LINK TO HAPPY EASTER CLIP ART KIT IN STORE $4.98
A couple of new kits to debut today! I got some painting time in last week and created some brand new Easter art for children (naaah, my grandson had absolutely NOTHING to do with my motivation, LOL!) There are 4-5 more kits in this collection coming over the next few weeks. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
LINK TO ABIGAIL SCOTT’ S HOPPY EASTER TREAT BAG KIT IN STORE $3.98
Also I’m reviving our “Abigail Scott DESIGN Studio” brand of printable digital crafting kits. There’s a new kit using the “Happy Easter” art. This is a fun kit that is very, very quick to assemble making it perfect for doing treat bags for a classroom full of kids, a few kids in the neighborhood or perhaps for your own children or grandchildren.
I have also uploaded two of my previously released fonts to the store. I have a couple more that I hope to get up soon as well. Thanks for your patience!
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY: Job 4:4-6
Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.
But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? NIV
Eph 3:12-19
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. NIV
DEVOTIONAL: I’m continuing with our theme of understanding why our hearts become dry and shriveled spiritually. When we experience dryness, how can we overcome it? I’m tackling one of the most common reasons I have seen people pull away from God and that is their disappointment with Him over unanswered prayer or unexpected suffering.
All of us decide in our heart just how God “should” respond to our prayers or circumstances, whether we realize it or not. If God “fails” to perform as we wished, it is very easy to get discouraged, disappointed or even angry with Him. When someone we love suffers and God doesn’t seem to be in the situation or someone that is dear to us is not healed but instead passes away, when the job we believe is perfect for us goes to a less worthy candidate, we can begin to harden our heart towards the Lord.
There are two different responses to suffering in the verses above. One is from the book of Job and is a comment from one of Job’s friends who is observing him going through terrible suffering, with no apparent reason. He believes that if Job is as righteous as he claims he wouldn’t be suffering.
The other is Paul encouraging others not to be discouraged at Paul’s own suffering on their behalf, but to be built up, filled with God’s love, encouraged and even empowered by it!
You will suffer at some point in your life. You will be disappointed in God. You will be disappointed in others. You will become discouraged or saddened when the innocent suffer and the guilty appear to go free. Life isn’t fair. Life doesnt’ treat those we love fairly. Will you pull away from God at this point or run toward Him?
I share with you the counsel of a wise saint of God who encouraged me early in my walk with the Lord. She said, “A God you can control and manipulate isn’t much of a God my dear. When life doesn’t go as planned, when God doesn’t do what you want — that’s when you have to decide ‘Who is God?’ Are you going to become your own God or will you let Him be? Will you trust that He understands more than you and is working His purposes or will you pull away?”
Sometimes we will see in our lifetime the “Why” answered. The job we wanted disappeared a year after we would have gotten it. The home we were so sure was perfect for us sold before we could buy it, and a better one appeared soon thereafter. But most often, like Job, we will never see the amazing plan of God, hidden in our suffering and the power of what He accomplishes through it. Do you think Job might have gone through his suffering differently if he realized that multiplied billions of people would know his story and be encouraged by it?
If you don’t understand, praise God anyway. If you’re hurting, choose to hand that hurt to Him and ask Him to use it to bless you and others. If life is unfair — and it is, turn to the one who is perfect and who loves you perfectly. If you’re angry with Him, tell Him that — He’s big enough to handle your temper tantrums. The bible tells us that there are only two “gods,” the true God, our loving heavenly father and the false “god” of this world, Satan. When you reject God as being “unfair” and turn away from Him you turn toward the “god” of this world… do you think he’s going to be fairer?! Of course not, he wants to steal, kill and destroy you and everybody and everything you love. But God loves you, trust Him in the middle of your pain and ask Him to help you through it.
PRAYER: Lord, I am discouraged and weary. Life isn’t going as I hoped or planned. It seems like you are so far away from me and uncaring. I know that isn’t true, but it feels like it. Help me to praise you in the middle of the pain. Help me to trust you when all I trusted in seems to be failing.
Restore my trust in You where I have allowed doubts and anger to destroy it. Show me that you truly are God, You are real, You are powerful and You are sovereign over my life. Please show me where my assumptions about You as God are off and teach me who You really are. Please God, help my suffering to not be in vain but to be used to build me up and strengthen me that I might in turn strengthen others.
