One morning some years ago after having devotions with my daughter, I continued in prayer about my life and situations and circumstances that I would like to change.  I remember feeling helpless in those areas of my life.  I began to tell the Lord how sorry I was for all my failures.  Sorry for not being strong, sorry for how weak I felt to change anything.  Sorry for even being where I was in my walk with Him-thinking I should be more spiritually mature.  These feelings of condemnation seemed to wave over me like waves of the sea from one thought to another.  I felt tossed about over how to handle these situations.  I knew that condemnation comes from the enemy and not from God.  God will convict and correct us but He never condemns us (John 3:17).  I knew to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). I knew that our emotions and imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God are to be cast down and not to rule us (2 Corinthians 10:5). So I sat in His Presence praising Him, seeking comfort and direction.

As I sat before the Lord searching my heart and seeking His face, I had a vision.  I saw a “reed” being tossed about in a sea of raging waves, bending first one way and then the other.  I remember thinking, “that’s it God, that’s just how I feel”!  And in a twinkling of an eye, as if watching a movie and the camera shifts from one scene to another, God lowered the lens on that reed, and I saw that the reed had two feet, solidly planted in a huge rock!  I wept as I thanked my Heavenly Father for the confirmation that even when we feel tossed about by circumstances it doesn’t mean we are not on the solid ground of His Word.  Hallelujah!

Remember I said that the reed was bending.  The Lord showed me that the reed was bending so it wouldn’t break!  This is not talking about bending in compromise of our faith; it’s talking about being pliable in the Hand of God and trusting Him in every situation.

We must remember that things are not always as they seem.  The storms that appear may not have any real value or power of destruction in themselves (unless we give voice to them); only appearing to cause us to doubt and fear and to be distracted from the Word of God.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus to have a clear view of the nature of the storm; for what the enemy means for evil, God can turn around for good (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28)

God sees us as we are in Christ: perfected, complete, and whole by the Blood of Jesus.  He sees us from beginning to end.  He has good plans for us, each of us.  When we seek His face He reveals those plans to us and gives us direction, instruction, strength and grace to fulfill those plans.

So spend some quiet time with the Lord this week, asking Him for direction in walking out His plans for your life.  GOD IS GOOD.