I’ve been thinking a lot recently about why things happen. Good things, bad things, and all of the in-between things. Sometimes there is no obvious rhyme or reason for why certain events occur in our lives. We’re all just kind of forced to deal with it, even when we don’t know where to begin. Our lives are full of things that throw us off guard or confuse us. But, when I start to get frustrated with all of the confusion and uncertainty in my life, I force myself to remember what I have grown up believing: everything happens for a reason.

In this life, with our God, nothing is random. When I sleep through my 8 AM class, that’s not random. When I find a penny on the ground and pick it up for good luck, that’s not random either. Sometimes, even when it seems like these small things that happen in our lives seem out of place or strange, all of it fits into His plan for us. Just like Jeremiah 29:11 tells us,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It is important to remember that our God is not a God of confusion, but a God of clarity and peace. We are His children, and He doesn’t want us to lead lives of frustration and anxiety. If you are confused or lost, pray for answers. Search for clarity and you will receive it. I often have to remind myself of this, because just like everyone else, I’m human. We are given this wide range of emotions that are a part of who we are. It’s okay to initially feel angry or mad when something bad happens. It’s only natural. But we must remember to not dwell on that anger. Dwelling on it will only make us feel worse and hold a grudge. We have to remember to pray, and cast all of our worries and fears onto the Lord. He cares for us, and He wants to see us prosper and lead lives that are full of His love and grace. He will deliver the clarity we wish for if we only remember to ask for it.  The Lord wants us to become people with full hearts and minds, and we can only do that with the help of His grace and wisdom.

Now I want to share the song of the post, but I also want to talk about it more in depth, since it relates pretty well with this post’s topic. So the song I picked is “Freedom” by Urban Rescue. The song begins by saying, “Step out of the shadows / Come out of the grave … Grace is waiting for you“. These opening lines exemplify that the darkness that may confine you should not hold you back from knowing the grace of the Lord. His love and light are greater than any darkness that you face. The chorus sings the lines, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is / There is freedom, there is freedom / Come out of the dark, just as you are / Into the fullness of His love / Oh, the Spirit is here, let there be freedom“. The lyrics of the chorus resonate with me more than any lines in the song. They tell how wherever the Lord is, there is freedom for His people. The beautiful part about that is the Lord’s spirit is everywhere. No matter where we are or how far we run, His love always outruns us and sets us free. There’s another line of the song that says, “Dance like the weight has been lifted“. I think that fits quite well with this post. If you think of that “weight” as all your troubles, worries, anxieties or fears that weigh on you, the Lord is lifting them off your shoulders and making you whole again. I think that’s pretty special. If you just think, we have this amazing God who is willing to take away all our worries and set us free. Whose love always outruns us, and finds us in even the furthest corners of the world. Who loves and cares about us so much that He died on a cross just to know us. That kind of unconditional love never fails.

Even though this was just a short post, it serves as a reminder to always trust in Him. He always has our back, no matter what.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Much Love,

Emily