AT THE MOMENT

Moods can be such a mixed blessing. When they stem from good news they can be so great. If them arise from negative events then they can be like a dark valley you just can’t seem to escape.

Does God understand the moods of man? I pray so. Because when some bad news hits me in the face unexpectedly it isn’t always faith that comes to my mind first.

And from what I’ve seen with other followers of Christ as well as read in the scriptures I’m not alone in having this problem. I think it is a definite expression of God’s enduring grace that he doesn’t respond to us solely based on some thought or feeling we are having when things aren’t going well.

Not to surprising I guess is the fact that Satan also can recognize those moods. And I have no doubt that he loves to park some demon on our shoulder to whisper those little nudges of suggestion to make us doubt God and his work.

That is part of the journey of faith. We come to those dark passages of disappointment and while we make get temporarily blind we don’t stay that way forever. Sooner or later the light returns and we hopefully cling to that image in the midst of the black and bleak moments. Not perfectly of course, but to the best we are able.

And like all moments of reality where we find out we aren’t the pillars of faith we assumed (or self control, or sinless perfection) we need to surrender them to God in prayer. Not because he is unaware, but because in so doing there comes the peace of being truly honest with him over who we are as he sees us.

It is so easy to avoid that option. To choose to put it off for a variety of reasons such as embarrassment or not wanting to cope with the pain of knowing we aren’t as mature in the faith as we think.

Doing that too long and the distance or gap we create between ourselves on our Lord can easily become in our minds as wide as the Grand Canyon. That doesn’t mean God sees it that way. Just that Satan will try and get us to not accept our need for prayer and forgiveness.

For some at the moment can linger into at the lifetime. They fall prey to the allure of denial and may even plod along in their spiritual life pretending there is nothing wrong.

But if we avoid God’s altar of grace we merely bring ourselves to a point of stagnation. One where God will not guide us to any closer relationship until we face that obstacle we have chosen to place in the path of our walk of faith.

Some resist removing the obstacle, in some cases the rest of their lives. However for those who embrace the truth depths of God’s longsuffering, forgiveness and grace starting over is a new day rather than a moment of shame and sadness. Rejoice and celebrate when we stumble for the Lord will always reach out and take our hand to help us back to our feet if we aren’t too proud to accept the help.