Job 29:2 NASB - "2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me;"

During times of loss it is hard not to think back to the months gone by when it seemed that God was watching and caring for me in the daily routines of life.  We hunger for them to return. But they never can for in what we have lost, we have also lost the ingredients that made that particular life possible.

Strangely, at such times when things were going fairly well, we took them for granted to a large extent.  We might have had a moment or two of thanksgiving and praise but for the most part the normal was accepted as normal.  It seemed steady and routine.  Dependable and safe was our day to day existence and we even worried about getting bored.

Then everything changed with the crisis and the loss.  Normal was lost and we were thrown into an angry ocean of confusing events.  We are struggling to keep our heads above water and how could we not long for the days gone by, when it seemed we were more carefully being watched over by a loving God.

How should we respond to this?

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NET - "14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds."

James 1:2-4 NET - "2 My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything."

We have to be agnostic about the future for we never know if a day will be one of property or adversity.  The best laid plans of human beings cannot keep adversity from coming into our lives.  So there is no way to have power and control over what will occur.

The confidence we can have is that God is working to make even the painful and difficult times work together for good (Romans 8:28).  The greatest good is for us develop a good character that reflect the Lord Jesus.  This is the ultimate goal of God.  For us to reflect Jesus back into the creation.

So it is natural for us to look back and remember good days when we are being hit hard.  But it is also important that while we cannot see the future we can trust the one who controls the future.

Prayer: Let me remember and praise you for past days when I experienced your blessing and watchful eye.  But let me see that even on my worst day, nothing can separate me from your love or purpose for my life   Lord have mercy on me and help me to walk by faith and love before your face.