How Far We've Come

Happy New Year! As we look back and reflect on the past year, let us not forget how far God has brought us. It's so easy to dwell on what we didn't like about the last year instead of recognizing how far we've come:

Brokenness exchanged for beauty.

Depression turned into deliverance.

Stress exchanged for rest.

Pain turned into praise.

Fear exchanged for faith.

Struggles turned into strength.

Bitterness changed to believing.

Tears turned into trusting.

Hurt turned into healing.

Psalm 40:1-3, 5

1. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

5. Many O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done...

Maybe you didn't leap into this new year with a smile on your face, thinking about how great 2019 was. Perhaps last year is a stepping stone to move you toward something new. I read a quote in a devotional that stopped me dead in my tracks walking into the new year. It simply said, "God will not waste your pain." So wherever you came from, God had a part in bringing you through it. There was a purpose for the pain. God has a plan; He's not done with you yet. It's easy for us to forget the huge role God plays in our lives. As Christians, we like to think if we overcome a struggle or we come out on the other side of a valley, it was by our own doing. NOT TRUE. God is with us, whether we acknowledge Him or not. There's no way I could have made it through some of the trials in my life without the gentle leading of the Lord.

Isaiah 43: 2-When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

The children of Israel walked across the Red Sea on dry ground. The three Hebrew boys were thrown into a fiery furnace and walked out without the smell of smoke. David defeated Goliath with one stone and a sling. Esther came before her king with the knowledge she could be put to death. God is always with us. Through the storms and the fire, He is walking alongside us. Look at the mountains we've climbed...because God pulled us up. Look at the valleys we crossed...because God led us through. Look at the pain we endured...because God was the heart healer. Look at the anxiety we pushed through...because God gave us rest. Look at how far we've come...because of God's grace.

Each year you wait

and you anticipate

What God has in store

But it's not always what you're looking for

You walk through the fire

You wade through the water

You stumble through the valley

And wonder where God is

He's been there all along

Whispering,

"Look how far we've come.

See where I brought you from?

I was with you every step of the way.

You made it through by grace."

-KBT

When we look back on how far we've come, we can only point to God. We can't give ourselves any credit. He did the work. Look at how far you've come. Maybe an inch, maybe a mile, but the distance doesn't matter. How far you've come is personal. Only you know your struggles and your joys. Only you know how God pulled you through and gave you a new song. As we enter 2020, let's look back on how far God has brought us since last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMA8-fSQLnA