14 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3409

14 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3409

Habakkuk 2:3 

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

Waiting is an important part of serving God. It's His will that matters, not our own. We may be living in unsettling times, but God will decide when He wants finally to intervene. There is nothing that we can do but hope and pray, stand and wait.

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13 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3408

13 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3408

Psalm 119:130 

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

John 1:5 

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

We sometimes experience times of adversity: neglect, disharmony, deep grief, or a myriad of things that thrust us into a dimming situation. It is not always easy to keep the light on in our darkest hours. In such times, it is not unusual to question His presence, threatening our ability to stay strong in our faith while working through our problems.

But just like that little light in the dim doorway, we need to keep God's light shining in our hearts and minds. We need to keep the hope that one day, too, our door to better times will be opened.

Whether in good or troubled times, by keeping His light shining within us, we then are shining examples for others.

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12 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3407

12 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3407

Hebrews 3:12-14 

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

When life becomes wearisome, it is for a good reason.  It may be pride, anger, sorrow, disillusionment, something negative that we watch or read, or maybe stress caused by differences with those we love, work with, or maybe even worship.

Whatever the cause, we have a Creator God who knows our frailties of mind, body, and soul. He can see when we are out of alignment with Him and His way. If we recognize the need ourselves, when we are rubbing up against the brakes in some manner, and seek Him to be realigned, Jesus will fix us up and put us straight.

Then, even if our circumstances stay the same, Jesus in us will change our perspective, our resolve, our willingness, and our ability to overcome, so that we can continue on the Way, safe in Him, wherever that leads, up hill or down dale.

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11 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3406

11 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3406

Matthew 5:45b 

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

God has no favourites and that through His mercy, He showers blessings upon people whether or not they deserve them. We tend to be more judgmental and critical, but Christ is telling us that for grace to be grace, it has to be applied where it is least expected. In other words, God gives every opportunity for souls and spirits to grow under His care.

Therefore, let's try to find opportunities of applying God's grace with the people we meet today. Let's do it where it's least expected and totally undeserved. In doing so, we may rediscover the joy of God's grace that we also don't deserve.

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10 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3405

10 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3405

Romans 5:3-5 

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

Most of us do not like suffering. When our life takes a turn from the normal, we often end up acting out. We may yowl and holler in frustration as we rail against the situation. When this doesn't bring the desired change, bad temper and pity parties may make their entrance, followed by a stage of plea bargaining with God to open the doors of whatever suffering has us confined within such an intolerable situation.

We read our Bible more. We pray continually. We do every good act of mercy we can manage, yet still, the constraint of suffering is not lifted.

Perhaps, it's because the journey is not yet over, a journey which God has allowed us to embark upon that we might become larger -- more mature people -- spiritually.

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09 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3404

09 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3404

Matthew 5:4 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted 

The emphasis on the Scripture verse, those who mourn are said to be "blessed", and at the end, they are "comforted". So it is, as we journey through all of our various mournings and grievings. Our tears may be sweet or bitter, but God blesses them all. So, let us feel free to mourn and grieve, and shed our tears in repentance for sin, or for the loss of a beloved one, or in pity, shame, or hurt.

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08 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3403

08 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3403

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Most of us bear the scars of those who have hurt us in one way or another. Some of these wounds can be fairly superficial, while others can be deep and long-lasting. Such wounds can rob us of healthy relationships with others, as well as our own inner peace, confidence, and joy. When we choose to believe and embrace the words of Scripture, however, it is amazing the comfort and direction which is available to each and every one of us -- no matter how much we have suffered or struggled with.

God is our comfort. He is able, amidst it all, to guide and lead and direct, to touch and heal, and to restore that which has been stolen. With restoration also comes ministry, as in Christ we become vessels of comfort and healing to others.

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07 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3402

07 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3402

Exodus 14:12 

Didn't we say to you in Egypt, "Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians"? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert! 

Perhaps some of us are struggling with an issue from the past or are deeply troubled about our present circumstances. Maybe we're pining for the good old days or fearful of what lies ahead. Whatever we are experiencing, it's time to surrender it all to Christ and place it in His hands. Being depressed about the past or anxious about the future just saps our energy, well-being, and health. When we put ourselves in Christ's arms, He embraces us and all our baggage. He promises to help us through the emotional wilderness and to lead each of us to a better life, a more hopeful time, and a brighter day. I know this to be true.

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06 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3401

06 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3401

John 15:8 

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 

The fruit of the Spirit produced in our lives become more noticeable as they are improved.

To improve our fruit of the Spirit, we need to partner with God in the various acts of ministry. As we work in partnership with Him, there will be indicators in our lives that we are becoming more Christlike. As we grow, we also rejoice in the spiritual fruit in the lives of those with whom we share life's journey.

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05 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3400

05 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3400

1 Corinthians 1:18 

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

God's ways often seem foolish to the wise of this world, but only God's ways lead to life and godliness.

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04 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3399

04 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3399

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers.

2 Kings 19:14 

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.

Matthew 7:7 

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. 

Very often when we have a problem, we worry about it until I'm at our wit's end. Then when all else fails, we pray. 

Hezekiah gives us a good example to follow. In 2 Kings chapter 19, he received a letter from a messenger of the King of Assyria, challenging him to surrender Jerusalem or be destroyed. When Hezekiah read it, he went to the house of the Lord and prayed, asking the Lord to save Jerusalem. Through the prophet Isaiah, God had already promised deliverance. Hezekiah followed instructions. His prayer was answered. Instead of worrying, Hezekiah saved his energy by turning to God first.

Like Hezekiah, we, too, can turn to God first and ask, rather than wasting all our time and energy in worrying about the situation

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03 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3398

03 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3398

Isaiah 1:18 

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Often in our spiritual lives, we question God when we don't understand what is happening. 

God invites us to ask Him questions and to reason life's issues out with Him.

Let's respond to His invitation to communicate with Him, to ask Him the hard questions in life. My understanding of His request is that to "reason together" is a two-way communication. So maybe, we need to be ready to hear some hard questions as well, along with answers to our own questions.

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02 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3397

02 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3397

Micah 5:4-5a 

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. 

Some of us may be going through hard times and be stressed out and weary. We may feel frightened or confused about the issues we are facing. We may be angry or distressed at being hurt or disappointed. During those times, amid the clamour of our concerns, the gentle voice of peace and assurance comes to us from Jesus. He knows the issues; He understands our worries. He's had time to think about them; and now He has gentle thoughts to express to our hearts and minds. If we quietly take time out, we will hear His voice. If we turn towards Him now, He will gently speak to us.

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01 Dec 2014 Thoughts#3396

01 Dec 2014

Thoughts#3396

Psalm 139:14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Despite the occurrence of disease and epidemics that have taken the lives of untold millions, human beings continue to survive.

Let us marvel at the foresight of God who prepared our bodies to interact with the physical world and to deal with viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites -- all of which, without these defences, would have made our species extinct. Yes, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"!

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