Glass Half Full

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

I’m a glass half full kinda girl. Give me a set of circumstances and I, looking through rose-colored glasses find the good.  But as I read these passages this morning I found myself focusing on the half empty part.

The first passage brought back to mind the ways that God has been with us as we passed through deep waters, rivers of difficulty and fires of oppression.  So, come what may, we will not be consumed.  Okay, God – I trust You!

An hour later, I encountered the second passage.  Maybe God is trying to tell me something?

Rather than the statements that Paul made about what we are (which would usually be the positives) I focused on the statements Paul made about what we are not. You know, the glass half empty part.

But what are we not? We are not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned and not destroyed.

So today, I turn in my positives and embrace the negatives. Those things that I am not. Through these times I am also not left alone (He will be with me), I will not drown, I will not be burned up, I will not be consumed.

God, thank you for Your loving-kindness and Your promises that comfort me as I face whatever the coming days bring.