Earlier this week, my family got hit by the flu bug.
You might know the type – vicious vomiting, unsettled stomach, chills and hot spells and other bodily activity uncomfortable even to write about in this blog.
Predictably, once one person in the household got it, the destructive beast made its way to the other members of our home.
Thankfully, the flu worked its evil ways but left our family with enough time to recover right before Christmas can be celebrated. Now, we can gather with our relatives and still rejoice in this blessed season, enjoying full health while knowing we are not at risk of infecting anyone.
That’s the silver lining about enduring such a horrendous bout of sickness. Whether it be a virus, food poisoning or any other bug that ravages your system, once it’s gone, you feel so reinvigorated.
The return of a full appetite, a sense of humor, some pep in your step so you can exercise once again – whatever it is, it’s so nice to have. The bad goes out, the good comes in.
God reveals this message, too, through various stages of history in the Bible, reminding us of His love and presence all throughout periods of difficulty.
Whatever the example, He teaches us to stay the course on His path, assuring us we will find greener pastures in our lives. (Psalm 23:1-6)
I was reminded of this recently while reading to our sons the story of Noah’s Ark.
I recalled how the world was filled with such sin that God decided to destroy the evil and build His beautiful creation back up again. (Genesis 6-9)
That rebirth and renewal of the world is one example of how God always makes good outcomes of bad happenings, so long as we are open to receiving them.
It’s at this time of year we turn our attention to another instance of God conquering evil.
The birth of Jesus ushers in a new life for all of us to appreciate, empowering us to change our negative ways while inspiring us to return to the perfect form we received at the time of our creation.
Through Christ, we see God’s presence always – even in suffering – and we are motivated to recognize how, with Jesus, we can overcome even the darkest of days in order to feel abundant brightness. (Hebrews 2:10)
As He taught during His time on earth, Jesus offers us the way, the truth and the life we require to escape from our struggles or confusion.
Devoting our life to Him can help us feel such rejuvenation, gaining the strength needed to face all of our troubles head-on and put them behind us.
God's Giveaways 