WHAT REALLY COUNTS Posted on January 2, 2015 Math and I’ve never been close friends. However, even Math’s best buds probably are somewhat startled with God’s approach to addition. According to God, trials add up to joy. For many who have persevered through the end of 2014 in order to arrive into 2015, who have weathered storms, who have become worn and weary through trials, joy may be a long forgotten, aesthetic concept. However, our Papa God is also Majestic King whose kingdom is one-third joy (Romans 14:17). Walking with Him in the paths of life, we have access to fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Just talking with Him about life (prayer) brings about joy (Philippians 1:4). Joy is a nonnegotiable with our God. But for those who crashed into this new year in the midst of pain/distress/struggle, joy may be so clouded that they fear the next step into this unknown, new time. However, the One—-the One who knows how to go through even crucifixion (shameful pain and extreme suffering) by focusing on the joy set before Him—-this One offers us His hand in the journey through trouble. He extends His friendship and companionship and comfort. He has walked this way before and truly KNOWS what to look for. And He says to look for the joy. How can we? Well, James 1:2-4 reminds us that, if we can receive the trial as an exercise of our faith, then we can know that we are being endurance-strengthened through the process—which produces a perfecting and completing of us, so that we lack nothing. I love lacking nothing. As our Good Shepherd, God promises that we will lack nothing—–He is on the job, seeing to all that (Psalm 23:1). And I love to the core of my being pleasing my Papa—and believing that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him so pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6). So whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, we can offer up our faith to Him. Our trials are not just purposeless pain. Instead, our trials do something inside of us that causes us to be able not to be destroyed by the blessings of God that He desires to come our way. (He is a God who continuously gives good gifts, who withholds nothing good from us–blessings are a by-product of being in relationship with Him.) We don’t just arbitrarily count troubles as joy—we count them as joy because we believe and have confidence and trust in our God. So today, let’s be brave-hearted. Let’s look at the struggles that have followed us, or those which have just confronted us, or those which await in the future as things to overcome with this faith that God is growing within us. And let’s see past the struggle and count all the joy that awaits as we go through. There is much good on the other side of this struggle. Maybe today is a good day to start doing math God’s way. restlesschipotle/lindahoyer/2015/01/02/what-really-counts/
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 10:09:38 +0000
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