His Love Endures Forever.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Last Tuesday I went to the Port Shepstone Office of home affairs. I had my application to extend my visa until the middle of April denied. I was told that if I didn't make change my flight home to before 14th March (6 months since arriving here) I'd be going home in time for Christmas. In medical terms this was like a kick in the teeth. I'd planned to stay until the middle of April and holiday after my stay at Rehoboth, but instead I'm now coming home on the 15th March. Now, people have told me how gutted I must feel at this news. However, when weighed against the possibility of returning before Christmas, I look at the extension of the 2 extra months as a blessing rather than a curse for missing 2 weeks.

God obviously has a plan for me, or else I wouldn't be returning in March. I just have to be patient and see where he guides me. I'm not stressed, I'm not gutted, I'm not downbeat. I'm positive, I'm seizing the day, I'm not worrying.
I read the Bible verse at the top on Sunday morning at church and just had to smile. I just flicked to the page and it just jumped out. and I had to ask myself the question,

"What do I have to complain about?"

And after much embarrasment and searching the answer was, "Absolutely nothing!".

So, I'm going home 2 weeks early. My initial disappointment had distracted me from the important fact. God has been so fantastic to me. He has blessed my life more ways than I can count. Wherever I look I see the evidence of his hand guiding me and watching over me.
I'm alive, I'm not dying, I am happy, I have friends, I have a loving family, I am in a beautiful country, I am surrounded by beautiful children every day, I am enveloped with God everyday, I go to a brilliant church with people hungry for the word of God, rather than a church hungry for the roast after church. I have absolutely no reason to feel down, and every reason to rejoice in the Lord.

That is why I intend in everything I do, to give thanks to the Lord for he is good. And that's why you should.

Forget the fact that you haven't got all your presents for Christmas sorted and remind yourself of the fact that you're blessed enough to have people to give gifts to. Forget the fact that the next door neighbours light's are better than yours and rejoice in the fact that you have a place to put the lights. God sees and provides and that has never been more evident than here at Rehoboth. We need money for something and the money comes in. We pray and God provides. This alone is evidence enough of how God's faithful love endures forever but coupled with my personal experiences and blessings, my heart rejoices in the goodness of God and how he guides the lives of everyone, whether it be here at Rehoboth or you at home reading this.

That is why I'm not downbeat about the visa. When I look back at the blessings I've received, how can I be downbeat? I am instead upbeat at where God's faithful love will lead me next.

I feel like the psalmist at the time of writing psalm 34;

"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth"

Until next week,

Rob