Quiet your mind and hear God Whisper today, "Be Determined to Bloom."
Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. - James 1:2
Sometimes in life we have to choose to flourish even when the growing conditions don’t seem optimal. I love the phrase, bloom through adversity. It reminds me of one of my favorite verses found in the opening statements made in the book of James.
James 1:2-3 in The Passion Translation states, "My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things."
That, to me, is what it means to bloom through adversity. It can be so easy to let the trials we go through steal our joy, and hinder our growth. But that response is contrary to the promise of love, joy, hope and peace that we have so freely received through our faith in Jesus Christ.
The truth is, how we handle hardships is not only a testing of our own faith and the growing of our own character, but it’s where God’s glory shines the brightest. When we don't allow the trials of our life to steal our hope or joy, others start to wonder, "What do you have that I don't?"
With our trust in the Lord, we have a joy that this world simply cannot provide. We have a hope that cannot be trampled by a trial. We have a garden that blooms through a rainy season.
Because we know that in Jesus, we have victory. Not because of anything we did, but because of what God’s already done for us.
We may be down, but we are never out.
So let’s not hide when we’re going through tough times, let’s praise, worship and let God be glorified. It’s in those moments where your life becomes a living garden for all the world to see. So go ahead, be determined to bloom.
Prayer Excerpt from Hope in the Hopeless: 30 Prayers of Hope + Thanksgiving by Audrey Buchanan
Thank you Lord, for writing my story from start to finish. Today, I thank and praise you for the victory. I know that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the battle is already won. So, even when it looks like I'm being surrounded and crushed on all sides, I will praise you! You are worthy to be praised. I will rest assured in knowing that until there is victory, the suffering is not the end. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Audrey Buchanan
Author | Writer | Photographer
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