iRockYouth

What does that phrase, "Every cloud has a silver lining" mean? I looked it up and this is what I got:

It is always possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant, difficult

or even painful it might seem.

Is this always true? Is there always some positive aspect to the bad situations we find ourselves in?

What are some recent bad situations you have been in? Was there something

positive about it? If so, what was it?

This weekend our community was forced to endure a horrific tragedy. What a test for this saying. What good can come out of one human being violently killing several others? Just uttering the question seems ridiculous, nothing good can come out of such a situation. However, I think there is a silver lining here.

Read with me Isaiah 43 (It's gonna be a little long, so stick with me)

But now thus says the LORD,

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you..."

Isaiah 43:1-3

Now, you might be a bit confused by the use of "waters" and "fire". In the time Isaiah was written water represented chaos and fire represented suffering. So, with that knowledge, reread those verses...What is God saying? I can tell you what He's not saying. He's not saying, "It's most likely your life is going to be just hunky dory." Notice He says, "When you pass through the waters..." and "When you walk through the fire..." This theme is littered throughout the Bible (Matthew 10:22-25, 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:5). We will experience hard times. So, where is the hope? It is in this:

Because you are precious in my eyes,

and honored, and I love you...

Isaiah 43:4

The silver lining of this miserable cloud is this: God has chosen to love us. And not just that, because of His love He enters into our suffering, walks with us, and sees us through to the end. What comfort is this supposed to bring? It brings this hope: God is with us. When all seems bleak and hopeless. When our world has seemed to be turned upside down, and we don't see the pain ending any time soon. When we can't see the light at the end of the storm we have been forced to endure our hope comes when we feel a hand grab ours. When we are walking through the flames of suffering and hardship our longing is answered when we notice there is someone keeping our feet from the flames. Our silver lining is, though God allows us and our world to endure hard times, He is with us, even till our last breath.

This hope is most evident in a story about Jesus. In John 11 Jesus' close friend, Lazarus, dies. However, Jesus does not rush to see him. He waits a few days. After those few days he leaves for Lazarus' tomb, but on his way he is met by Lazarus' sister Martha. Martha is distraught, and in her despair she tells Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." How many of us have felt like this? "Why didn't you show up Jesus?" "Where were you?" "Don't you care?" However, Martha ends this statement with this: "But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Martha is drowning in despair, but even in the midst of that she sees Jesus as her hope. This is inspirational! And as we endure and press on Jesus is working on us and creating a heart that cries out when everything is falling apart:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 121:1

posted by Skylar # 1:46 PM 0 Comments

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Isn't It Nice to Know that the Lining Is Silver?