The Thorn In My Flesh

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV  (7)  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  (8)  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  (9)  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul is sharing in these verses that he has a thorn in his flesh that he says was given to him by God. In the previous verses he explains that he has a reason to boast because of all that he has accomplished, yet he chooses to boast in Jesus.(2 Cor 12:5-6)

We all have some form of thorn that should keep us on our knees begging Jesus to heal us. Often it is marriage or family issues, financial situations we can't control, or even serious health conditions. Whatever the thorn is, God tells us that His grace is sufficient for it. Though we may think otherwise, the Father knows best what we need.

Weakness in the world is looked down on. How many of us that have children encourage them to grow up weak? It doesn't happen. We want them, (as well as ourselves) to get good grades in school, go off to college, find a great career that will afford them the things we may or may not be able to accomplish. But weakness??? That isn't even in our thoughts. Paul tells us that God's power in us is made perfect when we are weak.

Often when I am in groups of people and we are praying I hear prayers asking God to remove this problem or that problem. As did Paul... They are genuine prayers asking our Lord for help. But far too often I see frustration, discouragement, and sometimes hostility towards God from the seekers when the problem or ailment isn't removed. Paul tells us "That His grace is sufficient."

What is the sufficiency of God's grace in our lives? How is that to bring me comfort?

When I think about the life of Paul I think of a superhero of the faith. He is to Christianity what Lance Armstrong is to cycling. Strong, persistent, well trained, focused, diligent, and committed 100%. It is easy to read over a verse like this and say, "well this is Paul talking, a super apostle."Often I forget to look at my own life story. I miss the blessings I have had through his grace because I am so caught up in the thorn in my flesh I forget to look back on what God has delivered me from and how He has sustained me. The word sufficient means this: enough to meet the needs of a situation.

God's grace is enough. He showers us in it and we complain that what we are going through isn't coming to an end. Paul shares with us that the thorn was never removed, yet he pressed on. Today I am encouraged by this. I will press on in Christ Jesus. Looking not at the thorn that He, in His sovereign love, has chosen for me to bear. But at the amazing Grace He promises me as I press into Him through my weakness.

I pray today that you can look to Jesus as you work through your challenges. Realizing that He is sufficient to relieve the stress, anxiety, depression, and difficulties that come from that thorn he so graciously chose to give you. May you see His face shine on you as you draw closer to Him.

Be Blessed!

Dealing With An Oops!

From time to time everyone encounters an "oops!" You know what I mean. The car won't start, the refrigerator is left open and the food spoils. Some oops are bigger than others. There are also oops of gigantic proportion. These oops often occur to our health and our jobs.


How do you deal with the oops of cancer or of your house foreclosing? Or the oops of a sick child?

You have stories in your life that are similar to mine. You have stories that are unique as well. We all could sit down and share a story or two, or forty... of things that we could consider an oops.

Telling our story doesn't help us deal with the oops of life but it does give us opportunity to reveal the common thread in all of our lives. That thread is intertwined from person to person, generation to generation. It is seamlessly woven from the beginning of time until now. It has never had a time throughout history where the thread has ever been broken.

I would think that the story of oops began with the fall of Lucifer. Eventually leading to the sin of Adam and now, fast forward to today. It continues throughout the lives of all people who, apart from God are nothing.

So what is the correct response to oops? This may seem like such a ridiculous notion, but I see it to be rejoice. The idea of rejoicing during times that just don't seem to work out is not new. It is Biblical. Paul says in the book of Colossians that he rejoices in what had been suffered to them. In the book of Philippians he says he rejoices in all things.

There are more. However I think that all the verses in the Bible could be written on this page regarding this subject and unless one truly understands rejoicing in trials, they would just be that... words on a page.

The heart is a tricky thing sometimes. It brings us great joy and often turmoil. It helps us feel love and hatred. The heart, when desiring to please God, sees an oops as an opportunity to see His hand at work. If we believe Him, then we believe He is good and His ways are perfect.

Are you going through an oops right now. If not, just give it a few minutes. You will be. We all have circumstances that cause us to question God's goodness and if we allow it, every single oops will show us how he loves us and turns everything to good regardless of how it may appear at the time.

• When you get the flat tire on the highway - Praise God
• When you lose your job - Praise God
• When you go to the hospital and are diagnosed with an illness - Praise God
• When you neighbor brings you grief - Praise God
• When you lose a child to a tragic death - Praise God

I am not talking about pretending that what happens in life is trivial and we shouldn't grieve. Absolutely we should. God loves to hear us cry out to him and acknowledge his goodness in times of trouble. He loves us so much that he will always comfort us and turn every oops from bad to good. From evil to righteous. From painful to healing.

How do we deal with an oops? By loving God, praising God, trusting God, and expectantly waiting to see His good and mighty hand work all things together for good for those who love him and area called according to his purpose...

That's how to deal with an oops.

Blessings,

Keith

Freedom In Christ: Joy in Suffering - Part 2

Col 1:11-12 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

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In this weeks Freedom in Christ, I want to dispel the myth that suffering in the life of a believer is the punishment or wrath of God. Whenever a person goes through a difficult time there is always someone sitting along the roadside to point out that the cause of this difficulty must be sin. "God is punishing you for something," they will say. When a small child gets cancer, another earthquake occurs around the world, or one of us simply loses a job or finds themselves in financial hard times, it is not the wrath of God in our lives.

Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth that suffering is punishment, and here is why. Jesus came into the world to take the punishment from sin and death for us. God's wrath was poured out on Him on the cross for all of mankind. He is our propitiation.

The first three chapters of Romans spell out quite clearly that we are all deserving of the wrath of God. Jew and gentile alike are condemned due to our corruption, our sin, and our disobedience. But there is good news... in spite of us falling short of the glory of God, Jesus became the recipient of our punishment (Rom 3:23-25). We will all struggle, we will all have hard times, and we will all die. It is just the facts!

Suffering doesn't serve the wrath of God, but it does serve a purpose of God.

Rom 5:3 tells us that we rejoice in our sufferings and our sufferings produce endurance, our endurance produces character, and our character produces hope. What good is it in our life if we are immune to difficulties? If we are a witness to God almighty and His glorious work, and we live like our neighbor who has rejected God and lives for himself, then where is the hope. If God only gives us nice things, and our neighbor has nice things already, then he can take the credit as we give the credit to God.

But what happens when we rejoice in our sufferings? What happens when an ungodly world sees Christians having hope in the midst of difficulty and trials. What happens when we are giving praise to God when our teenager dies 70 years early, or our house gets foreclosed on, or we are diagnosed with a brain tumor? What happens is that those people around us who have never understood the grace of God begin to see it. They see our hope. They see our character. They see Jesus.

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ

Today I encourage you to mentally and spiritually prepare for trials and suffering. If you have not seen much difficulty in your life then praise God. There is a season for everything in this life and one day we will all experience difficulties. If we prepare our hearts and get the right perspective then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will be able to dwell in our hearts.

If you are experiencing difficulties, in addition to turning your pain over to Jesus, I encourage you to join the World Wide Prayer Network. (If you are a facebook user) This is a place to share your prayer requests and pray for others.

Blessings to you as you give Him praise in all circumstances.

Keith

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Freedom In Christ: Joy In The Midst Of Suffering

The title of today's post may seem like an oxymoron to many people. How is one to experience joy in the midst of suffering? It almost seems like an insult to suggest to someone to find joy in their trials and suffering... and to one who hasn't experienced the transforming power of Christ, it very well may be. In this post today I can hardly expect to tackle all of the challenges that come from suffering and how we will find the Joy of the Lord in them. So, I will continue on pursuing this topic again in future posts as the Lord leads.

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Pure Joy is exactly what Jesus offers us when we find our freedom in Him (John 15:10-11; John 17:13; 1Pet 1:8; ). We are free to experience the joy of the Lord in the midst of suffering because we understand, as followers of Christ, we are to share in his sufferings (2Cor 1:5; Phil 3:10). Now this Biblical truth may be absolutely foreign to many Christians, because most American churches don't often teach about finding our joy in Christ in the midst of trials and suffering. We live in a culture that does everything in its power to avoid suffering and pain, therefore, as Christians we often believe God is there to assist in that goal. But joy in our trials is not a new truth by any means. We are told in the book of Acts that through many trials we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

So how do we find joy in the midst of suffering? I believe first and foremost we need to understand that God has a plan and purpose in all of our lives (Jer 29:11; Zech 8:15; ). Whether in success or failure, good times or bad, God is doing a work that will ultimately bring glory to Him and good for us. Secondly we are not always able to understand His ways of working (Job 42:1-3; Isa 55:8-9; Ecc 7:14). And third, we must come to the understand that God is good (Psa 100:5; Psa 118:1) and He works all things together for our good (Rom 8:28-29).

When we begin to understand that different forms of suffering in our life is inevitable, then we are able to draw near to God rather that blame Him. God does allow us to go through pain and suffering for our good and here are some reasons why. (I will use the word trials for simplicity sake)

• Trials strengthen our faith (1Pet 1:6-7)
• Trials are predetermined by God (1Thes 3:3; 1Pet 4:19)
  
• Trials bring about perseverance (Rom 5:3)
  
• Trials build endurance (Jam 1:3-4)
• Trials defeat arrogance and bring humility (2Cor 12:7-10)
  
• Trials cause us to rely on God (Psa 118:5)
  
• Trials allow us to receive the crown of life (James 1:12)

When suffering and trials become a way for us to build us up in our relationship with Christ we are able to look at them differently. "So where is the joy?" you ask.

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

When we believe the Word of God to be true, when we understand that God is working for our good, when we rely on Him for our source of strength, then we are confident that God will fill us with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.. Rom 15:13

Joy in the midst of suffering is not an immediate response in our life. It comes by being grounded in the Word and rooted in Jesus Christ. As you ponder and pray over today's post I encourage you to seek the Lord in your trials and ask Him to fill your heart with joy.

Until next week, I pray that you seek joy in Him as you face trials of many kinds.

Blessings,
Keith

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The Lasting Effects Of Childhood Trauma

There is nothing more sacred than the innocence of a small child. Lori and I will often stop what we are doing just to watch a little boy or girl in the mall or grocery store who is doing something silly. There is such a purity about small children. To see their inquisitive minds going a mile a minute asking all sorts of important questions just melts my heart and makes me feel like I just want to have a house full of little ones once again.

Jesus has a place in His heart for the children as well. Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

Unfortunately we live in a time where the lives of little children seem to have very little value. Nearly five children die every day as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4. A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds in this country. And the statistics go on and on. Sexual abuse, drug use, criminal behavior, and neglect affect our little ones in ways we can't even imagine. Childhood trauma has lasting effects on our children and we must take a stand to help alleviate it and it's effects.

I grew up experiencing such trauma in my life for many years. Suffering for me began at a very young age and came in a variety of ways. Though it was many years before I even understood what the word suffering meant, the process of destruction in my life had already been put into place. I believe it began around the age of four or five. I became the victim of childhood sexual abuse from a neighbor who was a school teacher. A person in my life that one should be able to trust caused some of the most severe emotional pain I have ever encountered. The effects of this on my life have played out for many years in the form of anger and hostility towards others. Isolation and feelings of anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. Abuse of alcohol and drugs... Not a day goes by that I don't experience some effect from being abused early on in my life.

But through it all I have found hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. He promises to restore your soul and bind up the wounds of the past. All we need to do is turn our heart toward Him and receive his grace and healing... and find a really good therapist :)

Rev 21:4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

Jer 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

Ps 147:3 ​​​​​​​​He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Have you suffered from past trauma? Does the thought of getting through a day sometimes seem so overwhelming that lying on the floor staring at the ceiling seems like a better option? Have people told you to just "get over it?" If so my heart goes out to you today. No one can understand the effects of this kind of life except for our Lord and Savior. Turn to Him, read His Word and meditate on His promises, and look to those who can help you in your healing process.

I have included some verses that I hope will encourage you today. It is not an exhaustive list but I find them helpful in my daily walk with Christ. I pray you can take the time to meditate on His Word and seek the healing He so richly desires for your life.

Blessings...
Keith

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Ps 34:18 ​​​​​​​​The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Ps 34:19 ​​​​​​​​Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Ps 34:20 ​​​​​​​​He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Luke 4:18 ​​​​​​​​“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

Jas 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

1John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Rom 9:15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Rom 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

2Cor 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2Cor 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2Cor 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2Cor 1:6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 2Cor 1:7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Finding Hope In Our Struggles

Sometimes we experience a tragic event, loss of a loved one, or some form of physical suffering and we become angry and bitter. Frustration at God and those around us pours from our life like water from a faucet and the only way to close the valve is through the grace of God. I ran into a gentleman today who has experienced great loss. He had a family member die tragically and her fourteen year old son was there to witness it. Unfortunately it shook his faith to the point of bitterness towards God and anger at the church. He lost his family member, his faith, and his hope in a matter of seconds and his life will be forever changed because of it.

Has this happened in your life? Have you ever been so frustrated at God because of a tragic situation that you became angry? I know I certainly have and I believe it is a common reality we share as Christians from time to time.

2Co 4:15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 2Co 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2Co 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 2Co 4:18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

Paul says something in this part of 2Cor that took me several years to really grasp. During a difficult situation about 10 years ago He led me to these verses and I really looked them over and studied them. I had to believe that what I was going through was important to God and that His hand was working through this time in my life. A couple key words for me were "do not lose heart" and "light momentary affliction."

Paul had gone through some tremendous difficulties in his ministry and his life and for him to be able to call what he went through momentary light affliction and to not lose heart really got my attention. I wasn't sure what it was that Paul had, but I certainly wanted it. The more I studied these verses the more I began to realize what they were saying to me...

Here is my paraphrase, "Keith, what you are going through is hard, really hard. But you are going through it for a purpose and that purpose is so that my grace will be revealed to you and others. Through that grace will come overwhelming thanksgiving in your life because you aren't comparing your difficulty to the things of this world but to the things of God. Those things are unseen right now. One day they will be glorious and this trouble now will be so small in comparison to what is to come. Don't give up, don't lose your faith, and keep your eye on those eternal things."

I know that suffering is hard. I know that some who read this today are going through intense difficulties and my heart and prayers go out to you. I also know that Paul is right. I have and continue to experience God's grace daily in my struggles. I pray for you today to embrace the Lord during your difficulties, love Him with all your heart, and trust that He is working out far more than what we can see in front of us. As for the gentleman that I was talking with today. He is still bitter at God after 10 years. I encouraged him not to give up on his faith. It is between him and God now...

Lord, please help us when we suffer. Lead us through our difficulties and help us to not become angry at you and blame you for them. You are a loving kind God and we know that you care for your children. In your name, Amen

Believe In Christ - And Suffer For His Sake

Php 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

In the Western culture the thought of suffering seems to be a topic that we leave for others to discuss. Feeling good, getting what we want, and having fun are more our style. How many times have you gone to a church or a social event because it was going to be 'FUN.' Fun and excitement rule our thoughts and lives. For the most part we are exempt from famine, oppression, and other disasters. We have a few earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornado's, but the images just seem to be a blip on our television screen and we move on to the next 15 second clip. Then it is off to sports and entertainment...

I was under the impression early on in my Christian walk that if I didn't have hope in my heart, a skip in my step, and a smile on my face I wasn't being a very good Christian. But living behind a mask is quite difficult, so trying to keep people out of my inner bubble became more and more complicated. Nobody told me that when I became a Christian I was going to still experience great loss, hardships, and opposition to my faith.

It wasn't until I hit a brick wall and found myself staring into the eyes of the Savior directly that I realized that suffering wasn't only a part of life, but it was a huge part of our Christian walk.

This verse in Philippians tells us to not only that we are to believe in Him, but to suffer for His sake as well. Christ died the most horrendous death imaginable, and for us to think that we would be exempt from suffering is, well, kind of presumptuous. If we are following in the steps of our Lord then we will experience trials and suffering.

James tells us to count it all joy when we meet trials of many kinds (Jas 1:2-3) and the apostle Paul says in his letter to Timothy to "share in the suffering as a good soldier of Christ." (2Tim 2:3) All but one of the twelve apostles was martyred and numerous leaders and lay people throughout the Bible call out to the Lord because of their personal struggles and difficulties.

2Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

There is hope in the midst of suffering. When a loved one dies unexpectedly, downsizing causes you to lose your job, or your hopes and dreams seem crushed... God cares about you. It may feel like He is out there somewhere looking down or maybe even ignoring us while we suffer here on earth, but that is far from true. He cares about each and every step we take and is using it for our good purpose and His eternal glory. The key is to have faith. Faith that God loves us so much that He allowed His only Son to die for our sins. Faith that God loves us so much He will not allow us to keep walking in sin and will correct us and show us the right path. Faith that when we are burdened by the loss of a loved one He will never leave us or forsake us. When life seems too difficult and the trials are coming faster than we can bear... He will take care of us.

2Co 1:8-11 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

If we keep an eternal perspective with the end in mind rather than the immediate, we can begin to believe the promise that He will deliver us over and over again from the trials and tribulations we encounter. The Bible doesn't say it is going to be easy, but it does say that He will strengthen us, allow us to finish the race strong, and be there to welcome us home when we endure to the end.

Lord, thank you for the promise and hope that you will strengthen us when we are experiencing difficulties in our life.

Share In The Suffering Of Others

I recently posted a survey on the subject matter of suffering for the purpose of gathering some insight as to how people handle suffering in their life. It was an enlightening experience and I would have to say that though none of the responses surprised me, I was moved by the trials that people close to me have encountered in their life. You see, for the most part the ones who took the survey are all people I know pretty well. It was done anonymously so I don't know anything specific about any one particular individual, but what I do know is that there is a lot of pain and healing in and amongst those I am close to.

This brief survey caused me to ask myself a few questions and one of them I want to address in this post today. The question is "Why are we so reluctant to share our suffering with other people?" This passage in Romans says that if we share in the suffering of Christ we are indeed heirs with Him.

Rom 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

And Galatians tells us to bear one another's burdens. How can we bear each others burdens if we are reluctant to share them with one another?

Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

I believe the motivation to keep our struggles and suffering to ourselves is complex and varies from person to person. However, I have found in my life there are two key elements that have kept me from sharing my suffering and struggles. One is pride and the other is fear.

Pride and fear are faith killers and keep us locked in the dungeon of self pity and the need for acceptance. I have gone through difficulties in the past and have been so afraid of what others might think if I shared that I would isolate myself. Ways of doing this were to stay away from the church and the friends and family I have there. To avoid getting close to people emotionally due to the fear that they might think of me as being weak for not being able to handle this particular difficulty at the time. Or even trying to pretend it isn't happening so I could get along without having to be open and vulnerable.

Pride and fear are to our spiritual health what cancer and diabetes are to our physical health. Left untreated they slowly destroy our spiritual lives and ultimately will lead to death.

We are all one body, the body of Christ. When one member is suffering or struggling with sin, temptations, or trials we all suffer together. And the fruit that comes from sharing our lives with one another comes through as rejoicing. When we all live together, pray together, cry together, and laugh together, then when we get through the time of difficulty and suffering, we can rejoice in the victory that God has done in our life... together!

1Co 12:26-27 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Share your burdens, your struggles, and your suffering with those who are close to you. I know it has allowed me to open my heart, become vulnerable and honest, and given me the opportunity to understand what it means to share in the sufferings of Christ.

Is Anything Too Hard For God?

Jer 32:17 'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Since God has created all things, is sovereign over all things, and knows all things, the question has to be asked... Is anything too hard for Him?

To make a long devotional quite short... "no," nothing is too difficult for God.

Lord, help me to trust you today in our difficulties and remember that nothing is too difficult for you. We pray for a healing right now in our lives in Jesus name, Amen

The Joy Of Trials And The Testing Of Our Faith

Isn't it a common thing for most of us to avoid trials and difficulties at any cost? I see advertisements on magazines and hear radio programs telling us how we can make everything in our life better and how we can be so very happy in this world if we just buy the right product, take the newest pill, or wear the trendy clothes. Life is about more than pills, products, and clothes, it is about showing the world that we have a faith that stands the test of time and the way to do that is to endure trials of many kinds..

Does this type of "keep my life comfortable at all costs" thinking go against scripture? James tells us in chapter one of his book that we should count it all joy to face trials of various kinds. Sounds to me that trials are something that produces steadfastness and shows us that our faith is legitimate. And in addition to the testing of our faith it produces joy.

Jas 1:2-3 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

So, what shall we do then, seek out trials to test our faith? Well, maybe... As we stretch out our Christian life to the point where we are beginning to put ourselves in situations that challenge our comfort zone I have found personally that God uses my vulnerability to bring Glory to him which produces joy in my life.

Let's look to find joy in our life today as we walk through trials with our heart pointed toward Him and our faith being strengthened by Him.

I am one of those who would rather sink with faith than swim without it. -- Stanley Baldwin

He Will Wipe Away Every Tear

Rev 21:4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

One day the trials of this life will cease. There will no longer be any pain in our lives to mourn over. No physical pain to anguish over and no emotional pain to weep over. Jesus will wipe the tears from our eyes and love us into eternity. There will be unending joy because death will be defeated and life will be triumphant... one day.

But what about today? What about the pain you and I might be going through right now? Pain from losing someone very close to us to cancer. Financial struggles and the disappointments that come from not being able to provide for your family. The thought of packing up all the bags of clothes and toys and everything you own and moving on yet again. Starting over, broken relationships, shattered dreams. These things are real and they happen to all of us eventually. There is hope that one day the tears will dry up, but until that day what do we do?

2Co 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

We seek out our comfort in Him. Jesus is our comfort and our shelter from the many storms that crash upon our shores. Not only in eternity but in the here and now. 2Cor 1 tells is that He is the Father of mercies and the God of ALL comfort. He will comfort us when our loved one dies. He will comfort us when we lose heart and don't feel like taking another breath. He will comfort you and me when trouble comes our way unexpectedly. I encourage you to turn over all your affliction to Him. Don't hold back, don't try to fix it, and just trust in Jesus. He always does what He promises, if He didn't He wouldn't be God.

Are you needing His comfort today? He is there waiting for you to cry out to Him and put all your cares and trouble on His shoulders. In addition to crying out to Jesus I encourage you to seek a friend who will pray with you today. We all go through trials in our life and Jesus wants us to be comforted and then in turn comfort others.

Cry out to Him, pray for healing, and seek out others...

Remember the words of Jesus today:

Mat 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

More resources to help those who are suffering.

When All Hell Breaks Loose

Hab 3:17-19 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places. (nasb)

A common phrase I remember hearing many times in my life was, "when all hell breaks loose." Does it ever feel like all of hell has broken loose in your life and everything seems to be chaos wherever you turn?

Every time I read the local and world news I see the effects of calamity all around us. Father's killing their children, natural disasters such as the horrendous devastation we have seen in the country of Haiti and to its people, and the seemingly relentless famine throughout the world. It is very easy to get caught up in all the devastation and turmoil as we go through each and every day and become distracted from the joy of the Lord.

These verses in chapter three of the book of Habakkuk offer us a different perspective to the subject of turmoil and difficulty in our life. Rather than allowing our difficult circumstances to cause us to question the existence of a mighty God, we shall exult and rejoice in Him during these times. Exultation during times of suffering is quite foreign in our culture. We have been so programmed to think that God is there to make our life full of joy and happiness by eliminating hardship rather than walking along side of us during it. We often forget that the entire Bible is filled with men and women of God who, during much turmoil in their life, continue to give their exultation to the Lord.

To exult means to find extreme happiness or elation. To be jubilant and full of rejoicing. To exult in something reminds me of the phrase to "leap for joy." All of the great suffering aside, there are so many little things that also seem to steal our joy and cause us to blame God and completely put aside rejoicing. Conflicts at work, difficulties in our marriage or with our children, even a long line of traffic sometimes gets us to be negative and frustrated. I am guilty myself of being frustrated many times throughout the day in little things that mean absolutely nothing but steal my joy of the Lord and cause me to grumble rather than exult in the Lord.

So, how do we exult in the Lord daily even when it seems difficult to find God, let alone rejoice in Him?

Rom 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (nasb)

The first step I believe is to have peace with God. Romans 5:1 says having been justified by faith we have peace with God. If we truly understand our sinful condition before a righteous and holy God and know the grace that He shows us by justifying us through Christ, the natural response is to rejoice in Him. Through faith alone God has justified us. He has made us holy and blameless before Him and we now are able to come into his presence forgiven and righteous ourselves because of the cross. Because of this we exult in Him. Now, onto tribulations and difficulties...

When our heart is focused on Him and on our righteousness that has been granted to us through faith, we are able to see tribulation as a way to strengthen our faith in Him rather than detract from it. Tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and proven character hope... The thing that most defines a believer in Christ from one who does not believe is hope. There is hope for the followers of Christ. Hope in things present and things to come. Hope that God is good and will prosper us. Hope that He will turn all things to good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Hope that we have an inheritance in Him for a future glory that we haven't seen yet. Hope, hope, hope. Without the hope in God we are almost certain to find the daily frustrations, the natural disasters, and the increased famine and hardships as hopeless.

God doesn't promise us that our cupboards will be full, that our bank account will have money in it, or that we will live to be a ripe old age. But he does promise us that He will always be with us, (Deut 31:6), that he will provide for all that we need, (Phil 4:18-19), and that He will fill us with joy and peace so that we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

God is good, period. But in order to bathe in His goodness when we get completely frustrated and all of hell seems to be breaking loose around us, we need to make Him the most important thing in our life. I pray that you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit today and give you a heart of exultation to Him that results in His glorious praise. Peace doesn't occur because of our efforts, but because He grants us the Holy Spirit in our lives to give us the strength to make it happen.

Rely on His strength to do a good work in your life and turn your heart and praise to Him.

Walking Through The Pain In Our Life

Sometimes we wake up and the pain and suffering that is occurring in our lives is almost too difficult to bear. Many times that pain and hurt is caused by those closest to us. Being hurt emotionally is a natural part of life due to the sinfulness of men and women, but Jesus came to help us not only deal with the hurt in our life, but to help us to be more like Him so we won't hurt others.

Psa 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

This message from the book of Psalms give comfort and reassurance that the Lord is near to us. When we are brokenhearted and our spirit is crushed our Savior is there to give us rest and to deliver us from our afflictions. I have heard people say that Jesus doesn't know what I am going through or that He feels so distant that He probably doesn't care. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

All of us will walk through times of hurt and difficulty regardless of how long we have been serving the Lord. Sometimes it is caused by our own sinfulness and other times we are simply the unfortunate victim of the sin of others. Job is a great example to us how the righteous suffer. Job was an upright man who feared the Lord and hated everything that was evil. Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Daily he would come before the Lord and pray for his children and cry out to God. Psalms 34:19 tells us so. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." But we also have assurance that when we are hurting Jesus will be near, He will save us when our spirit is crushed, He will deliver us from the troubles that pain us.

Psalm 23 is one of the most famous Psalms in all the Bible. In verse 3 it tells us that "He restores my soul." Though we may walk through an incredibly painful valley, He will restore our souls in His time.

If you are experiencing emotional pain from the sin of others or are grieving because of the sin you have committed against someone you love, God is near to you and will restore your soul. Cry out to the Lord and ask for Him to come near to you and heal your spirit. The situation may not change over night, but His peace and comfort will allow you to endure the walk through the valley as he refines your soul.

Psa 25:16-21 Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.

Where Is Your Hope Today?

Psa 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (esv)

Where is your hope today? Biblical hope is the assurance that God is in charge and there is certainty in Him and the things we hope for in Him. Worldly hope can be compared to a wish. Something we hope for that we want to happen or come true that may or may not occur.

As a Christian I am blessed with the promise that God is my hope in all things. When I am cast down and my soul is in turmoil I have hope in God. When the world is coming against me and it appears that all of my dreams are being shattered, I have hope in God. This hope allows me to have strength against temptation, encouragement and joy during trials, and assurance of eternal life.

When we have this hope we are able to share with others the strength that is in us. Many people we know are going through difficulties and trials with our recent economic times. I had a friend share with me this week that his 18 month old grand daughter was hospitalized. The same day his grand daughter was hospitalized he lost his job due to cutbacks. Here is a quote from an email he sent me after we shared together regarding his difficulties. "As I said, losing my job paled in comparison to having to see our granddaughter in the hospital. I’m just thankful that she is going to be fine. But, again that type of situation really has a way of aligning what is truly important in life. I don’t have any idea where I may end up in the immediate future but I’m confident that we will land on our feet eventually and we will look back and understand the reason for it all."

He has hope. I shared with him that we will be praying for him and his family and it has given me the opportunity to share God's hope with him. Peter instructs us to give account for the hope that is in us. Opportunities come up every day for us to share our hope with others

1Pe 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (esv)

Where is your hope today? Is it in Christ or in your own worldly efforts? I pray that if your heart is downcast and you are full of turmoil you are able to seek God today and find your hope in Him. He will give you all that you need and strengthen you to overcome.

Lord, thank you for the hope that is in me. Thank you for giving me all that I need to endure hardship and difficulties. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Embrace Suffering

The more I study God's Word the more a reoccurring theme keeps coming up for me. Christians will endure hardship and suffering. I remember several years ago I was dealing with many struggles and the whereabouts of God was a mystery to me. I met my wife to be and the two of us each had two children prior to us coming together. We had grand plans of getting married and raising this almost "Brady Bunch" of kids together. We would have never ending green pastures and eternal blue skies and life would be swell.

Well, once our fantasy turned to reality and I discovered that raising a brood was far more difficult than what I had anticipated I began turning to my own inner strength to try to get through difficulties. I basically ditched God because He was allowing difficulties to happen in our life, and being good Christians we were taught early on that all good things come from the Lord. Well, if all good comes from God, then this bad stuff happening must be coming from Satan, and if this is the case then where on earth did God go?

Boy, was my theology messed up... As Lori and I jumped over one hurdle after another we could see our marriage slowly fading to frustration and difficulty. I turned my focus to work, church ministries, and myself rather than turning my heart to God. I came to the decision that I just wasn't doing enough good things for God and that must be the reason why He seems to have disappeared and all of these difficulties were occurring. After a couple of years of being too tired, too frustrated, and too ticked off we were encouraged to meet with a woman who was a counselor and minister of prayer. She lived about 8 hours from our place and had a beautiful home she uses as a bed and breakfast. Couples could meet with her for a weekend, get ministered to, well fed, and intensely work through some of the struggles they have with their relationship with God and each other. This weekend changed our lives.

The turning point for Lori and myself was that we realized God is not a God who hands out cotton candy and balloons to all the good little boys and girls at the playground of life. We discovered the God of the universe that weekend. He is the grand creator and has a wonderful plan for our lives, which is to bring glory to Him in all things. Whether it be through suffering, hardship, blessings, or trials, His purposes will prevail through it all. Once we came to terms with the fact that we saw God as someone who we tried to control and used Him as our wish maker rather than our God, our lives changed in a moment. God's love for me and my wife was far greater than we had ever imagined up until that weekend. We, for the first time, saw God in our suffering and struggles as well as our blessings. We felt Him when Lori was going through cancer treatment and a few other times, but we didn't have that daily communion with God because we were looking at Him through the wrong eyes.

Coming to know God is a daily practice. When we meet someone here on earth and want to get to know them we spend time with them. Same goes with God. To know and truly understand Him we began to spend time with Him daily. Through our daily walk we have discovered a new perspective to Him and His goodness to us in all situations. The main change that came in my life through this weekend retreat and years of daily study is that God doesn't disappear during moments of affliction and suffering. Just the opposite really. When I began to look at our difficulties as being used by God rather than being because God was not present, I was able to face and endure them.

• Job 36:15 "He delivers the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ear in time of oppression.
• Psa 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.
  
• Isa 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
  
• Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
  
• Php 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
  
• 2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
• 2Co 4:17-18 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
  
• Php 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
  
• 2Ti 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
• Luk 24:26 "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"
• Rom 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
  
• 2Ti 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
  

It isn't easy when hard times come. The Bible has many references to when God's children go through struggles, hardship, affliction, persecution and pain. The Gospels are filled with the sufferings of Christ. Luke 24:26 tells us that Christ needed to suffer in order to enter His glory. As Christ followers we too must suffer. It just goes with the territory.

I encourage you today to embrace suffering and hardship as a tool for God to bring glory to Himself and a way to shape our character. He is there to comfort and bring strength during our struggles and if we embrace Him rather than reject and blame Him we will see his glorious peace come upon us during our times of difficulty.

Lord, I thank you today for the struggles that you have placed into my life. Even though they are difficult to face alone, I know that you are with me. Your rod and your staff will comfort me. You have shown me Lord that you are ever present in my struggles and I give you praise not for you taking away my struggles, but for helping me endure them. Please help me to be faithful to you in the midst of them. Amen

Life Can Change In An Instant

Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
Jas 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Jas 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

I was in the crew office at work the other afternoon when it came to my attention that a fellow employee was back at work. He is a great guy and gets along well with everyone. He has a wine making business on the side so he is the local supplier of wine to those around my work who partake.

He has been with the company for over 35 years and in January and February he took all of his vacation days and personal days off and made plans to plant more grapes, buy more oak barrels, and up his wine making capacities. He is going to retire and spend his retirement doing what he loves to do... make wine. While on his time off he discovered something new about his health... he has lung cancer and now he is back to work and fighting this new found stumbling block. He needs the insurance benefits so he is now unable to have the time off to pursue his passion and dreams.

A week ago news spread quickly that two kids were walking adjacent to a fast moving freight train waiting for it to clear the tracks so they could cross and get to school on time. Just two young kids with headphones on walking to school enjoying a beautiful spring morning. Unfortunately they were standing in the middle of another main line and there just so happened to be a passenger train barreling down on them at 79 miles per hour. Within an instant they were dead. No recognizable body parts to be found other than dental parts.

Life has a funny way of throwing us a curve ball in an instant. We all have been there. One day you think this is going to happen and then something else takes place. It shouldn't be a surprise to us that life is unpredictable and may not go the way we think it is supposed to. There are a lot of promises in the Bible but I can't remember any that say life is going to go just the way we planned it.

James shares a sobering truth that is real in all of our lives. Verse 14: Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. A vapor, a mist, or a wisp of fog. We don't have a clue what tomorrow is going to bring, yet we live as though we have it all planned out. James says in the next verse that such is boasting and arrogance. Making plans for our life is a good thing, but I believe God wants us to include Him in those plans. Otherwise they are just empty boasting and that boasting is evil.

Now all the circumstances that change our plans in life in an instant aren't always bad things. Sure bad things do affect our lives instantly on many occasions, but the Bible also shares stories of hope that show that sometimes we have things change our life instantly for the good too.

The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis tells us of a younger brother who was favored by God. But that didn't mean that difficulties didn't come his way. He was hated by his brothers, thrown on the side of the road and left for dead, sold into slavery and eventually put in prison for two years unjustly. But throughout all of the struggles he never lost his favor with God and ultimately the struggles he went through equipped him to be Pharaoh's right hand man. You see, one morning he woke up in a prison and that evening he went to bed in a palace. It is an amazing story of God's faithfulness to those he calls to Him.

Gen 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.
Gen 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

So Joseph interprets the dream and look what happens next.

Gen 41:40 "You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you."
Gen 41:41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."
Gen 41:42 Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck.
Gen 41:43 He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
Gen 41:45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

There are many stories of God's people going through difficulties and struggles that change there life in an instant. And many stories of hope and redemption of others who's lives are changed for the good in an instant. We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring us so God wants us to cling to Him today. Ask yourself today, "Do I have the favor of God on me today?" If you don't know then turn to Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and is waiting for you to turn your face towards his.

If you are in God's favor today then praise God. Even though times might seem brutally difficult right now He wants us to remember that He is shaping us to be all that He is preparing us to be. We are but a vapor on this earth and when our focus is on Him and our eternal life then the struggles we have down here can't hold a candle to the magnificence of knowing Him.

Lord, thank you for your Word. It brings forth truth and understanding every day. You are an awesome God and I praise you today for showing me that my plans are subject to you and your guidance. Please show me the plans you have for me.

Am I Fit For Battle

Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Eph 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Satan is on the prowl and our first defense is to understand that when we are being used by God for His kingdom, Satan is going to try to dampen our fire, and if possible, extinguish it for good.

One of the benefits of having a military force like the United States has is that we are prepared for battle. A good soldier is always ready. He prepares himself daily for the enemy to attack and is skilled in his defenses. A soldier spends hour upon hour preparing for a moment that may never come, but if it does, he instinctively knows how to make the right decisions.

We miss the fact that we are at war with the enemy if we don't understand that we are even fighting a battle. If we aren't daily fighting a spiritual battle, then we should be preparing for one. I think of the days of the Kings and the mighty warriors fighting great battles with their hands and swords. After days, weeks, and even months of preparation, some of the warriors lives came to a sudden end with one piercing of a steel sword or a razor sharp arrow.

We need to face the inevitable truth that Satan is a prepared warrior ready for battle. He has legions of combatants ready to devour our ability to fight at any moment. He is a mighty adversary... But we are equipped with an even greater Allie. God himself, the creator of the heavens and the earth is on our side. He has all of the resources at His disposal to defeat the enemy and is giving them to us to be prepared. Grab hold of Him during your battle.

But remember, the preparation must begin long before the battle ever takes place. So many times we face the enemy ill prepared. Our swords are dull, our armor is cracked and rusty, and our helmet and shield are lying in the corner full of dust. Pick up the Saviors tools for war daily and be prepared. If you plan on being used mightily by God and you aren't in a battle today... then be patient... because you soon will be. Be Prepared!

1Pe 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Lord, please show me the resources you have for me to be strong and to fight against the enemy. Thank you for preparing me for battle and not making me face my adversaries alone.

The Strength of A Child

Check out this message on my photo blog... I believe it will touch your heart

http://weaphermobile.blogspot.com/2009/02/jolt-of-reality.html

Can I Be Given More Than I Can Handle?

I heard it said recently, "God won't give you more than you can handle." I have heard this on numerous occasions from well intended Christians who are trying to comfort in the midst of difficulty. I have even said it to myself and others when the timing seemed appropriate. But the question I ask myself today is, "Is that really true?"

I look back on some very difficult times in my not so distance past and when I measure them up to this statement I find it hard to believe that I will not be given more than I can handle. And what does it mean exactly? I know the Biblical scripture reference that is used when this statement is made, (1Cor 10:13) but after careful examination I have come to the conclusion that, on occasion in my life, I will be given more than I can handle. And I believe there are several very good reasons why.

If we are never given more than we can handle then many things can happen.

• First and foremost we would become reliant on ourselves. Our strength, out resources, our capacities. The Christian faith is about our dependence on Christ and Christ alone. Not dependence on our might to get through difficult times. As Christians, unless we are allowed to be given struggles that are more than we can bear, we would have no need for God's strength to get us through. He walks with us during those times of trials and renews us in the midst of them.
  

1Pe 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

• If we were never given more than we could bear, then we would have no need to share our struggles with others. The strength in the Christian community comes from the fellowship with others. When we go about our struggles on our own we are more vulnerable to the enemy and we are more likely to have far worse difficulties from it. Romans 15:1 tells us: "Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves." And Galatians shares the same message in chapter 6:2... "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." We miss out on the blessings that come from sharing with our fellow brother's and sister's in Christ when we keep the burdens we are bearing to ourselves. Allow the prayers and strength of others to gird you up during times of trial.
  

• For many of us, it took a burden heavier than we could carry to bring us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. I remember lying on my bed as a younger man and crying out to God for strength. I had never given my life to Him, but knew deep inside that I needed God to help me through my difficult time. If we had the capability to handle life's challenges on our own, then there would be no need for us to cry out to the Savior to give us strength and hope.
  

So what about the scripture: 1Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

This verse is dealing with the subject matter of temptation. Temptations that lead us into sin against God. Sexual immorality, idolatry, greed, etc... It occurs when we desire to give into the lust of the flesh more than we desire the sweet communion with our Savior. God will always provide a way of escape, or distraction from sin, when we are turning to our flesh. He promises a way out, an opportunity to say "NO" to sin, but many times we are just too weak to choose it.

When thinking about not being given more than I can handle I look to the Bible. From the book of Genesis all the way to Revelation I am reminded of men and women who were given far more than they could bear alone and in the midst of it turned to a loving and gracious Father who walked along with them every step of the way. We will never be given more than we can bear along with His strength.

So when you hear someone tell you, "You will never be given more than you can handle." Remind them that you probably will, and because you were given more than you could handle you turned to God and were saved. Then, in a loving and gentle way, inform them that we will never be given more than HE can handle.

Lord, thank you for my struggles for they cause me to turn closer to you. Romans 5:3 tells me to rejoice in my sufferings, so Lord, I pray that you will give me a spirit of rejoicing when hard times come. Please give me your strength because I am not able to do it on my own.

Looking Through The Eyes Of Eternity

Rom 5:3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; Rom 5:4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; Rom 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Getting through difficult times can be quite a challenge. Sleepless nights, stress and anxiety, frustration... it can really begin to take it's toll on me sometimes. But God is faithful. He will see me through the most difficult times that Satan and the world can throw my way.

Recently I have been thrust into a pretty difficult situation and in the beginning it seemed as if the outcome was going to be quite devastating. But the more I endure the difficulty the more I am able to see God's hand working moment by moment.

Numerous times throughout the day my thoughts gravitate toward something that relates to this circumstance. My life has been impacted greatly and the outcome will last for years. In it all, I have found comfort in Jesus. He has blessed me numerous times, giving me the needed strength and support at just the right moment. He has put people into my path to encourage me, He has lifted my spirits by allowing me to worship him even in times of need. He has never left my side.

I am currently reading through a book entitled "In Christ." It is a book written as a daily devotional with teachings from God's Word about living a life full of Christ. It not only has applicable scripture to daily living in Christ, but wraps them up in a nice package that is practical and insightful.

Without His hand on my life I know things would be different. I am beginning more and more to look at life through eternal eyes and not focus so much on the temporary problems at hand. "Eternal Perspective." When my focus is off of me and my problems and on Him and His provision, I am able to wade through the rivers that flow across my path much easier. I still get my feet wet, a little, but God is always there to help me to keep from drowning.

Eph 3:13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Eph 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
Eph 3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
Eph 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Eph 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

God is doing a good work in our lives and I know that it has a purpose and the purpose is good. Tribulation brings perseverance, perseverance proven character, and proven character brings hope. Not necessarily a hope for things of this world to go as I see fit, but a hope of things to come. A hope for eternal glory that far out weighs the burdens of today. Christ wants me to look at my life and see the big picture, the eternal picture.

Not just focusing on what is, but what He has promised is to come. To comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge...

Lord help me to see your face in the midst of my tribulations and struggles. I want to know you and I want to have an eternal perspective that helps me overcome not only my current situation, but the ones to come. I long to be a man of character who seeks you always and know that in all of my trials you are using it for my good. Thanks for being an awesome God.