Between Rocks and Hard Places/ Desolation 5

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 
II Corinthians 12:9-10

I am in a very difficult spot; between the proverbial "rock and a hard place". 
Allow me to explain: After enduring a life threatening, extended illness that kept me out of work for more than 6 months I returned to work for about 4 months. I was so happy to return to a relatively healthy state of being with all it's busy-ness. Then the unthinkable happened... I injured my back.
So with a great deal of pain, two trips to the ER including another 2 day hospital stay over the last 6 weeks, I find myself unemployed, all my benefits terminated, no financial resources, and in need of surgery. There are so many questions swirling about - my mind  just has a great big cerebral "?", like the big question mark on the pole that grocery chain Trader Joe's employees carry about the store -and honestly, many tears of anguish, physical pain from my spinal injury, loss, and the realization that a chapter of my life is ending. 
A rock and a hard place.
But I have choices of what I allow in that space between rocks and the hard places. I can allow desolation to be a place of hopelessness and negativity (which are not thoughts from God but from the devil), or  I can realize that the place between the rocks and hard places is my Mt. Horeb, where both Elijah and Moses found renewal as they were stripped of all but His presence. It was at this desolate place that they thanked, worshipped and dwelled with Him. They were prepared for their greatest revival and exploits. New beginnings. Double portions. The knowledge that God has not forsaken or abandoned me, but has brought me here for times of intimacy and "FaceTime", just me and Him. My problem with being busy is that although I desire to keep Him first, and give the first fruits of my time to The Lord, I have a hard time keeping this commitment, and He is Jealous.
So I will treat this new season as a gift from God...I have no idea where I am going, but I know that He is with me, leading and guiding me, and He is God over everything, especially over my circumstances.

Hope and Faith

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

“Hope itself is like a star- not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. ”
― Charles Spurgeon

The definition of faith is things that are hoped for that are yet unseen. 
It is hope that drives what we call faith. We hope and believe for certain things and can rest in an assurance that is driven and given to us through God's Holy Spirit. 
Elijah was assured in the Spirit that rain would come even when he prayed under a hot and cloudless sky from atop Mt. Carmel, and as he prayed on in faith and hope the sky was filled with dark rain clouds, pregnant with promises.
Even when we don't yet see the fruit of His promises yet, we know that if He said it, we can believe it - there is hope and faith, working together.
We are strengthened. We are believers. God's Word is true.
Jesus said, "if it were not so, I would've told you so." John 14:2b
It is the devil who wants to rob us of hope and faith, leaving us sick and despondent, if we listen to his whispers of dark and doubtful things.
He incessantly tries to whisper to us, "did you really hear God say that to you?"
Do not listen to the lies of  the great liar, beloved!
Today, say YES and AMEN to God's promises...let faith and hope arise anew in each of us!