Ominous ~ a recent storm approaching
Captured by pain
Yet captivated by grace sublime
Devastated in every way
Yet drenched in love Divine
God sometimes allows circumstances to capture us, in order to captivate us with His immeasurable love.
He will even use pain to stop the busyness and speak into our lives. To hold us in His arms and drench us with His love.
My recovery from neck surgery has been rife with ups and downs. With periods of strengths and setbacks.
Although I prefer the days without pain, it is during those weakened interludes that God grabs my full attention. He is then able to remind me of His all-consuming love.
You may have noticed my infrequent blogging. It is because of continued difficulties with computer usage. Since I love writing and working with photos, my inability to do so has brought much discouragement.
The enemy wants us to focus on the ominous possibilities of our circumstances and dwell in devastated defeat. To convince us that the life we once enjoyed has ended. To permanently capture us with pain.
At its worst, though, discouragement cannot overtake God’s love. Physical pain cannot extinguish it. Hardship cannot prevent it.
No matter the difficulty, God’s love abounds higher, wider and deeper still. Trials don’t have to destroy us; they can instead strip out the trivial and bring us closer to God. We can discover afresh and anew that His word is true:
Nothing can separate us from God’s love.
I wish that things in life made sense. The good news is that they don’t have to for me to know and experience a contentment found only in God.
When trials capture us, we can rest in God’s embrace, knowing that He is in control.
God wants us to focus on the magnificent certainty of His promises and dwell in contented rest. To believe that the purposes He intends are yet realized. To forever captivate us with His love.
God will use anything to drench us with an awareness of His everlasting love and His grace, so sublime.
“I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!”
Psalm 89:1
NLT
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.”
Genesis 50:20a
NLT
Heavenly Raindrops 
May you recover soon. May I recommend to help you in your computer usage?
Oh I appreciate you and the offer. My doctor thinks it will get better eventually. I just need more patience,
as I wait! But thanks much anyway! Blessings
Hope you recover soon. Please refer to my friend’s blog at http://recycle4fun.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/laptop-on-bed/ in how to use laptop on bed. 🙂 Blessings too
Very beautifully said, there can be something lovely even in the midst of our deepest trials.
Amen!
What a beautiful post 🙂 It encourages me to find the positives within every trial. Even though you can’t write as much as you’d like, know that I look forward to reading your posts that much more because they are less frequent. Each one has been well-thought and real. Hope you have a wonderful day, and I pray that your recovery will be swift.
Thanks Lauren. I appreciate knowing that when I do write, it is a blessing to others.
Hi Sue
It is always great hearing from you and this post really touched me. It was so deep and believe it or not I was thinking along the same lines:
God sometimes allows circumstances to capture us, in order to captivate us with His immeasurable love.
He will even use pain to stop the busyness and speak into our lives. To hold us in His arms and drench us with His love.
I feel the enemy tries to get us to focus on our circumstances so that we get discouraged or become fearful that we lose sight of God. I was allowing my circumstances to affect me, I was allowing fear to creep in but your post has made a lot of things clear to me. Maybe my circumstances are the way they are because God wants me to run to Him, maybe He wants me to see He is in control???
I pray you get better Sue and I hope you will be able to write more!!! We need to hear what God is teaching you and showing you!
Thank you for a powerful post Sue…….!
Rolain
Thank you,
Rolain. I needed the encouragement!
Sue, your words of comfort for those besieged by pain are applicable for emotional trials too. As I face visiting a painful person from my past this week, I have found that my quiet time in the morning has taken on a whole new dimension of “grace sublime” and “love Divine”. I feel His hand of strength and comfort. I pray that you continue to heal and bask in His love for you. Thank you for this post.
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
Yes, I agree Wendy. I appreciate you stopping by. Blessings
Thanks for sharing whenever you can!! I pray for complete restoration for you soon, Sue. 🙂
Thank you, Jane. I must resign myself to accept God’s higher plan in all of this, while at the same time believing He has healing on its way!
I don’t know if this is true or not; but … the closer to the heart of the rose, the fragrance is sweeter … your ‘concentrated’ less frequent posts are beautiful Sue and I am sure will touch many a broken or mending heart. May His healing virtue pour victoriously through you.
What a special blessings your words have brought to me. Thanks very much. 😊
Wow! My soul is bless. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful post. I am glad I stopped.
Thank you, Noel. Makes me smile to be a blessing.
What a great message Sue. You are correct that it is often pain of various varieties that brings us closer to God. He can use our trials to bring out the best in us. I pray more better days for you! Peace 🙂
Thanks, Lilka. Many blessings to you, too.
Your message also deals with emotional pain… I like what you wrote, ” The enemy wants us to focus on the ominous possibilities of our circumstances and dwell in devastated defeat. To convince us that the life we once enjoyed has ended.” How true that is when our loved one passes away. As I continue to pick up the pieces of my grief and pain, God always reminds me in some article, quote, music, or a dear friend that He promises to always be with us and nothing will ever separate us from His Love – I love how He always reminds me when I need to hear the most. Blessings for your continued healing as you rest in loving embrace. So thankful you are one of my dear blogging friends that have brought me comfort, encouragement and strength through God’s holy word.
Thanks very much, Patty. I think that emotional pain tops physical in so many ways. And just another way that the enemy wants to being us down. How wonderful are God’s ways of encouraging and showing us His love. Connecting with fellow believers through blogging is certainly one of those. Blessings back to you!
So true, God knew before I did how much all of you would help me during the worse time of my life. God bless you!
I’m sorry your difficulties, Sue. You have such a great attitude – you are an encourager and a hope-giver!
As are you, Bill. I often think of your encouraging tenacity when tempted to have a pity party. Blessings
Out of the toughest pressures, come the most brilliant diamonds…God will bring you safely and victoriously through this trial into His grace and glory.
Thanks and amen!
It was a beautiful thing to read. Lovely words! It was peaceful reading it. Thanks for the post. 🙂
Glad it brought a blessing. Thanks