"The God of Promise"

"Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby Thou didst confirm Thine inheritance, when it was weary." (Psalms 68:9) Do not think for a moment that it is easy, because it hurts; and last I checked, hurting is painful, and it is usually something that we wish would just stop or go away. To be perfectly honest about it, my heart hurts almost every single day. Can a person feel joy and hurt at the same time? Certainly! Just because there is a little pain, does not mean that hope has vanished; and where do you think that joy comes from? it comes from hope! I would not have joy without the hope of a better tomorrow, but it is that hope in what is yet to come that gives me a reason to rejoice in my suffering today; and no amount of pain can take that hope away! Therefore, joy overshadows the hurt; so yes, we can feel joy and hurt at the same time. The real question that you need to ask yourself, is which one are you going to give all your attention to, the joy or the hurt? I know that's a stupid question; or at least it should be; because truth be told, most people focus upon the hurt, casting joy to the side. When the Scripture says, "Count it all joy", what it really is saying, is that we need to look beyond what ever it is that is causing the pain and the hurt, and focus upon the promise of what is yet to come; thereby we let hope come alive in us, and not just be something that we think about now and then. When I look at this verse, I see "The God of Promise", who not only makes the promise, but sends "a plentiful rain" to assure that there will be a good harvest ahead. What that means, for those that need a little help, is that our God is watching out for us. If you need a little more help understanding what I mean, then you should look at the word "plentiful", and then think about what God has already done for us! The harvest is yet to come... "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of His power and love." (Isaiah 55:10-13) NLT