Thursday, September 1, 2011

relax, trust, co-operate...

relax.  trust GOD to know what’s best for your life.  co-operate with HIS purpose so you don’t short circuit the process.  that’s what’s called faith.  james 1.6 (niv), when he asks he must believe and not doubt.  relax.  let GOD work.

letter to a pastor:

dear pastor, “it has amazed me how the LORD has moved in my life in the past two years.  i’ve always known about the LORD and went to church but when i lost my mother in the past two years things changed.  watching someone i love and respected and being eaten away by cancer so quickly i kept asking that one question, “why?”  but strange things happened.  GOD took over in my life.  so many things happened to change my life even through such adversity and sadness.  then four months later the man i had loved for six years ended our relationship but GOD was there, again giving me wisdom and strength and protection.  then i had to overcome a drinking problem and i did.  it’s been one year and two weeks that the LORD has kept me from drinking.  HE moved in again at that point and saved me from myself.  since then i’m trusting HIM more and more each day and it is so exciting.  yes, there are still problems and sometimes deep depression but HE is there.  i know now that if i choose i can trust HIM.  do you know what that has done for me?  each day is a growing experience for me with HIM.  i know GOD sent me to this church to hear your teaching.  i wish and hope the LORD will make me grow so i can help others in the hard times and help them to know HIM.”

my heart breaks when i think about some of the heartache and pain many of you feel.  there are some of you that are going to be in GOD’s hall of fame.  you have maintained a sweet spirit in the odds of incredible pressure – things that people did to you, that people did about you, situations you have been living with.  it’s not always easy to have a joyful heart in the middle of problems.

even when you want to have a joyful attitude it’s still difficult.  that’s why you need to pray for two things: wisdom to understand the trial and faith to endure the trial.  you need them both.  james says you need wisdom to know what’s going on and faith to hang in there and never, never give up.  you’re never a failure until you quit.

GOD says the devil wants to use problems to defeat you but GOD wants to use problems to develop you.  which will it be?

just a thought from the front porch…

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