Beyond the Briars
“I have loved you, my people,
with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love
I have drawn you to myself."~ Jer. 31:3 NLT
A few weeks ago, I was walking our dog along the back part of my mother-in-law's property when I made a sweet discovery - blackberry bushes. I hurried inside, grabbed a container and headed back out in the mid-day heat.
I began at the edge of the berried area, but found that those berries were the smallest. Looking into the brambles, I saw the larger, juicy berries that had taken advantage of partial shade.
Container in hand, I ventured further in, where I soon found myself entangled in briars and brambles - all manner of stickers. I was caught by my shirt, my pants and my skin. But I kept picking. Every berry bunch sent me deeper into the briars for another and another.
I emerged from the woods sweaty and with angry scratches on my ankles, arms and hands. As I looked at the red marks from my fingers to my elbows, I grimaced. Was it worth it?
But then I washed our harvest and began stirring together oats and brown sugar, cinnamon and butter to make a blackberry crumble. I had no reservations when I inhaled the delicious smell and tasted the sweetness of the fresh-from-the-oven crumble. I decided - it was definitely worth it.
Sometimes landing in the sweetest place means a struggle through the briars.
Maybe you know your destination, but there’s no easy, straight path to get there. Briars reach out to snag you and inflict their thorny pain. You disentangle, move forward and get caught again.
Is God asking you to do something difficult? Keep making your way.
Perseverance and trusting in God are key when navigating the wild, untamed briars of life.
God longs to help us through the thorny parts of life. In fact, we can thank Him for the briars - they may be slowing us down at just the right time.
God often orchestrates difficulties in our lives as a way to grow in dependence on Him, to better trust His timing, to show His deep love for us.
It remains that getting through the brambles is difficult. But remember: the sweetest fruit comes at the end. Perseverance and trusting in God’s guidance will get us there.
Today, I pray you find a juicy, dripping-down-your-chin sweetness wherever you are in life’s journey.
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Peace for Today
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”~ Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.~ Psalm 23:2 NKJV
There is sweetness on the way...
today is a GOOD day!
~ Natalie