From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

A month ago, I was in a car accident. My vehicle was totaled, bringing on voluminous amounts of paperwork, phone calls and the need for some moolah for a vehicle replacement. In addition to the severe chest contusion from the collision, my head was spinning with unresolved issues. The pain and the problems were destroying my rest, both physically and spiritually.

But God saw my plight and brought some powerful peace through a phone call from one of my sisters. She asked if I had read the devotional for February 16 in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I had not but quickly sought it out after our conversation. God knows how to hit the nail on the head. In that entry, it reminded me that God was saying to thank Him for the conditions that come upon you that force you to be still before Him! In the devotional reading, I was further reminded that some of God’s greatest works have been accomplished from sick beds and prison cells!

What a reminder for us all. So when your circumstances require a hiatus from your normal routine and the activity of the world…then rejoice! Spend those quiet hours basking in the presence of the Lord. Your usual day is full of frantic activity, appointments and work. Consider your calamity a needed break that you would not ordinarily take!

Soak in the Lord and trust Him to lead you through a troubling time, all the while growing in spiritual strength, trusting, loving and praising God. Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

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