Recently a dear friend asked me to share what God has shown me through a recent time of stretching. This time of stretching wasn’t as big of a deal for me as times in the past. Often we can go through difficulties and trials with dread and we feel as though we’re being punished, but look closely and you will see God’s love.

A few weeks ago I had to have a biopsy because my doctor suspected that I might have thyroid cancer and my 2nd opinion concurred. There were moments when I allowed my mind to wonder “what if” and of course in the quiet of the night I would sometimes start to worry, but I quickly turned that into prayer and left it where it belonged, in God’s hands.

Please don’t think I’m some amazing spiritual super-woman! I’m not super-woman but I’ve learned that I have a superpower given by God Himself. I have a helper, the Holy Spirit, and I don’t have to worry about my future.

[bctt tweet=”God shows Himself and His glory and His deep, rich magnificent love when we are poured out as empty vessels before Him.” username=”aboundinginhope”]

This was never my typical response. I’m a natural-born worry wort, a pessimist, and a negative thinker.  At least I was, but something beautiful and amazing happens when you’ve lived in the fire for so long. You begin to have a track record with God as you trust Him and seek Him for everything. Fiery trials are able to lead us to God if we allow them to.

What I’ve Learned Through the Fires

After suffering losses of many kinds, including the loss of our health when my entire family and I became sick with chronic Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, I’ve learned that I can trust my heavenly father.

I’ve learned that even when I can’t see what the outcome will be that He loves me, He cares for every single little detail, He will turn the bad into something good and I can trust Him.

He provides when we let Him be our sole provider. He pours out peace like a river and He rescues when we need it most.

God shows Himself and His glory and His deep, rich magnificent love when we are poured out as empty vessels before Him.

Who would do that on their own on a good day? How do we even know how to do this when everything is going well and we’re self-sufficient? We can pretend and try to muster it up but are we really pouring ourselves out? For me, at least, it took the trials and the fire.

A Sure Foundation

All those years of reading and memorizing scripture, sitting in church, and participating in Bible studies have laid this wonderful, strong foundation for me so that when I was tested, God’s Word came to life for me.

His presence became real, His mercies became a balm and His love became my assurance.

[bctt tweet=”His presence became real, His mercies became a balm and His love became my assurance. #faith #aboundinginhope” username=”aboundinginhope”]

In the end, my biopsy came back benign and I praise God, not just because it was benign but also because he has done a work in me and has changed me in a way that I never could on my own.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:6-7