This is the day the Lord has made...

On Friday afternoon, I ran into The Store in Lake Highlands intent on finding something with a promise from the Lord, to claim for that day. I wanted a cross, or plaque with a scripture that I could cling to now, and later (once He rescued us again) to have as an alter of God's faithfulness during dark times. I was searching for a verse of hope, trust, strength, but what God gave me instead was - rejoice. "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24. Surely God is not calling me to rejoice and be glad on this day that Billy was let go at work. With all of the uncertainties in our lives right now, that would be irresponsible - wouldn't it? Actually, the irresponsible thing would be to NOT rejoice today. It was in the simple stitching on that pillow that God reminded me, "I am the Author of this, Lisetta. This is my doing, my plan, and you need to rejoice." And so I try to be faithful. I put the little pillow on the sofa, and an hour later, Emma brought it in to me and told me that she knew this verse. She read it from the pillow and then recited it from memory. How my heart fills up to see her already storing treasures from the Scripture, and how it hurts to think that someday she will need to lean on this verse as I am today. But it will be for her good, just as it is for my good ~ to rejoice.
I want all of you, who have prayed without ceasing for us all weekend, to know that your prayers have been heard. Billy and I had a wonderful weekend. I thought that our 12th Anniversary might be ruined by the bad news we received on Friday, but God has used this difficult time - the 2 weeks leading up to Friday - to reaffirm our relationship and knit us even closer together. Is He not Good?
I felt God was calling me to blog last year when Billy's unemployment started, but there was no time with me going back to work during the day, and the long nights with the girls while he was in school. So again, here we are, and again, I hear God calling me to blog. So, for now - it is probably a good way for me to put in writing what He is speaking to me during this time, and keep my friends and family aware of what God is doing in our lives. Be encouraged - the Lord is answering your prayers - they are powerful and mighty, and we are grateful beyond measure. A couple scriptures God gave me this weekend.
"Therefore, we do not lose heart, though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2Cor. 4:16-17) I consider everything a loss to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering (Phil 3:8-10) So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:18)
It is all about knowing Jesus. It is in the suffering, in the taking our eyes off the temporary - and placing them on the eternal, that we come to know Jesus. And as Paul said, nothing else matters.