All tagged Good
There is a difference between faith, and imagination. Both dwell in our minds, but faith springs from trusting the Word of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, whereas imagination is founded on fantasy, and the concoctions of our own mind. Some who say “I am a Christian“ are guilty of folding the two into one way of worshiping as they seek what is easy or pleasing to them in God’s will, while imagining the hardships and suffering to be useless, and not of the Lord.
If you are reading this then I want you to know that I am praying for you today. Whether you realize it or not God has called out to you, and is urging you to come to His Son Jesus. Perhaps you don’t think this is true, or maybe you feel that you are so sinful that He would never do such a thing, but He has. As unworthy as you might see yourself He sees your heart, and your good bones, for what you will become, and knows that you will come to glorify Jesus, and knows that He will glorify you in return. Today I pray for you to realize your worthiness, and honor Him.
When we are in the midst of some earthly challenge, or tragedy, and our prayers have been made, but the answer escapes us, or is not to our liking, do we begin to question God? Perhaps God intervenes, a miracle occurs, but it isn’t exactly what we have envisioned; do we approach Him with indignation and frustration because what He gave us wasn’t enough in our eyes? Well how do we, creatures of time, presume to think that our thoughts, or plans, are more perfect, good, or wise, than Gods will for us?
We wake up in the morning to good days, and bad days; some are by their very nature joyous, but others will be filled with turmoil and angst. Although each day in our life will consist of worldly good and bad occurrences our faith will determine how we approach, and deal with them. Do you call on the Lord the moment you open your eyes, and lean on Him as you step from your bed?
What are the things that that our Heavenly Father has given us? Today is Father’s Day, and it is appropriate that we should always remember it on a Sunday. As Christians we have two Fathers, one who is earthly, and another who is Spiritual. Each of these has a role to fill in our lives, and certain gifts to give us. Each teaches us, and makes us to be something more than we ever thought possible.
Who plans your life? Are you busy laying out the future details regarding where you are going, what you will accomplish, or the places you will rest and take sustenance? If these plans are being made by anyone other than God then you will lead an unfulfilled life indeed. His plan, and His will are more than an aside... they are the sole road through life which will lead us to a joyous eternity with Him.
Do you suffer and not understand why God allows it to happen? Do you experience misery in your life, or see it in others, and ask God in prayer to remove this from you, or from those you intercede for in prayer? Well, as men it is natural for us to wince and withdraw from pain, but as faithful creatures it brings us to perfection in our faith, obedience, and prayers for the suffering and afflicted. How perfect are you being made? How perfect are your prayers?
In times of peace and plenty it is easy to maintain our faith, and to remember the gift of redemption that God has given us through Jesus Christ, but when we are faced with suffering and hardship this is when our faith is placed in the furnace and dipped in the water that strengthens it. We weep and begin to question God, mistaking what we have always held to be valuable and real in our lives to be more precious than Him who tempers us... above Him who redeems us.
Are you born again in the hope and resurrection of Jesus Christ? If so do you go through periods when you are vexed by suffering and calamity in your life? Does this cause you to confront your faith, and if so does it challenge it, or strengthen it? Many of us seem to believe that when Jesus steps into our lives we cease to feel the pain and suffering of living in the natural world, but is that really the promise?
In the midst of our own troubles do we think to pray for others? When we are suffering, or the enemy is knocking at our door, do we ask God for help, and then include our neighbors in that prayer as well? It is hard to think beyond our own circumstances when the situation is dire, because our true nature is a selfish one. Can you overcome the “ME” in your prayers long enough to lift up a stranger as you ask for personal deliverance? While you are waiting on God, try spending some of that time in prayer for others who are facing trials and hardship of their own... maybe while you are waiting on God He is waiting on your intercessory words for another.
How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough that you can face the hatred of those around you? Is your faith firm enough to withstand the trials and persecution that nonbelievers will put you through? Is it like steel when Satan comes against you because of it? Is it invincible even when those who you love, and that you thought loved you, turn against you for it? When your faith has grown, and becomes like an adornment of shiny armor, that is when the evil one will test you with all the weapons at his disposal. It is then that you must trust wholeheartedly in the Lord because at that moment your very soul lies in the balance.
Do you think that God doesn't see what we do under the cover of darkness? Well, think again because God is more than familiar with darkness. We associate God with light because He created it... He radiates it, and where it exists, darkness is overcome; so if you define darkness as the absence of light then prior to creation there was only darkness, and yet God was there. God sees us, and all that we do... even in the dark.
Do you wait patiently for God’s provision and direction? Have you become practiced in allowing Him to do all things in your life, or does He teach you over and over again how to wait? Have you set your spiritual clock, and your expectations to divine time, the time of heaven? As the length of an earthly day is constantly changing, and our bodies acclimate to that change, we must also acclimate spiritually to the natural variation in the will of God... the day of heaven.