God’s promises. God didn’t say our lives would be easy, but He did say that He would be with us through all of life’s storms.

Remember the story of the shipwreck in Acts 27? The ship didn’t make it, but the passengers made it safely to shore. Sometimes, in our lives, our “ships” will also be wrecked, but God will guide us safely to the shores of solutions, growth, meaning, and eventually heaven itself.

Thought:  God’s hand is stretched out for me to hold onto. I will take it today.