Curveballs

Sometimes life throws you curveballs. And sometimes you don't expect what's going to happen. And sometimes those curveballs make you angry or sad or depressed or frustrated.

And sometimes (okay all the time) what God calls us to do is not to get angry and sad and depressed and frustrated, rather to be thankful. And trust Him. And talk to Him about it.

Philippians 4:6
Don't worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

You see, God knows what He's doing. And sometimes, these curveballs are really just the Lord being gracious and teaching us...and when we surrender to Him, He gives us peace that we desperately, desperately, desperately need.

Because He's good like that.

Romans 8:28
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.

P.S. That's us.

Righteousness by Faith

Psalm 37:39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
For some reason this verse really stuck out to me tonight. Maybe it's because I am always trying to earn my way to favor with God. I think that if I'm perfect, God will love me more. Or if I'm perfect, I will be more acceptable. Thus, it sends me on this destructive path of striving, striving, and more striving and simply leaves me empty, broken, and really worn out.
But Ephesians 2:8-10 says that it is "by grace I have been saved, through faith--and this not from myself, it is a gift of God--not by works so that no one can boast. For I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do."
It is God who does the work in me.
I do not save myself.
I do not make myself righteous.
I cannot earn my way to Him.
So, why, oh why do I keep trying?