{"id":4550,"date":"2021-10-01T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shop.honestreflections.net\/?p=4550"},"modified":"2021-09-16T08:40:24","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T13:40:24","slug":"how-confidence-in-god-will-make-you-receive-mercy-and-kindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/2021\/10\/01\/how-confidence-in-god-will-make-you-receive-mercy-and-kindness\/","title":{"rendered":"How Confidence in God Will Make You Receive Mercy and Kindness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2 minute read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/shop.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-1024x751.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4551\" width=\"347\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-1024x751.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-768x563.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-1536x1126.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/10.1-2048x1501.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 347px) 100vw, 347px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Daily Reading: <\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Jeremiah+19-22&amp;version=GW\">Jeremiah 19-22 GW<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Hebrews+4&amp;version=GW\">Hebrews 4 GW<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God rules with kindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Natural disasters, illness, and death of loved ones, job loss, broken relationships all make one wonder about God\u2019s kindness.&nbsp; How can a loving God allow such painful things to happen in life?&nbsp; Maybe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cslewis.com\/\">C.S. Lewis<\/a>\u2019s thoughts on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/1180-pain-insists-upon-being-attended-to-god-whispers-to-us#:~:text=God%20whispers%20to%20us%20in,to%20rouse%20a%20deaf%20world.%E2%80%9D\">pain<\/a> provide an answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cGod whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains.&nbsp; It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our pain, people do one of two things: turn to or from God.&nbsp; During times of plenty, we don\u2019t give God credit for what we have.&nbsp; But when things go wrong, God gets all the accolades.&nbsp; In reality, Jesus told us we would have strife in this world:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.&nbsp; In the world you will have tribulation.&nbsp; But take heart; I have overcome the world.\u201d (<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John%2016%3A33&amp;version=ESV\"><em>John 16:33 ESV<\/em><\/a><em>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Life is tough.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone who says God promised a rose garden is lying.&nbsp; No, where in scripture do you find that promise.&nbsp; But you do see people enduring all types of hardships, God their strength in the storm.&nbsp; David\u2019s psalms are a collection of praises and laments.&nbsp; As one friend said, David seems bipolar; one moment, he\u2019s on the mountain top, the next in the valley.&nbsp; But David\u2019s constant is God, who never changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God doesn\u2019t have highs and lows; He is constant.&nbsp; Leading with grace, He is consistent in His love and adoration for you and me.&nbsp; If God didn\u2019t cherish us, Jesus wouldn\u2019t have come.&nbsp; But because God values us so much, He sent Jesus to create a way for us to connect with Him.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we don\u2019t turn to God, we won\u2019t receive.&nbsp; Allow the pain you\u2019re experiencing to draw you towards God, not away from Him.&nbsp; Listen to the megaphone. Pour your heart out to Him, tell God how you are hurting.&nbsp; Let Him into the deep crevices of your soul.&nbsp; Receive God\u2019s mercy and kindness as you give Him your hurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/shop.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bookcover.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bookcover.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bookcover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bookcover-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Three-Word-Prayers-Everyday-Living-ebook\/dp\/B09JT3B6CW\/ref=sr_1_2?crid=18UKNZFIIDIEA&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=three+word+prayers&amp;qid=1635775169&amp;sprefix=three+word+prayers%2Caps%2C69&amp;sr=8-2\">Check out my new release on Amazon<\/a>. Learn how I used prayer to control my emotions and develop healthier relationships in my life. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lord, thank You for Your consistency in our lives.&nbsp; Forgive us for the times we turn from You.&nbsp; Help us listen to You in our pain.&nbsp; As we move through the storms of life, keep us afloat.&nbsp; Send us help when we need it; let us bless others when they do.&nbsp; In all things, the glory is Yours.&nbsp; IJNIP. Amen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Question for reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Where are you turning in your times of distress?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2 minute read. Daily Reading: &nbsp;Jeremiah 19-22 GW; Hebrews 4 GW God rules with kindness. Natural disasters, illness, and death of loved ones, job loss, broken relationships all make one wonder about God\u2019s kindness.&nbsp; How can a loving God allow such painful things to happen in life?&nbsp; Maybe C.S. Lewis\u2019s thoughts on pain provide an&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/2021\/10\/01\/how-confidence-in-god-will-make-you-receive-mercy-and-kindness\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How Confidence in God Will Make You Receive Mercy and Kindness<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","without-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4550"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4553,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4550\/revisions\/4553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.honestreflections.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}