"My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need." James 1:2-4 (NCV)
Rewind to Blog post December 9, 2008...
I was going through a situation that I was having to wait on happening and was having a hard time being patient.
Fast forward to February 24, 2009...
Still having to wait on the same situation. Was it hard? Is it hard? Yes, very much so!!
We recently began a study on the book of James in Sunday School on February 1st so I'm reading these same verses again. Do they say IF we go through trials or troubles? No, they say WHEN. It's a guarantee. WE WILL GO THROUGH TROUBLES!! So what do we do when we have disappointments and difficult times? What do we do when bad things happen to us? How do we handle it?
Sometimes people hurt my feelings. Sometimes I feel like I totally missed God. Sometimes I even feel like He let me down. I just want to throw in the towel and give up. This is too hard. I want to walk away, go in another direction. Well...this is how I have felt recently. Have you ever felt this way? It's a battle sometimes, isn't it? Deep in my soul, I felt like if I gave into this though, I would drown. That's the only way I can describe the battle that was raging in my spirit. I literally felt like a part of me would die and my relationship with God would never be the same.
I'm so thankful God wouldn't let go of me and let me go the way I wanted. I'm so thankful, instead, He drew me close to Him and gave me this verse..."Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an apostle, which was to lead people of all nations to believe and obey. I do this work for Him." Romans 1:5 (NCV)
I'm not saying I think I'm an apostle. What I am saying is God reminded me that EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR HIM...not anyone else, not only when things are going good, not when my feeling are NOT hurt. He has called me for a special work, and I do it for Him. God reminded me why I do anything I do. I can never give up.
So remember, when it doesn't go the way we think it should have, when people let you down, when life gives us disappointments, when troubles come our way...OR when life is great and we're on top of the world...whatever situation we're in, don't foget IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!
Keep your eyes on HIM and don't give up!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
DETAILS OR NO DETAILS
Are you a detailed kind of person or do you just skim over the details? What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no? Read Exodus 36, 37 & 38 and tell me if you think God cares about the details.
How many curtains for the tent? How long was the ark? How many inches wide? What kind of wood were the poles made from? What direction were the creatures' wings spread on the lid? Which direction did they face? What about the table? What kind of wood? How many rings? Where were they put? Then there's the altar. The details seem to go on and on.
When I read this chapter I thought, "Wow! Look at all these details." I'm not sure why God wanted us to know all these details. I'm reading this on my phone so I don't have the luxury of having commentaries spread out before me but a couple of things came to my mind...
* God gave specific instructions on how to build the Ark of the Covenant, the tent...all the way down to what the priests were suppose to wear. Exodus 39:43 says "Moses looked closely at all the work and saw they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." (NCV) Do you think God cared whether the Israelites would/could be faithful to follow out His instructions...down to the very last, little item?
* If God was THIS specific with what they were suppose to do, do you think God is THAT specific with what we're suppose to do? Do you think God intends for us to just coast through life or does He have something very specific FOR US to accomplish? Does He have a plan for us? Read Jeremiah 29:11-13
* When things are going on in our lives - good or bad - do you think God sees and cares about what's important to us? Read I Peter 5:7
So...What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no?
I vote DETAILS...YES!!
How many curtains for the tent? How long was the ark? How many inches wide? What kind of wood were the poles made from? What direction were the creatures' wings spread on the lid? Which direction did they face? What about the table? What kind of wood? How many rings? Where were they put? Then there's the altar. The details seem to go on and on.
When I read this chapter I thought, "Wow! Look at all these details." I'm not sure why God wanted us to know all these details. I'm reading this on my phone so I don't have the luxury of having commentaries spread out before me but a couple of things came to my mind...
* God gave specific instructions on how to build the Ark of the Covenant, the tent...all the way down to what the priests were suppose to wear. Exodus 39:43 says "Moses looked closely at all the work and saw they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." (NCV) Do you think God cared whether the Israelites would/could be faithful to follow out His instructions...down to the very last, little item?
* If God was THIS specific with what they were suppose to do, do you think God is THAT specific with what we're suppose to do? Do you think God intends for us to just coast through life or does He have something very specific FOR US to accomplish? Does He have a plan for us? Read Jeremiah 29:11-13
* When things are going on in our lives - good or bad - do you think God sees and cares about what's important to us? Read I Peter 5:7
So...What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no?
I vote DETAILS...YES!!
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