In our lives, most of us will have our circumstances turned around many times.  The downturns may be beyond our control and independent of our personal actions.  Life’s lessons must be learned.  If we fail to learn them during the good times, the Father will take us over the same track again and again, until we learn what He is trying to teach us.

The first time He tries to press a lesson home to our hearts, it can be in the quiet of our room as we meditate.  A thought is pressed on our minds that we may dismiss as inconsequential, something we don’t wish to deal with at that moment, if ever.  Time goes along, and soon you’ll hear that very thought spoken aloud by a trusted friend or authority figure. God is raising His voice in your life, trying to get your attention and tell you that now is the time to deal with this issue.  But your pride is hurt and you decide to blow off the opinion of this person.  What do they know anyway? It’s your life and it’s been going along just fine.

Nope, wrong answer.  This issue is not going to go away.  Jesus, the Father, God, Providence, the Powers That Be, whatever you wish to call it, has decided that this is the time, right here and right now, for you to deal with yourself.  The next time, and there will be a next time, it will surface as a full blown, most likely, public trial guaranteed to get your attention.  The Father will take us round and round an issue until we surrender the idol He is asking for, along with our pride. Those who refuse to be taught by any means will eventually make a shipwreck of their lives, with the loss of all they hold dear.

Working on ourselves can be the toughest job of all, so be kind to those who are going down the hard roads.  Learn from the example of others. Pray that when the Lord deals with you, that you will listen quickly, and if you fail to notice His quiet calls to reform your life, that as you travel down the hard road, you will be rewarded for the kindnesses you have shown.