It had been a difficult week.

First came Ross’s unexpected resignation from the work of the last 36 years of his life. That brought with it the fear that came with realizing we have no clue how we will replace that income.

What is God’s plan in this?

Then the news of a huge hit of returns that all publishers are reeling from. It turns out that Amazon returned 3 million books to our distributor after a warehouse shedding. This created a Tsunami wave of loss in the entire publishing industry, and it hit us hard, too.

Really, God? What good can come from this?

Worry and fear began to overwhelm my every thought and even my words.

Where is God in all of this?

I was led to read Matthew 6:33-34 when it came up on one of my Bible apps. The reminder from this familiar passage spoke to my soul. I slowed it down and read carefully:

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness

and all these things will be added to you.

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

As I pondered how to seek God first and trust Him to care for us, I was encouraged by this devotion in Streams in the Desert. It pretty much jolted my perspective into a place it needed to be.

“He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

1 Samuel 3:18

If I see God in everything, He will calm and color everything I see! Perhaps the circumstances causing my sorrows will not be removed and my situation will remain the same, but if Christ is brought into my grief and gloom as my Lord and Master, He will “surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). To see Him and to be sure that His wisdom and power never fail and His love never changes, to know that even His most distressing dealings with me are for my deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21).

HANNAH WHITALL SMITH

See God in all things, great and small,

And give Him praise whate’er befall,

In life or death, in pain or woe,

See God and overcome your foe.

For as each day unfolds its light,

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.

Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,

If we see God in everything.

A. E. FINN

WOW. Just WOW.

Does that speak to you like it’s speaking to me? How timely that the sovereignty of God reminds us to look for Him and see Him in ALL THINGS (even the losses). I am reminded once again of my life verse that God does indeed, work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose… and I can see Him there!

I don’t know about you, but I need to see God in everything. Even the hard, the disappointing, the unexplainable.

So, in closing, how can I pray for you today to see God in the circumstances of your life?

Thanks for hanging out with me, I hope this blessed you…
Athena