Hello friends. Long time no see. I don't know about you, but man doesn't life seem to get a little out of control real easy? I know it has for me. This has a lot to do with the fact that it has been a few years since I have used this platform for communication and devotionals. But, pandemic times call for pandemic measures!!
This pandemic is definately new to me, and probably you as well. With the exception of a few members of my church that may remember living through the plagues of Egypt, Black Death, and the Spanish Flu of the early 1900s. 😂 Many times we tend to always focus on the bad, the fears, the stress, and I could probably go on and on and on. Not to mention the stress on our families as we try to help our students learn at home. I know many teachers who have had their eyes opened to the challenges on trying to teach online, and parents pulling their hair out trying to help their own kids. I'm actually living on both sides of this equation right now. With my wife and I both being educators, it adds an interesting twist to our daily routines. And we sometimes beg for a little more "social distancing."
There are also things we have to do without. Sitting down in a restaurant, nope. Going to the movies, nope. Finding toilet paper, good luck. But the thing I miss the most, going to church. Now, I do follow a couple of pastor friends of mine and watch video clips of there sermons. I also keep up with my pastor via text, email, and the occasional phone call. Not to mention keeping up with church members on Facebook. But it is not the same. I miss the personal interaction with my church family on a regular basis. I find myself craving the opportunity to get back to fellowship with my church family. It almost feels as though I am being malnourished in a way. I miss the fellowship, the teaching, the prayer time, and singing in the choir. I feel that too much more of this could cause me to become weak from my 'malnourishment.'
But this 'pandemic problem' is no different than many of the trials that we face, and will continue to face in our lifetimes. There are two important things to remember when facing trials:
1. They have a purpose
2. They don't last forever
James 1:2-3
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Have we taken time to ask God what it is that He wants us to learn from this? Have we looked for ways to actively grow our faith in this time? Are we making the most of our opportunities to share our faith with others as it grows?
There is an end in site with this pandemic. I challenge you to look for blessings that may be hidden in disguise. Look for ways to grow your faith in the midst of these trials. Be comforted by the grace that God has given you in your current situation. Take joy in the process, because you know what the end reward will be. Most importantly, don't forget to share with others. Check in with those you miss. Call and encourage your pastor. Keep studying and praying as an individual, and with your families. I may not be able to go to church, but i can still be a part of it until I can.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!
Showing posts with label Hard Times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hard Times. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Praise You in This Storm
This has been a devastating week for my home, and community. On Friday, October 7th we started seeing the early rain bands of Hurricane Matthew. This rain and wind continued until Saturday night. All in all, we received around 15 inches of rain at my house, and some areas around us received more. Dams have give way, and many of the communities in my county are underwater. Many have been without power for almost a week now. Many of our roads are closed due to flooding, and some have even been washed away. And even more sadly, there have been some in my community to lose their lives as a result of this storm.
With all of this loss, I know many people would ask the question of why these things happen? Why does God allow things of this nature to occur? Let me give you my humble opinion to these questions.
#1 - My God is always in control.
It is not my place to question why things happen in this world. I serve a wonderful loving God who has a perfect will, and a perfect purpose for all things. And, it is not my place to understand until he is ready for me to understand. He knows everything in my future, and has a reason for the here and now. Maybe, just maybe, what I go through now is preparing me for what may come in the future. And because of this moment, I will be prepare for what He needs me to do when that time comes.
Isaiah 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."
With all of this loss, I know many people would ask the question of why these things happen? Why does God allow things of this nature to occur? Let me give you my humble opinion to these questions.
#1 - My God is always in control.
It is not my place to question why things happen in this world. I serve a wonderful loving God who has a perfect will, and a perfect purpose for all things. And, it is not my place to understand until he is ready for me to understand. He knows everything in my future, and has a reason for the here and now. Maybe, just maybe, what I go through now is preparing me for what may come in the future. And because of this moment, I will be prepare for what He needs me to do when that time comes.
Isaiah 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."
#2 - We seek the Lord through humility.
Do we really live our lives with the true understanding of who our Lord truly is? God is not a buddy, nor a relative we only speak of during certain occasions. He is our Lord, and our Creator. Regardless of how we may see Him, He is the Almighty. It is only by His grace that we have the right to His forgiveness, the right to pray to Him, and the right to be His children. When we come to Him, it should be done humbly, without pride. I believe that sometimes God allows things to happen to get our attention. Maybe He is trying to show us how much we really need the peace and comfort that only He can give. We when become proud and comfortable, we lose sight on our need for our Savior.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
#3 - A chance to witness
One thing I have been amazed of in this time of struggles, is the number of Christians I see reaching out to those in need. I have seen where many are volunteering to help with damage to homes, offering hot showers and meals to those without power, and others taking their own boats into flooded areas to rescue those that were stranded. As Christians, we have to understand that our actions are our greatest witness. Many people can quote scriptures at the drop of a hat, but the real question is, can you show them in your life? As we said when I was growing up, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? Times like these give us a real chance to show the love of God that lives inside of us. Are we taking the chance to share that with those around us?
James 1:22
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves"#3 - A chance to witness
One thing I have been amazed of in this time of struggles, is the number of Christians I see reaching out to those in need. I have seen where many are volunteering to help with damage to homes, offering hot showers and meals to those without power, and others taking their own boats into flooded areas to rescue those that were stranded. As Christians, we have to understand that our actions are our greatest witness. Many people can quote scriptures at the drop of a hat, but the real question is, can you show them in your life? As we said when I was growing up, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? Times like these give us a real chance to show the love of God that lives inside of us. Are we taking the chance to share that with those around us?
James 1:22
I choose to praise God for this storm that we are living through. Because I know, that even in the midst of struggle and loss, my God is right there beside me. He never left my side. And I know that He has a perfect purpose. I choose to look for the opportunities He has provided me, instead of looking at all the bad that is around. I choose to trust in the one who knows what my future holds, and who has ordained all of my steps. What do you choose?
Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Renewal
I apologize for my long absence from writing. Life tends to fly by at a pace that it is hard to grasp all that is happening around us. I have even had my own personal struggles and fears that I have had to deal with over the last year. There are always trials, and changes that need to be faced.
So much has happened that have shaken my faith, but not destroyed it. There have been injuries to loved ones, the loss of my grandmother to cancer, trying to buy a new home, a new job, and the list keeps on going. And I have caught myself many times questioning why all this was happening all at about the same time. Is it all a test? Is it God showing me what I am capable of handling? Is it preparation for something in the future? And through all of my questioning, I have found that I had developed a lack of trust. A lack of faith. I had become prideful about my accomplishments, and somewhat bitter about my downfalls. But, even at my lowest point, God was always there within reach. It was not that He left me, but I allowed myself to move away from Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Renewal to God is based on a few conditions as seen in this verse. And these conditions all rest on us. First, we have to humble ourselves. We have to understand the fact that there is nothing about us good enough on our own to please God. As Paul said, he did not feel worthy enough to tie the sandals of Christ's feet. Only through humility, can we adequately approach the throne of God. Secondly, we need to pray, and pray often. If we want a right relationship with God, we need to speak to Him on a regular basis. This is our way to reach out to Him. As I stated earlier, He never leaves us and is always there. Next, we need to seek Him. We do this by studying the Word of God. We look to find what He expects of us, and we learn of who He is. This helps us to draw closer to him. Lastly, we need to repent. Repent literally means to have a change in mindset. Not only do we need to ask forgiveness for our shortcomings, but we need to consciously change our actions to match.
When we submit to these four conditions, God brings about renewal to our lives. He will hear our prayers, He will forgive our sins, and He will bring about healing for all of our sufferings. No matter where we are in our lives, or the level to which we feel we suffer, God is still there. We just have to recognize it, and actively seek Him for help.
Lord, forgive me for my distrust and distance from You. I know that you have always been there, regardless of my situations. And I know that I have come through them, not own my own power, but by Your grace. Please give me the continued strength and guidance that You always have provided in times past. Shower me with Your love and comfort, so that I can push on in this world, and show the world who You are through what you have done in my life.
Amen.
Thanks for reading and God bless you all!
So much has happened that have shaken my faith, but not destroyed it. There have been injuries to loved ones, the loss of my grandmother to cancer, trying to buy a new home, a new job, and the list keeps on going. And I have caught myself many times questioning why all this was happening all at about the same time. Is it all a test? Is it God showing me what I am capable of handling? Is it preparation for something in the future? And through all of my questioning, I have found that I had developed a lack of trust. A lack of faith. I had become prideful about my accomplishments, and somewhat bitter about my downfalls. But, even at my lowest point, God was always there within reach. It was not that He left me, but I allowed myself to move away from Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Renewal to God is based on a few conditions as seen in this verse. And these conditions all rest on us. First, we have to humble ourselves. We have to understand the fact that there is nothing about us good enough on our own to please God. As Paul said, he did not feel worthy enough to tie the sandals of Christ's feet. Only through humility, can we adequately approach the throne of God. Secondly, we need to pray, and pray often. If we want a right relationship with God, we need to speak to Him on a regular basis. This is our way to reach out to Him. As I stated earlier, He never leaves us and is always there. Next, we need to seek Him. We do this by studying the Word of God. We look to find what He expects of us, and we learn of who He is. This helps us to draw closer to him. Lastly, we need to repent. Repent literally means to have a change in mindset. Not only do we need to ask forgiveness for our shortcomings, but we need to consciously change our actions to match.
When we submit to these four conditions, God brings about renewal to our lives. He will hear our prayers, He will forgive our sins, and He will bring about healing for all of our sufferings. No matter where we are in our lives, or the level to which we feel we suffer, God is still there. We just have to recognize it, and actively seek Him for help.
Lord, forgive me for my distrust and distance from You. I know that you have always been there, regardless of my situations. And I know that I have come through them, not own my own power, but by Your grace. Please give me the continued strength and guidance that You always have provided in times past. Shower me with Your love and comfort, so that I can push on in this world, and show the world who You are through what you have done in my life.
Amen.
Thanks for reading and God bless you all!
Friday, October 19, 2012
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
What lies ahead
Hello again to all of you. It has been a long time since I have been able to post some of my reflections about how I have seen God work in my life. This new school year has presented me with more challenges than I ever knew existed in education. There have been many nights that I just could do no more, and just had to accept the fact that I was not going to be able to finish now and would have to put it off to later. I have been overwhelmed here lately with all that was going on in my life, both at work and at home. How can I separate the work from home when I have to start bringing it home? How can I fit in time with my family with all of the new struggles that I have to combat? And sadly, I had allowed myself to sink into that cynical attitude of not caring any more, and ready to give up. Then I got an email from a friend through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, in which I am the adviser at my school. In it contained a set of scripture that I have read many times before. And after reading it, I knew that God was trying to get my attention. He was trying to get me to see that who I was becoming was not who He intended me to be. I needed to get back on track. I shared this thought at bible study with my students before school today. Here are the verses.
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
There are a couple of key points to this verse.
1) There are always people watching. This cloud of witnesses are all those around us that are watching all that we do. Some look for encouragement from us, and some look for reasons to criticize us for what we believe. So what are we showing them? When we allow ourselves to get down and depressed, and succumb to the pressures of the world, what do the see? The ones who are looking to us for encouragement are not getting it, and we are giving the world more ammo against us. I was doing damage to my witness with my actions. This is not who I am. And it needed to change.
2) Because of the witnesses, we need to strive to fight through all the things that bring us down. No matter what is going on in our lives, we need to look at the big picture. Where are we going? What are we doing along the way? We need to rid ourselves of everything that would separate us from the love, joy, and blessings of Christ our Savior. That is what all of those around us need to see. Will we fail? Yes, because none of us are without sin. But, as my pastor says, someone who is truly saved will not stay down long.
3) Life Happens. We need to understand that life is not easy. There are going to be problems and issues all of the time. That is why we must endure. If we allow ourselves to stop and break at every obstacle, we cannot finish our purpose and we have no hope. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205:3-5&version=NASB">Romans 5:3-5</a>
4) We get through by fixing our eyes on Christ. Everything that happens to us is not foreign to Christ. He knows every step we will take. The race has been set before us. He knows what we will encounter. And when our race is over, for those that are truly saved, He is waiting there at the end for us. And He should be our example. He suffered. He took on our sin and shame. He died to pay the price for us so that we could spend eternity with Him. What greater hope do we have than that? When we look at what we go through here in this life and compare it to what we have in eternity when we leave, it makes what we are going through seem not all that important.
Sunday night at church we talked about Romans 8:28. It tells us that God causes all things to happen for our own good. Even the bad things that come in our lives are there to help us grow. They come to teach us to depend on Him more. I am resolved now that even in the midst of my current circumstance, God's grace is sufficient for me. Things are hard, and life is always a mystery. But God is there with me each step of the way. And if you are saved as well, He is right there with you too.
Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you this week!
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
There are a couple of key points to this verse.
1) There are always people watching. This cloud of witnesses are all those around us that are watching all that we do. Some look for encouragement from us, and some look for reasons to criticize us for what we believe. So what are we showing them? When we allow ourselves to get down and depressed, and succumb to the pressures of the world, what do the see? The ones who are looking to us for encouragement are not getting it, and we are giving the world more ammo against us. I was doing damage to my witness with my actions. This is not who I am. And it needed to change.
2) Because of the witnesses, we need to strive to fight through all the things that bring us down. No matter what is going on in our lives, we need to look at the big picture. Where are we going? What are we doing along the way? We need to rid ourselves of everything that would separate us from the love, joy, and blessings of Christ our Savior. That is what all of those around us need to see. Will we fail? Yes, because none of us are without sin. But, as my pastor says, someone who is truly saved will not stay down long.
3) Life Happens. We need to understand that life is not easy. There are going to be problems and issues all of the time. That is why we must endure. If we allow ourselves to stop and break at every obstacle, we cannot finish our purpose and we have no hope. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205:3-5&version=NASB">Romans 5:3-5</a>
4) We get through by fixing our eyes on Christ. Everything that happens to us is not foreign to Christ. He knows every step we will take. The race has been set before us. He knows what we will encounter. And when our race is over, for those that are truly saved, He is waiting there at the end for us. And He should be our example. He suffered. He took on our sin and shame. He died to pay the price for us so that we could spend eternity with Him. What greater hope do we have than that? When we look at what we go through here in this life and compare it to what we have in eternity when we leave, it makes what we are going through seem not all that important.
Sunday night at church we talked about Romans 8:28. It tells us that God causes all things to happen for our own good. Even the bad things that come in our lives are there to help us grow. They come to teach us to depend on Him more. I am resolved now that even in the midst of my current circumstance, God's grace is sufficient for me. Things are hard, and life is always a mystery. But God is there with me each step of the way. And if you are saved as well, He is right there with you too.
Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you this week!
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