Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day and I’m armed and ready for whatever comes my way after my Time with the Living God. Things beyond the view from this porch aren’t always beautiful, so I Know that if I’m going to endure what He has for me to endure and if I’m going to Bless a suffering soul in the process, it always comes down to being One with Him. I don’t have it in me to run the race of Life alone, but I have HIM IN ME – and with Him, there’s nothing I can’t do and no pain too great for me. I’m like a Walking Billboard for what Victory looks like and I make sure that my world hears about the Power of my God day after day after day. Isn’t that the way you live out your Faith too?

There’s no avoiding tribulation even though some people would have you believe that they have. Some people hide their lives so far from the rest of the world…and so deep within their hearts…that it would take a sledgehammer to break it free. Some people don’t believe that our trials and tribulations are “anybody’s business” as if people of Faith don’t have them, and as if there’s some kind of shame if they do. But Jesus DIED for the shame…past, present, and future, and Tribulation is where growth takes place! God NEVER stops refining the Character He needs to see in us in order for us to be Vessels for Him! The Bible says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” That’s the goal!

Some people square their shoulders and walk around as if they’ve managed to escape the hardships, and some of them have even convinced themselves that God is showing more favor to them than He does all the rest of us because they’re anointed. But nobody escapes trials and tribulations in this life ESPECIALLY if they’re going to be used by a Mighty God because it’s the fire that refines the gold. Those trials and tribulations ALWAYS have a multi-faceted Purpose from a multi-faceted God and weren’t intended to be hidden behind closed doors. How can a Mighty God be glorified through secrets and how can we offer Hope to a suffering soul unless they can see and hear about what God has done through our darkest hours?

The world beyond the front porch of this old farm is filled with trials and tribulations and it sure would be easy to hoard up at the farm and to ignore the pain and the darkness of it all. But I wasn’t Created to hoard up or to shut up and neither were you! God didn’t accidentally place me in this Life at just the right moment in time without Good reason, and He didn’t accidentally place you here without Good reason either. God doesn’t fill my world with only sweet, pleasurable things and He won’t fill yours like that either – regardless of what you’ve convinced yourself of! God hasn’t Refined me through Fire without Good Reason. He hasn’t made a mistake or left His Throne..He never has and never will. He doesn’t “play” with people like a cat plays with a mouse…He has Purpose for allowing the trials in your Life and He is patiently waiting for you to glorify Him by telling the world about His work in your life! How will you glorify Him if you keep Victories hidden away like a secret that shouldn’t be shared? This is the Key to a Powerful Testimony for Jesus Christ that can be used to lead a lost soul into His arms quicker than you can say “amen”. When you look at it that way, how could you NOT share your Journey with the world?

Sometimes it takes a season to recover from the pain beyond the front porch, but it’s never OK to sick back and to lick my wounds because of it. Instead, the hardness of my life has served to soften my Heart and I’ve been Tenderized by the King for Good reasons beyond anything my human mind can comprehend. ALL things work together for Good….if we let them.

I don’t understand it all, but I DO understand that I could do nothing without Him. Without Him, I would have no Hope. Without Him, I wouldn’t know what Victory looks like. Without Him, my Heart wouldn’t have been softened for the Journey. So, from where I sit, I know that all of those Trials and Tribulations Served a Purpose BEYOND me and they’ve “all worked together for Good” because I LOVE Him and I’ve been called according to His Purpose. He EXPECTS me to share my Journey (and all the ugliness that was turned into the most Beautiful Treasure) with all those suffering souls. NOT to whine…but to encourage. To offer Hope. To be a Living Testimony of the Power of a Mighty God! I’m what Victory looks like!

How about you?