And It Came To Pass

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

As I turned my calendar over to the month of May, the verse displayed reminding me that God is in charge no matter what we are going through.

I hope that May will be the month that He blesses us with the beauty of a world reopened. This pandemic has set the world on its side, physically, financially, and emotionally. Verse 1 of Ecclesiastes 3 says that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

COVID-19 seemed to come from out of nowhere. A couple of months ago, we could not have imagined its impact that we are now living with. This virus did not come as a surprise to our Lord, and it will be resolved in His time, but not before. He will bring beauty when He is ready.

It has been a time of tearing down (Ephesians 3:3),  but there will come a time of building up, hopefully sooner than later. I pray that our country and the other countries of the world will recover well financially and that the rebuilding of the economy will start soon.

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ephesians 3:12-13

This pandemic has shown us what is built by man can be gone in a flash. True provision comes from God, not from man. This time has definitely served to remind us of this.

This has been a time of weeping (Ephesians 3:4), but the time of laughing will come. We have cried for what’s been lost, for the hardships we are enduring today, and for the uncertainty over the future. These are scary days for many of us. It has been a time of mourning. In time, the dancing will return.

This has been a time to refrain from embracing (Ephesians 3:5), but there will come a time of embracing once again. And when that time comes, may we appreciate every hug more, and linger just a little bit longer. May we resolve to not be the first to let go of a hug in the future. People are precious, and through this time, I think a lot of us have realized just how much. The power of touch is a blessing and a healer.  

My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? Psalm 6:3

How much more can we endure?

The good news is that this too shall pass. The phrase “it came to pass” appears 452 times in the Bible. I love Comedian Mark Lowry. He says his life verse is “And it came to pass.” Boy, I must say that is one of my favorites too.

The phrase in the Bible always comes with something else. Some of it is good. Some of it, bad. Most of us believe the phrase just means, “It happened.” But if you look a little deeper, it doesn’t say, “It came to stay.” It says, “It came to pass.” Praise God!

I can’t tell you how many times in my life I couldn’t wait for something to pass. When I could not hold on for one more minute, in God’s faithfulness, it passed.

I have rested in His promises that He would never leave us nor forsake us no matter what happens. He has walked with me through fire more times than I can remember.

Time and time again, either God healed me, helped me or held me when I needed Him. I KNOW He will do it again. Sometimes He did all three at the same time. It came to pass. Through each hardship, He has taught me something, or tried to. Sometimes I know I missed it, but He’s never given up on me. He promises He never will.

As I look back, I can say my success rate for getting through the hard times up to this point has been 100%. This is not because of anything I did, but because of Who my Big, Big God is. I am still here, pushing on because He is here with me. I am sure many of you can say the same.

God knows. And these hard times will either pass, or He will hold us one day at a time while we endure them together. Even if enduring them together means that we are enduring them apart.

While bad things are coming to pass in our lives, so are good things, like all the indescribably happy times with family and friends, even via Zoom; and more blessings than we can conceivably count in our lifetimes. He is carrying us through one day at a time. Such is the abundant life that God intends for us to have.

No matter what comes to pass, there is one thing that will never pass. It spans all space and time. And that is the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If you do not know Christ as your Savior, I urge you to accept Him today. Ask Him to come into your heart. Believe that He is the perfect Son of God who died to take your sin away. Commit to follow and serve Him for the rest of your life. I promise you will never be sorry. The Bible does not promise an easy road, but help to live each day through a relationship with Jesus. Frankly, I cannot imagine going through life without Him.

When I wake up with the weight of this pandemic sitting squarely on my chest, He is there waiting for our morning walk together. I have to give Him that burden every day or it would crush me. Isn’t it time you let Him carry your burdens too? 

Dear Lord: Thank You for Your faithfulness. You are our hope when we face trials we can’t bear, our help when we have nowhere else to turn. When we realize You are all we have, we find You are all we need. Please be with those reading this today who can’t hold on for one more minute. May they find comfort and peace, as I have, in Your loving arms. Amen 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. 1 Peter 5:10

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost. Please share your thoughts, comments and encouragement for others by replying below. May God hold you and your family close as the trials of COVID-19 come to pass.

About Sharon Hawkins

Sharon Hawkins wants others to know that she is totally in love with Jesus. Through hardships, trials and blessings, she has learned that there is no end to His mercy, His grace and His faithfulness. There’s simply no better friend than Jesus. In 2008, she answered God’s calling to begin a Ministry called Grace in The Wilderness. She loves to encourage other people, and, through the Ministry’s Newsletters and Conferences, she and others are challenging women and teens to discover Christ in a new and deeper way, who they are in Him and His plan for their lives. She has been a business owner for the last twenty years. Five years ago, she learned about forgiveness at a new level with the betrayal of a close friend who embezzled from her business and was sent to prison. Sharon has experienced God’s incredible grace through adversity during breast cancer and melanoma diagnoses and multiple surgeries that have perpetuated a continuing painful nerve illness. Both cancers were stage 1 and she has now been cancer free for four years. Her cancer journey is chronicled at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sharonhawkins. Recently, she sold a large part of her business as God has prepared her to turn a page in her life and focus more on ministry. With God’s amazing provision and the support of her wonderful friends and family—husband, Scott, and sons, Taylor and Bradley, Sharon is, not only surviving her wilderness one day at a time, but finding that His grace is more than sufficient no matter what.

Comments

And It Came To Pass — 5 Comments

  1. To everything, turn,turn, turn, there is a season …..

    And in every season there is ONE CONSTANT — The Father!

    Thanks, dear friend!

  2. Sharon,

    Thanks for sharing this timely post on this beautiful day that the Lord has made!
    Every day is beautiful knowing The Lord is in control!

    Blessings to you as you bless so many,
    Connie

  3. Thank you so much, Angie, for writing to me. I am sorry I did not see this before now. You are so precious to me, and I am so thankful for your friendship and encouragement. God has great plans for you, and I know He will continue to watch over you. Love you! Just down the road if you ever need me!

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