At the end of an especially busy day, my husband exhorted me to enjoy some “me time.” And what do writers do when they have time to themselves? They write.
So I looked up this week’s Five Minute Friday prompt and wrote for 5 minutes in response to: Restore. Then I tucked my draft away, ate some chocolate ice cream, had a shower, and read some of Beth Vogt’s latest novel before forcing myself to put her book down and go to sleep.
When I woke the next morning, I wondered if I should bother with my Five Minute Friday post because I was already too busy. A few minutes later, while I was reading my Bible during quiet time, I noticed the word “restore” in the passage I was scheduled to read. Wow–how Providential. If you’re curious as to what verse showed up, keep reading. In the meantime, here’s my Five Minute Friday post:
(Timer started… )
Recently I said to my husband, “I’m amazed anyone could be thankful for suffering a severe trial.”
However, it was the reason why the person thanked God that made me believe she was telling the truth. She wasn’t being a Pollyanna, or trying to be a super spiritual martyr. She was genuine in her praise and thanksgiving to God.
So why would anyone be grateful for suffering?
She said she came closer to the Lord through her suffering because when she lost almost everything, she discovered Jesus was more than enough to make up for her losses.
She remained faithful to God and trusted Him. He showed up in special ways that caused her to be thankful for the things that happened to her, because they made her relationship with God deeper than ever before. Then our generous God gave her back more than she previously had. He blessed her health, her home, her finances, and her relationships.
He restored the harvest the hard years had eaten.
(Five minutes over.)
Are you curious about the verse I alluded to? Here it is:
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:4-6 NIV
And speaking of streams, here are some faithful words from “Streams in the Desert” that I read at the end of my exhausting day:
Dear Christian, remember to take good care of your faith,
for faith is the only way to obtain God’s blessings.
Faith honors God, and God honors faith.
The verse I picked out for my verse of the day is one that comes just before the above Bible passage:
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Psalm 126:3 NIV
Remembering and rejoicing in the great things God has done will restore our faith during difficult days.
within our desert
flows a refreshing river
the Living Water
restoring our hope
and filling us with great joy
~ wlm
Restoration Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
You’re invited to join the Five Minute Friday Fun here: Restore.
You’re also invited to read a post I shared on a Canadian writing site (It goes perfectly with today’s topic—of course—because God is good.): InScribe.
I haven’t written or read any blog entries in a very long time. I wrote one today. I read yours today. I’m at the end of our 33 year marriage (soon to be final), and I’ve been mourning the years I was unhappy and waited…. to be strong enough and brave enough to say enough. Let the restoring process begin!
Hugs, dear Jill. I pray you see signs of inner and outer restoration each moment, each hour, and each day. It takes courage to begin again. I watched a dear friend bravely walk through the door of restoration and God has been faithful as she leans into His loving arms. Keep writing. xo
Thank you. I’m well. I have taken quite a long break from the blog but digging into the history of this old house has gotten me going again. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and support. You are greatly appreciated.
I love your old house. <3 Enjoy.
Reblogged this on The Porch of the Lord.
Thank you for the reblog. 🙂
Thanks, Wendy. Your writing, photos and photos woke me up on the right side of the bed. Thanks for that. I am singing from Handel’s Messiah, which is God’s word set to music, of course. “Rejoice in the Lord always, And again I say, Rejoice. Repeat!
Thank you for blessing me back, dear Sharon. My husband and I love, love, love Handel’s Messiah. Enjoy. 🙂
So beautiful Dear Wendy. Thank you for sharing such encouraging and life-giving words. Such flowing streams from HIM! Blessings to you.
Thank you, dear Bettie. I love how He flows through each of us so that we become encouragement to others as we were encouraged. <3
WendyMac, I’m not going to survive my trial. Pancreatic cancer leaves very,very few.
But I’ll keep fighting whether God is watching or not. It’s the right thing to do.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2018/06/your-dying-spouse-485-healed-heart-fmf.html
Oh, Andrew, I admire your courage to keep battling cancer. I pray you’re one of the few that does win the battle. May you also win the daily war against pain, dear friend.
Blessings of peace and endurance for you and Barb.
Andrew you already have your healed heart and peace. As long as there is breathe their is hope. Not giving up until you do. Prayers mighty and with valor.
Your messages always inspire me. Thank you so much. Have a blessed weekend!
Thank you for your encouraging words, dear Melissa.
Blessings back to you ~ Wendy
Thank you, Wendy! your posts always bring such peace and calm to my hurried heart. Thanks for writing and sharing with us what the Lord is teaching your soul!
I’m honored by your words, dear Heidi. Life feels so busy lately that writing has become a place of peace and stillness that’s otherwise hard to find unless I’m shut away in my room with my Bible, journal, and laptop. But Peace is a Person–I must remember–and Jesus goes with us wherever we happen to be. <3
Thank,you for the layers of hope this post holds, as we have faith in our God who restores! Blessings of restoration!
Thank you, dear Debbie. Amen to the “God who restores!” <3
Hey Wendy
Talk about providential. I tried to run and hide from the word restore, i felt almost ashamed because I.don’t feel like I needed any restoration. How could that be, i mean i spent my life on that. Your why? Answered my How? Thankyou.
I was the one looked upon as strong filled with faith. Honestly i was week and faithless gripping unto hope not letting go of obedience. I wondered how when I’m asked to share my testimony that gives seemingly no hope, and i hate that. That one backslidden atheist not only returned to God and gave up her career as a chemical engineer to be a pastor. I later found out her and her husband returned to church for the sole reason that statistics showed children who go to church get better grades and it happened to be the day I gave my testimony.
Another time I was invited into assisted living and an older woman came up to me and said she was a firm atheist and thanked me because she could believe now… i was so confused and she said because after listening to me there either had to be a God or I was crazy and she knew it wasnt the later because I was their. Why so many thankyou and hugs from pain and hardship. How???
Peculiar, i didn’t like it but I trusted. Streams in the Desert is what I used to grieve through my daughtets life and death along with utmost for his highest and a few other books. How???
It’s wonderful and amazing to see how God’s Spirit draws people to Himself through the testimonies of others. What an honor to be involved with such a joyous occasion. Blessings.
Amen, and seemingly creates a community of believers for his very own
“Divine Appointments,” for “Divine Assignments…”
Good message
Thank you. God bless you.
I have totally enjoyed your posts. You are such an inspiration. I’m not so clever with my blog as you have but I’m fairly new at regular bllogging and computers are still a mystery to me. I enjoy writing and that’s what matters to me. I also love reading so I’ll be back.
It’s nice to meet you, dear Chrissy. Thank you for your kind words and welcome to the blogging world. I enjoyed reading your post: AWOL. I love happy endings. Blessings.
It has to be a happy ending. I would feel it unfinished otherwise. 😉