the fireflies in the wilderness

Today has been an emotional day, already...and it just began...

In my morning quiet time, I read Psalm 68...and verses 4-10 resonated with my soul:

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

his name is the LORD;

exult before him!

 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation.

God settles the solitary in a home;

he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

O God, when you went out before your people,

when you marched through the wilderness, 

Selah

the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,

before God, the One of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;

you restored your inheritance as it languished;

your flock found a dwelling in it;

in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

I was reminded of the times when God has brought me out of what I was sure to be life-ending despair. When I thought there was no way for any sort of goodness or light to prosper, He stood to prove me wrong. Because, after all, nothing is impossible for God...God is bigger than any of our troubles...He can make the worst situations bring glory to Him...

I am forever thankful for the ways God has taught me this...they have never been pleasant experiences...but they provided moments of beauty and clarity that shone the face of God like I have never seen before.

When my aunt passed away three and a half years ago, in the midst of the pain and uncertainty, a phrase was given to me to calm my soul...

God is good. God is gracious. God is loving.

These are truths. And if we believe in God, we must believe that in all that comes upon us in life will have His stamp, marking His truth - no matter the situation.

To further prove His point, this morning I saw a link to a story on facebook. This is the story of my best friend's aunt + cousin. I have had the honor to know Jeanne + Jacob as my bff's family...and watching this family thrive in a situation that could have easily destroyed their lives and faith, is nothing short of a treasure. Take a couple of minutes to watch this...

This morning as I sat in my quiet time, reading this Psalm and feeling incredibly grateful for God's faithfulness to us...several people came to my heart that I felt I really needed to share this with...if you are one of them, I praise God for you and how I have been able to see Him work in your life through the good times and the bad. Keep pressing on...the glory will be His. Don't forget to look for the fireflies in the wilderness.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth