Look down and then up … (HT: CJ Mahanney)

I was blessed yet again by another CJ Mahanney essay and thought it might encourage you too:

Shifting Ground–Finding Joy in Adversity

Let me tempt you with just a snippet:

“How about you? Are you personally experiencing a season of adversity with no end in sight? If so, rather than peering into the future trying to predict the concluding date of the trial, I recommend you look down and then up.

Look down and realize a transition is under way to shift the ground of your joy ‘from created things to the Creator.’ Then look up and delight in the Lord himself. Contemplate his changeless character and the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Then—dependent upon God’s grace—obey this command given for our good and his glory. Rejoice as you realize afresh you are doing much better than you deserve.

This will not alter the severity of your trial, but it will transform your perspective and strengthen your soul for the trial.”