How to Survive

Hello again to you all.  I am thankful once again for the opportunity to write again.  As I stated in my last posting, there are a lot of things going on in my life.  There are many new challenges that have to be faced, as all of us have.  And it seems like it never ends.  There always seems to be something changing or going wrong that we have to deal with.  And when it seems like nothing else could possibly go wrong, it does.  And many times in the heat of the moment we may question why God allowed certain things to happen.  We question that if He loved us, that He would not let those things happen to us.  But this is simply not the case.  Sometimes God uses those instances to get us to lean on Him more.  The question that we have to ask ourselves, is what do we really place our trust in.  And I am not saying this flippantly like I know that many do, but I want you to truly ask yourself, when the struggles of this life are upon you, what is the first thing that you do?

Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

How many times in our lives do bad things happen, and the first thing we do is try to figure it out on our own?  Or we turn to that friend, or family member for support and guidance.  Yet we systematically tune out God in the situation.  Or the thought of what God would have us do completely slips our minds.  And when the situation is bad enough, we crack under the weight of it.  But, for the one that has his/her foundation fully settled on the Word of God, we find comfort in the midst of the storm.

About a month ago, our school was shaken with the tragic death of one of our students.  Thanks be to God that he had been saved before the accident.  But the school was in shambles.  It forced all of us to take a good look at our lives in light of eternity.  For no one thought that death could come to them because of their youth.  Many of them had no idea of where to turn for comfort.  No one could fathom the reason for his untimely death.  But was his death "untimely"?  Or was it something that God allowed for a purpose?  I was able to share with a large group of students about the importance of a relationship with Jesus.  About who He was, and what He did for us.  Many of the students that were believers had a certain peace about them that was evident.  They were sad, but at peace knowing that their friend was in the presence of God.  And some of the students took note of how they spoke and acted.  The deceased student's pastor was there with me, and though I had to go teach he stayed.  Later own he told me that a couple of students repented, and gave their lives to Christ.

God has a purpose for all the things we go through.  He had a purpose for taking that student home when He did.  I firmly believe He did for those few that were saved because of it.  But it is not for us to question Him.  We just need to trust in Him.

Psalms 46:1-2
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change"

I urge you to check your foundation.  If it is based on the Word of God in Christ Jesus, you will be able to stand firm.  If it is based in something else, it will not last.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all this week!