Isaiah 55:6 – Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (NKJV)

I have a number of hobbies which occupy my limited free time. One of them is doing needlepoint pictures. During the winter evenings, I will work on those, quite often while watching some television, or just in the quiet of the room. It is a very rewarding way to pass the time. I have done at least one every winter for many, many years. I did one for each of our grandchildren when they were small — pictures of teddy bears or pet animals. I also have done a lot of landscapes and copies of famous paintings. Some I did for others, some we gave to our children, some are in our house, and a couple I gave to a church bazaar to be sold. Most, if not all of them, turned out to be quite nice.

When I am working on them, I have to look at the back side every time I finish a thread, and then, I see the unidentifiable jumble of threads and the patchwork of the completed areas of the picture. It is only when I turn it over that I see the true picture and what it is going to be or what it is as a finished product.

There are times in our lives when we are bogged down by the problems facing us. It may be at work, at home, or in the church. When these problems face us, we are often inclined to look at their dark side with the unfinished story, struggling to cope as best we can, without seeking the Lord's help or looking for some good in whatever situation that we find ourselves in. But the Bible tells us that in such situations, we need to look at the other side:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, there are so many times when we fail to see the good part of life as we struggle with one thing or another. It is our prayer that You will give us the ability to look for the good in whatever situation we find ourselves in. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
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