Tag Archives: God’s Goodness

Overwhelmed, Again

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Two years ago, I wrote a post entitled “Overwhelmed,” and I asked these questions: Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Too much to do? Too many places to go? Too many people to see? Too much laundry? Too many dishes? Too many pieces of paperwork to read? Too much pain—inside and out? And now, here we are in 2020, and I could add a new assortment of questions to the list. Life sure has changed, but one thing still hasn’t: we get overwhelmed.

Sometimes, life is just too much—and then a whole new set of circumstances rolls in, and we almost don’t even know what to do or think. Overwhelmed describes our state of being and our emotional state. We take the circumstances that surround us and internalize them. The “stuff” of life becomes the emotion of life. And sometimes it is just too much. Overwhelmed then describes our status.

Overwhelmed by circumstances, by emotions, by the present reality.

And then, more questions come: Why? Why is it like this? What made things this way? Will things ever change?

And then comes a question we can actually answer: Do things have to stay this way? My answer is an overwhelming NO!!!

Things do not have to stay this way. Our being overwhelmed can be overwhelmed by God! His greatness and His power, His majesty and His authority, His presence and His involvement can change all that we are and all that we are in the midst of.

And even when circumstances do not change, we can change. We can let ourselves be overwhelmed differently. We can be overwhelmed by the presence of God. His peace can flood our minds. His joy can spill from our hearts. His strength can empower our actions. We can be made new.

And again, questions: Have you ever been overwhelmed by God? By His goodness, His love, His mercy?

You have…you just may not have known it.

Did you wake up this morning? Did you see and hear and feel and taste? Did you see the beauty of His creation all around you? Did you lay your head on a pillow last night and sleep beneath a blanket of stars? You have been overwhelmed by God’s goodness.

Did you awaken this morning with an opportunity to know God and know He loves you? Do you know that you have the capability to be forgiven for every wrong thing you have ever done? You have been overwhelmed by His goodness, AND His love, AND His mercy.

God has been good to us in body and in soul. Do our minds understand this?

What an overwhelming thought: to think that the God of the universe loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. He wants to be with us and cares about every detail of our lives. He has made Himself available to us. The gift of salvation is free for the taking. And after that, His strength and power are abundantly available to help us through all the things of life that would overwhelm us.

My heart is overwhelmed with awe and gratitude.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1 (NKJV)

©Text and photo Francee Strain, August 30, 2020

Consider This

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There are so many thoughts that consume our minds, day in and day out. The minutes tick away while the thoughts bounce around in our brains and sometimes come out in our actions. Our thoughts dwell on fanciful daydreams of unrealistic plans, the daily drudgery of our chores and schedules, the pain of the relationships within which we exist, the pridefulness and selfishness of our own desires, the worries and cares of the world around us, the fleeting joy of pleasures, and so on. Well, what if we brought our minds to settle on boundless joy and abundant hope, ceaseless gratitude and incomprehensible peace, lasting love and eternal life? What if we brought our minds to settle on God—who He is and what He does?

Consider that He made and holds all of creation in His hand. He causes the sun to rise, the moon to glow, and the stars to shine. He arrays the flowers of the field in more majestic garb than the richest of kings wears. He sets the bounds of the waves and brings the morning dew. He knows the ways of the wind and when each sparrow falls to the ground. He exists outside of time yet holds every day in His hands. He needs nothing from anyone; and yet, He desires it. He desires a relationship with us. He wants us to know Him.

Consider this: He is mindful of us. He loves us with an everlasting love. Before the foundation of the world, He knew us. He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs with intricate and stunning detail. And as we grew, He waited for us to turn our thoughts and hearts toward Him. He turned His thoughts and heart toward us from the beginning of time. And when the time was just right, He sent His only Son to be the Savior of the world, the Savior of anyone who would believe.

Consider the choice you have to know Him. Consider where you can turn your thoughts and heart. I have chosen where mine will dwell; they will dwell in His presence forever.

I will meditate on all His works and on the glorious splendor of all His majesty. I will remember Him all throughout the day. I will rise up to call on His name in the morning, and I will give thanks to Him while I lie in my bed at night. I will take time to process His words, recognize His character, and ponder His mercy and grace. I will praise Him for His works and His magnificent goodness to me all throughout the day, and I will think about Him in the night watches until my eyes close in sleep.

Who am I God, that You are mindful of me, that You would consider making me Your child? How high are Your ways and Your wonderful works to all humankind.

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Consider Psalm 145 for further meditation.

©Text and photo Francee Strain, June 28, 2020.

On My Side

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God is for me, not against me.

It seems I have heard that phrase frequently as of late. As a matter of fact, I encountered the phrase three times in two days. I believe God wanted to draw my attention to this fact, to examine the reality of this statement and remind me of its truth. What was my conclusion in thinking about this phrase for a while? I concluded without a doubt that He is on my side. Why would I draw such a conclusion? Because the proof is there—the foremost being the proof in His side, where He was pierced after being crucified for my sins—and I trust in His goodness.

It seems so many people are questioning God and whether He is truly on their side. Many blame Him when bad things happen, even when the consequences result from their own choices. He gets blamed when people don’t get their own ways, when things don’t turn out like they want them to or think they should. He gets blamed when life is unfair, when there’s loss, when things are hard, and when He allows tests and trials. He gets blamed for sin and the choices resulting from free will. That is a lot of blame, and it covers everything from A to Z. But the reality is, we live in a broken world with broken people. We also have enemies of our souls—Satan and ourselves. What do we do about the brokenness? How do we see and find the good? How do we get the help of almighty God on our side, to push through these things and make it to the other side? We take a step and move to His side.

God draws near to us when we draw near to Him. And actually, He already stepped near to us about 2000 years ago. He came to our side when Jesus was born and then gave His life for us on the cross. Jesus, God’s own son, stood in the gap between sin and holiness and provided us with a rescue, a way of escape from ever having to be apart from His side. When we choose to do life with Him and for Him, He will never leave us nor forsake us. Choosing to stand on God’s side by choosing His son as our Savior will keep us from ever being plucked from His hand. We will never again walk alone. He will walk beside us as a traveling companion in this life. He will be our provider, source of strength, listening ear, supporter, and encourager. And when this life ends, we will forever be in His presence.

So, before that final day, we all have a choice to make. Will we choose to have God at our sides? As for me, I choose Him. I can confidently say, “God is for me, not against me; He is on my side.” He is always watching over me, and thus, I can walk in peace, knowing all things are working for my good. I need not be anxious about anything, because regardless of the situation, I can still commune with Him and be blessed. I can rest in the knowledge that His will, not mine, is being done. Worry is unnecessary because He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Even when all the world is crumbling or is against me–when the enemy surrounds me, when I falter and fail, when everyone forsakes me–He will keep His promise to never leave me nor forsake me. He will be at my right hand, and I will not be moved. He will fight for me, and I will hold my peace. He will be an ever-present help in time of need.

Yes, I choose to move to God’s side, and thus, have Him on my side.

Francee Strain, August 24, 2019