Wednesday's #FaithandInk Devotional ==> Tears and Smears

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..." ~ Genesis 50:20

Joseph spoke the above words after he had been through a lot. His brothers were worried that he would hold a grudge against them, because let's face it, he had every right to by human standards.

However, he looked past the bad intentions, past the hurt, the pain, the wrong doings, and he saw what God did through all of those bad things.

A while back, I had a bad day (to say the least). I was behind on my work and trying to get caught up when it happened… My cat knocked over a vase that I had sitting on my desk, soaking everything: my research, notes, to-do list, keyboard, mouse, computer, laptop, spare printer paper, 3 of my notebooks, my work binder, a book, and all my notepads, along with myself and the clothes that I was wearing... I could go on, but I bet you get the point.



As I sat there lividly looking at the water and desperately dabbing at the electronics, the words of Joseph flew to my mind. I had just read them the night before and they just resounded in my heart.

"God intended it for good."

I don't know what good can come out of wet electronics and ruined papers, but God didn't call me to understand, He called me to trust.

So, as sat there sopping up the mess, I fought the urge to focus on all that was lost; the urge to focus on the things of this world. I had to shift my focus to how much greater God was then anything I could ever put on paper. My computer wasn't ruined. The water had missed the power strip by an inch or two, so nothing fried. Yes, I lost some notes due to water damage, but it wasn't the end of the world. God was still God, and I was still not.

I guess that the whole experience was humbling. It forced me to slow down and meditate on the reason that I do the things that I do. It made me look at the importance of material objects (replaceable or not), and really just refreshed my perspective.

On a day when I was overwhelmed and beating myself up about being behind, I would have never guessed that a disaster like that would be the thing that improved my attitude, but if I had to guess, I bet God knew.




Reflection:
Are you focusing more on material belongings and worldly deadlines then you are on making your thoughts, actions, and work pleasing to Christ?

Application:
If you are letting the things of this world cause you to worry or stress you out, take a step back and shift your thoughts to Jesus. Remember that if God wants you to succeed, nothing will stop you, but if it isn’t His will, then nothing you do will make it come to pass.

Try memorizing 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. Write it on a note card and post it where it’s visible from your work area. Maybe spend some extra time in prayer or reading your Bible before sitting down at your desk next time.

Heather Hart is an internationally best-selling and award-winning author with an unquenchable passion for Jesus. She knows one thing every girl needs is a little honesty, so she’s not afraid to get candid and share her struggles. Her hope is that through her writing, she can help others soak up the love of Jesus. Heather currently resides in a small Texas town with her husband, Paul, and their four quickly-growing children. You can connect with her online by visiting her website BooksFaithandCoffee.com.