Trials Can Be Blessings

"But smooth living invaribaly, eventually, makes for sloppy spirituality."
~ Beth Moore
Get Out of That Pit

When trials come I think that sometimes God is just pulling our hearts closer to His. He is calling our names, trying to get our attention. Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) and He wants nothing in our lives to consume us more than He does. We should look at hard times, not as punishment or as some message from God that He no longer loves or cares about us, but as a message from Him calling us to allow Him to walk with us, and be our strength when we have none.

If you are speaking about parenting, true love for one's child demands you to discipline them (Proverbs 13:24). God's love is the purest form of love, if He tells us that true love requires discipline, then you can be sure that as His children, He will chasten us from time to time, because He loves us. I am not saying He won't, but whether He does or not hard times will come. It is just a fact of life, and when those rough times come to us we will likely long for instantaneous deliverance but God may not grant it. He longs for us to be draw closer to Him, whatever it may take. Even if this means that we must struggle for a while to overcome.

If we were to always keep Him first, perhaps the trials would not last so long and would be fewer, or at least we would not mind because our hearts would be so full and overflowing with love for Him that nothing else would matter.

Complaining when hard times, temptations, come is a natural occurrence to many, but if we look deep enough we will discover that we were tempted because we were weak, we were weak, because life had been going smoothly and we begin to think we could do it ourselves, and in failing to put God first, we fell. We hated our self, we were tempted to be angry with God for not making us strong enough, we were ashamed, hurting, and in time, crying out to God for forgiveness and deliverance. We cried out to God. We drew closer to Him. Think about it. If weakness brings you closer to God, than trials can be a blessing.

Where are You Living?

Do you know what a pit is? No, I am not talking about a literal hole in the ground. I am talking about that pit that you sometimes find yourself at the bottom of. The place where your hope fades, where you may feel shame or guilt over something you did or did not do. Satan often holds us captive in pits, pits that only God can pull us out of. Sometimes we know we are in a pit, sometimes we are pushed in, sometimes we slip in, and sometimes we jump in. Sometimes we stay there because, hey, we messed up, we deserve to be down there in the dark, mud, and suffering, but the truth is, God doesn't want us held captive by sin, and Satan's power has it's limits. We don't have to stay there, we don't even have to crawl out with our heads tucked between our knees, we can JUMP out! In God there is freedom from any pit. Are you in a pit? If so, it's time you realize that you don't have to stay there. In Christ, there is victory!!!

http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Christ+Has+Risen/2zwnUH?src=5

Savior Please

Recently I listened to the song, Savior Please, by Josh Wilson. It was like the words of my heart being lifted to the Father.

"I try to be so tough
But I'm just not strong enough
I can't do this along, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I'm nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me"

I have been trying to be so tough, to be good enough, on my own strength. We can be victorious in Christ. We can overcome, walk in stength, climb every mountain, but, we cannot do it on our own strength. Trust and dependence on Him is something I find myself having to be reminded of over and over. It is not easy for me. I like to take things into my own hands, but to walk in His way, I cannot. For I am weak, needy. I need Him. How about you? Are you trying to overcome on your own? Do you need to return to your Strength?

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

About a four months ago a new girl started attending our church. Her name is Anna Jean Crawford. She is two years older than I am and I am not trying to be mean in the least,but I do not understand her. The second Sunday she attended my church with her family was potluck Sunday and I decided to try to get to know her better. I asked her about her interest and what the Lord was teaching her? To the first question she said outright that her only interests were Facebooking with her friends, and attracting cute guys. Then she giggled this silly little giggle. When I asked the second question hoping that her first comment was in jest, she looked at me like I must be a nut.

Since then we have been thrown together many times and every time she seems to take joy in shocking me with her empty habits. Last Wednesday I just couldn't keep pretending I didn't care. I expressed my concern for her, and explain about how God had such great plans for all His children, and I knew that He had more for her in life than Facebook or boys. I said it as gently as I could, but she really didn't take it that well. I didn't really expect she would, but I just felt that I had to say my piece.

Here was her reply. "What is it to you? This is my life? Why should you care what I do with it? If I want to sit around and do nothing, so long as I am not a burden to you, why should you care?" I knew my words had stung her pride, so I preceed with caution and prayed for all I was worth, "Lord, please open Anna Jean up to Your truth."

I didn't do to well. My voice trembled and I stumbled over my words a lot. I tried to remember Bible verses, I tried to express my thoughts, but I am afraid I really made a mess of it. I haven't seen her since. I pray every day but I am worried, what if I turned her away from Christ? My heart is troubled and I am not sure what I should do. I wouldn't blame her if she never talked to me again, but if she never give her heart to God because of something I said...

Lord,

Please use my bumbling words to reach Anna Jean's heart. I did not mean to say anything hurtful, I was so concerned for her, and maybe I didn't pray through it as I should. I'm sorry Lord if I really messed this up. Father, if I should have another chance to speak with Anna Jean, help me to say the right words. Lord, she needs you so much...soften her heart Jesus, let her know that You care, and that you have so much for her in life besides playing and wasting her days on foolish things like Facebook and handsome faces. Teach me to be more like You Lord, that I might be better able to lead others to You, that I might not make another mistake like I did with Anna Jean.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I don't know what I will do. I don't know what I can do but pray...

With a tear and a sigh,

Kassandra Lee

Shoes for the Feet of My Musings

Do you often think about shoes? To be honest I do not. If I plan to leave the house I put a pair on to protect my feet, but I do not really sit down and just think about just shoes. Today I came across this picture and I thought, it might be interesting to pick a picture to write a post about instead of picking a picture to go with a post I have already written. Here goes.

If I were a pair of shoes, what would I think about most? Would I think about my owner, and how well he or she cares for me? Would I always be excited over the new ground I was able to travel? Would I ever consider who had made me and stand in wonder of the creativity of his hands? Would I love to dance for joy helping my owner to celebrate? Would there be times when I did not want to go on the path that was at hand, but instead would long for some other much smoother path?

In thinking about what a pair of shoes might think if they had brains and could think, I began to see something very familiar. If I were a pair of shoes who would I think of pleasing most? My maker/owner? Would I think of how I was cared for? Yes, I would and I would hope with all that was in me that I was treated tenderly with special care that showed I was valued. I would be excited when opportunities arose for me to tread new ground, and I would surely leave my mark, my brand, upon every surface that would allow me the privilege. I would often think of my maker, and wonder about how wonderful he must be. I would dance with joy every chance I got, rejoicing in the happiness of being "alive," at least I hope I should. Sometimes there would be paths that I would not wish to tread. Ones filled with fearful things, some filled with pleasant things that might be just a little to long for my tastes.

In short, if I were a pair of shoes, I would be not so much different then I am now. I would praise my Maker, rejoice in His tender care, dwelling always in the intense pleasure of knowing that He values me. I would dance for joy in all things that made Him happy, or at least strive to. I would strive to leave my mark, Christ, everywhere I went. I do not always wish to go down the paths He points out to me as right. Some are hard and steep, others seem way to long, but in the end I hope that I can be like those shoes. I will go where my Owner takes me, I will do His bidding. I will take stones into my treads for Him, yes, those little barbs that those who hate Him shall throw my way I will catch, for I wish to protect His feet. I know that I will get worn and old, but I will rejoice in the fact that I am not as a shoe in this way. I will not get thrown away nor forgot in the deep dark corner of some closet, for He never forgets. He never throws away one who seeks Him with all her heart.

Setting out with my picture to write this little post, I really had not clue what I would say, nor whether it would even be worth my while to share. As I wrote I could not help but think of the One who is all that is good in me, and thus, the post was born. Who would have thought that you could see Christ in a pair of worn out shoes? I did not! I am quite as surprised as anybody.

Somehow, I do not think I will ever see shoes quiet the same again...