Blessings or Bruises

Do we have a tendency to ponder on our bruised feelings and not our blessings? Too many of us brood over our ordeals instead of appreciating our blessings. Have we learned from our mistakes and from life’s bruises? Some may take their blessings for granted. Good times and fortune are supposed to be our lot. The quest for earthly happiness is paramount for many. Yet, all of us know deep down within our being that we all hurt in many ways. Do we push bad memories, physical or mental hurts to the back of our minds? It is better for us, if we “Take it to the Lord in prayer”.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

George Scriven and C.C. Converse

Verse 1

What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry Ev’rything to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer.

Verse 2

Have we trails and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness: Take it to the Lord in payer.

Verse 3

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

Yes, dear friends, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in payer.” Our bruises and hurts are part of our human experiences; it’s a human factor. Let’s learn from our experiences, whether good or bad. To remain faithfully obedient unto our God must be our goal. “A faithful man shall abound with blessings…” (Proverbs 28:20). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Unfortunately, many of us are like Scarlett O’Hara, heroine of the classic novel, Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Scarlett’s parting words are, “I’ll think of it all tomorrow… After all, tomorrow is another day.” Tomorrow is never promised to any of us. “Today is the tomorrow we dreamed about yesterday” (Author Unknown). “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:13-14).

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