Songs and Trials

 There is this song by the Hemphills called " He's Still Workin' On Me " ( To make me what I ought to be ) and goodness, but isn't that the truth. Last time I posted, I had just come through an uplifting and victorious week. Well, now my faith is being tested! That is just how it works. =) Anytime you grow in the Lord, He will bring something along to test you and see what you're made of. To see if it's just talk or if something really happened. Then as a result, you grow again!
 Sometimes it gets really tough. Trials are never easy. There is one rest I have though. He never gives us more trouble than we can bear. Isn't that incredible? It may seem like the hardest trial of your life, but God knows you can get through it or He wouldn't have let whatever it is happen to you. Not that that really makes it seem much easier sometimes, but it reminds me that God is in the trial and that He is working on me to perfect me through it. A lot of times when the troubles and trials come, it makes me really soul-search and draw extra-close to God. Many a time I find that I had not been as close to Him as I thought and perhaps that is why I am going through a hard place. This time it was that I had not been praying enough. I of course pray, but not for others like I should and certainly not always with the expectation that God really wants to come on the scene when I pray. That is going to change.
 Whenever hard times hit, I find great strength in music. There have been many times when a song has spoken to me more than anything else could. I know I mentioned the song by the Hemphills, but three songs that have really touched me and spoken to me lately are " The Potter Knows the Clay " by The Perrys and " Blessings " by Laura Story and " Faith to be Strong " by Andrew Peterson. The words contained within these songs are amazing. So if you are going through anything right now, take some down time and listen to these songs and I pray they will be as much of a blessing to you as they have been to me. Bon Voyage!