Country Living -- God in the Midst of Plagues

I can’t take credit for this blog today. This isn’t from a ministry or church. It is an email I received from “Country Living” magazine and it encouraged me to know they know how to lift our spirits and give us the answer to everything -- the promises of God. This is their article, verbatim. Only missing are the plaques that carried the scriptures about God in the midst of plagues:

"When diseases or natural disasters ravage our world, it can be confusing and scary. It can also be hard to understand where God and your faith fits in the midst of grief and uncertainty. You might find yourself wondering if you are experiencing the types of plagues described in the Bible and unsure if this just happened because the world is imperfect. Or you might hear people saying that it’s a form of punishment and find yourself uncertain what to believe. The truth is, we don’t know why these tragic things happen. But we do know that while God allows them, He is a God of comfort, and the plagues found in the Bible are only a small piece of a larger story—a redemptive rescue mission that culminates with Jesus and the gospel. We can take great comfort that we are not alone in any hardships we may face. The Bible is full of reassurances of God’s love, sovereignty, faithfulness, and protection. These are just a small handful of the verses about who God is amidst uncertainty.

--16 Uplifting Bible Verses About God in the Midst of Plagues--
~~ Deuteronomy 31:8 -- “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
~~ John 16:22 -- "So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."
~~ Joshua 1:9 -- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
~~ Psalm 23:4 -- "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
~~ Psalm 4:8 -- "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
~~ Psalm 46:1 -- "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!"
~~ Psalm 46:10 -- “Be still, and know that I am God!"
~~ Psalm 56:3 -- "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."
~~ Psalm 91 -- "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely, he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"
~~ Isaiah 41:10 -- "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
~~ Jeremiah 29:11-13 -- " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.' "
~~ Jeremiah 17:14 -- "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."
~~ Matthew 11:28 -- "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.' "
~~ 2 Corinthians 1:10 "And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us."
~~ 1 John 5:14 -- "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

Thank you, Country Living magazine, for giving us exactly what we need to conquer and win during these times and all times!

Seen Any Rainbows Lately?

Seen Any Rainbows Lately?
This beautiful rainbow was over our subdivision after a recent rain. I grew up with only one thought about rainbows. I learned about it in my Sunday School class. You know....Noah, the ark, the animals, the rain, the flood, the promise. It is found in Genesis 9. And God said, “Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life."

That's what I knew about a rainbow....it was the Promise of God. It is always like heaven touching earth whenever I see one. In the midst of life’s storms it is often hard to spot a rainbow, but I think the most important thing is to remember, these miracles of the sky only appear AFTER the storm. I'll never forget a really tough season in our lives and we were exhausted from fighting the good fight of faith and then we walked into our home and up on a large painting was a rainbow being reflected from the sun coming in the room and hitting a glass object. That was just the "sign" we needed to know we were coming out of the storm, and we did, in almost unimaginable ways.

Along the way, I heard more about rainbows from our Irish friends -- that, at the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold. Fun thought, however far fetched it may be. When I was in Ireland last year, I realized that what the Irish really believe is that rainbows symbolize blessings from heaven.

The rainbow took on another meaning when the Supreme Court’ made the decision on gay marriage. Social media and even the White House were lit up with the colors of the rainbow.

No matter what belief system people have, nothing changes the fact that God designed the rainbow to symbolize something far greater and far more glorious than pots of gold, little green leprechauns or diverse sexual orientations.

The really good news, for all of us, is the rainbow displays God’s grace towards all humanity. To this day, the rainbow symbolizes that promise. Back to Genesis 9 -- as long as the rainbow hangs in the sky, God will mercifully and graciously restrain his anger towards humanity, but I sure don't want to take chances on God's patience with me. Yes, He's so very patient with us and the fact that He hasn't sent another flood to destroy the world and all its craziness again, is certainly a ginormous display of His tolerance and patience. He is so merciful.

As I typed this last night, I thought about the Star in the East that led the Magi to the Christ Child. What if, no matter if the rainbow is in the sky, on a flag or a lapel pin that someone is wearing -- that our first thought would be "Lord, as we see this rainbow, may it point us and others to Your grace, Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your peace and that it would bring us to seeking and serving You with all our hearts.

Now, I give you one of those sweet Irish blessings:
” May God give you…for every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.”
~ Old Irish Blessing