Ponder this for a moment…..As God led the Israelites through the wilderness, so He leads us through the wilderness ….. this journey of life. We must remember that God called on the Israelites to rejoice in Him, and to bless Him for going with them… for teaching and training them through troubles and times of sadness; so He also calls on us to lift up our hearts and our voices and praise Him for leading, teaching and training us in the battles of this life. Some might think “Why would I thank God for trials and tribulations??? Why must there be times of sadness?? Why must I work, work, work in weariness and at times anxiety?? I don’t know about you…but I know I have wondered these very things…. How about this… God called David to be King. Now David didn’t ask to be King but according to God’s Word David had a heart modeled after God’s. So since God chose to make David king why do we find later Saul trying to kill him. Doesn’t sound like much of a blessing to me… I think that sometimes God’s will for us is found in the middle of our trials in life. Truly I cannot determine whether I’m in the will of God based on peace in my life. Just because we have trials doesn’t mean we are not in the center of God’s will for our lives. Look at Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Daniel and John the Baptist. Do you recall….John was beheaded… do you think it was because he was out of the will of God???.... I don’t think so. Paul wrote some of his best work in prison. In Psalms 16:11 it is written” You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Even at times when it seems we are alone in the trial… remember…Jesus is there… In James 1:2-8 it is written “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and, needing nothing.” Are you in a test today?? You know all of God’s great servants faced persecution, heartache, and trials….most beyond what we can imagine. Yet all them, during the adversity, were right where God wanted them to be, in the center of His will. I know I would like a calm and peaceful life all the time. But ya know it is true that we can have inner peace and joy even in the middle of the storms of life. God did not promise us a life free of problems. In fact, we can be absolutely within His will and still be facing great adversity. It is often through the process of life’s difficulties that God makes us more like Jesus, teaches us more about Him and ourselves. Let me encourage you today brothers and sisters… the wilderness is not a place of failure… nope, though sometimes we might fail. The wilderness is a place of testing, a place where we can grow and develop. Attitude is key…when the going gets rough.. look up to Jesus.. share your cares with him.. knowing that he hears your every prayer…that he has already won the war for you and me… Any finally “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Cor 16:13-14. NEVER give up.. NEVER give in…NEVER QUIT….. in Jesus name!! ~Dave H. SHCM
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:30:01 +0000
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