Punishing winds to guide or to grow

Running is my time. It's my time with God. It's my time to be quiet. Something neither I, nor those around me, do very often. When I'm quiet, I can hear Him. And I purposely ask Him to speak to me when I"m on a run. I love how He answers prayers.

Do you ever feel like you're being punished? Like God is against you? Like everything is "going wrong"? Do you ever feel like you are hitting wall after wall? Sometimes adversity is for our gain and can strengthen us and draw us nearer to God and teach us perseverance; grow us. Yet, other times, adversity may be from God Himself and not for our growth, but instead for our awareness and hopefully to alert us of where we are going "off course". So I'll ask you today to read with discernment of what I share into your own situation--what type of adversity are you facing today? Is it for your growth or for your warning to guide you in His ways rather than you own?

I know He's spoken this to my heart before, but today it was another reminder. When I ran with the wind, it was as if it pushed me on, led me, guided me...like it was FOR me. Yet, with the rain pelting me in my face and the harsh early spring wind wildly punishing my body, it was as if the exact opposite happened when I turned. The wind, the rain, the hills, it ALL was against me. Or, was it that I had turned the wrong way? See, I believe what God was asking me to do was to talk to Him and examine myself. He was asking me to examine my heart, my mind, my motives, my actions, my words. He was leading me to ask, "God, in what ways am I turned from you? In what areas of my heart and mind am I going AGAINST you instead of running WITH you?"

So, today, my prayer is that we can ask that question together. That we can ask God to reveal to us in what areas of our lives we are turned from Him and ask Him to give us the wisdom and strength to turn back and go His way, to run with Him! Are your punishing winds guiding you or growing you? Maybe you just need to "turn around" in some areas of your life so that you aren't facing the punishing winds at all:)

Blessings,

Abi