Finding God's Presence ~ So Are the Days of Our Lives

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor

Like Paul, I'm beginning to move forward. 

Paul wrote, Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).  

Never before have these familiar words meant so much to me. Never before have I put my hand to the plow and gripped it with such determination.

If God be for us, who can be against us?

You're going to laugh - I hope you laugh. As I was writing the previous paragraph, from deep within my memories I heard the following: "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." Are you old enough to remember that line? It's the opening line of the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives. 

Who knows why my brain triggered this response to understanding God's sovereignty , but hey, why not? Let's go with it.

I was actually thinking of a puzzle when that memory popped up: like pieces to a puzzle, so is the hand of God arranging our lives. I love the Lord's sense of humor, and I love how He gives us visuals to understand His lessons of grace. 

Our days tick away one by one, but unlike the soap opera, our days tick away with purpose. Each grain of sand and each puzzle piece is placed by His sovereign hand, right on time - a perfect fit, with a desired result.

I have a crazy quilt that my great-grandmother, Nancy Benson quilted almost one hundred years ago. Odd pieces of fabric butt against one another. Various colors of embroidery floss weave their magic, securing the scraps and creating a glorious masterpiece.

Faith is like that. Faith in a sovereign God is absolutely like that. 

When we give Him the odd pieces - the scraps - of our lives and trust Him to secure the pieces together and create a masterpiece, we're walking in the knowledge of who He is and not in the knowledge of our circumstances. 

Knowing that God is creating a masterpiece from our brokenness enables us to accept His sovereignty and His authority, to believe His promise to work everything together for our good.

Faith is like that. Faith in a sovereign God is absolutely like that.

(This is an excerpt from my book, 

The Perils of a Pastor's Wife, 

 releasing June 30th. 

This passage is taken from chapter eleven: 

If God Be For Me.)

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

What does God's sovereignty have to do with me? @NanJones shares personal stuff.(Click to Tweet)

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When pastors and their wives step out as ministry partners all hell breaks loose. When the Word of God is preached with power and boldness, the devil attacks. Nan Jones understands the frustrations and stress pastors' wives face. She's experienced the pressures and loneliness that comes from ministry burnout, social isolation, frantic schedules, and unrealistic expectations.

If you're a pastor's wife struggling with your calling, Nan presents a lifeline of hope and encouragement. The Perils of a Pastor's Wife will guide you through the calamities of life and restore your confidence in God's purpose and plan for your life and ministry.

The Perils of a Pastor's Wife will connect with you on many levels. My greatest desire is that you, my sister, will know that somewhere, somehow, someone knows. You are not alone. 

The Perils of a Pastor's Wife

releases on June 30, 2015

To preorder visit Amazon