Isaiah 12:2,4 – Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. (ESV)

I have had a tough time lately — full-on aggravation. Prior to the purchase of our puppy, Daisy, our money was waylaid when we were scammed by a fraudulent advertisement. A fine for my speeding resulted in a mistaken 90-month ban from driving, rather than 90 days. The result was a thirteen-week correspondence with the magistrate's court, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and my Member of Parliament in an effort to get the mistake corrected. It fell to my wife Caroline to do all the driving in the summer, and she was not amused. As she felt unable to back up the trailer for passing lorries on the single-lane roads with high hedges where we go, we could not go away in the caravan (recreational vehicle), something that our family looks forward to annually.

Like being slapped in the face several times, I have been shaken by the unrelenting succession of life's little curveballs, and my ego has taken a bit of a knock. It seems that the evil one will do his best to undermine my confidence in God. He seeks to cause the faithful to doubt Jesus' love for us.

In all the turmoil, I recalled the upset from when I was made redundant ten years ago, and I found myself in danger of reliving the POMs (Poor Old Me) that I succumbed to when I left that job.

God has shown His love for us in many ways through this time. However, it seems to have taken a little longer than my faith would like to stretch.

Through it all, God has provided a way. The bank has repaid most of the money taken from us, which enabled us to buy Daisy. The court and DVLA have apologized, my driver's license has been reissued, and I am back on the road again.

My granddaughter, Anastasia, was born in July, and afterwards, we had a short holiday break to a place that was a short walk away from where we usually go — amazing!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 ESV)

If you are willing, come with me today to Jesus, kneel at the throne, and lay it all down. Grant Jesus the access that He needs into the downtrodden parts of your being to bring healing.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for waiting for us, who are too focused on doing life to see You as life's answer, the way. We lay down our burdens at Your feet. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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