Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for Time to Bring Healing by Chrystal Evans Hurst

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

7/12/2020

A Prayer for Time to Bring Healing

by Chrystal Evans Hurst

“God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11aEven when the source of our pain remains a source of constant heartache, time can bring a healing like no other. King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, authored Ecclesiastes where he reminds us: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11a). Psalms 118:17 says, "… I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the LORD" (NASB).Simply put: If you just keep on living, you’ll be able to tell the story of how God has brought you through. Because one way or another, He always does.With the passing of time, I’ve seen the deep pain I experienced equally matched by many moments of unexpected joy. And when I reached the end of all that was humanly possible, God’s worked through His never-ending power to make all things beautiful with time.How is that possible? He’s changed me.God in His goodness works to change us. He changes our perspective. He allows us to see what He sees … that even when things aren’t as perfect, easy, or as straightforward as we would like them to be … they still can be beautiful.You or someone you love may have to live with the reality of an injury of the mind, body or soul. With all your heart, you might want to fix something and not be able to. That something or someone may never be perfect.But you need to know time can bring healing. With time, God can take the hard moments and make them happy. He can replace sorrow with a smile. He can make the mountain of grief or regret you’re climbing now, into a place where you can later view the beautiful landscape of your life.Not perfect, but beautiful.God does bring healing in time. Take courage and hold on. And know that even from your pain, beauty can blossom. God makes everything beautiful in its time.Dear God, if I’m honest, there are times where I feel deep pain. It’s hard to continue. There are no smiles. I don’t feel joy. Please help me trust You when it’s hard. Help me believe that, with time, You can make something beautiful of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Faith Grows amid Storms 

Streams in the Desert

He hath acquainted himself with my beaten path. When he hath searched me out, I shall come out shining (Job 23:10, free translation).

"Faith grows amid storms" -- just four words, but oh, how full of import to the soul who has been in the storms!

Faith is that God-given faculty which, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view, and by which the impossible things are made possible. It deals with supernaturals. But it "grows amid storms"; that is, where there are disturbances in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by the conflicts of elements; and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with hostile elements. In such an atmosphere faith finds its most productive soil; in such an element it comes more quickly to full fruition.

The staunchest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature this is the tree which the mechanic wants his tools made of, and the wagon-maker seeks.

So in the spiritual world, when you see a giant, remember the road you must travel to come up to his side is not along the sunny lane where wild flowers ever bloom; but a steep, rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet; where the sharp rocks cut the flesh, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous beasts hiss on every side.

It is a pathway of sorrow and joy, of suffering and healing balm, of tears and smiles, of trials and victories, of conflicts and triumphs, of hardships and perils and buffetings, of persecutions and misunderstandings, of troubles and distress; through all of which we are made more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

"Amid storms." Right in the midst where it is fiercest. You may shrink back from the ordeal of a fierce storm of trial…but go in! God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to whisper His secrets which will make you come forth with a shining face and an indomitable faith that all the demons of hell shall never afterwards cause to waver.
--E. A. Kilbourne

Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life

Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
by Alex Crain

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:1

Just before our second son Henry was born, I remember standing with my wife in the nursery, looking around and just taking everything in. The wooden crib stood assembled and accessorized with matching mobile, blankets, padding and pillows. Diapers, booties and footie pajamas were tucked away in the bureau. The oak rocking chair sat sturdily in the corner nearest the window. In only a matter of days a tiny boy would fill that little room with life and great joy.

People love babies. There is an inexplicable excitement that surrounds the beginning of life. But as soon as the day of birth arrives, it becomes simultaneously the most important day and least important day of one's life. It is the most important because, without it, one wouldn't have life; but it is also least important because it is only the starting point and then it's past. After the moment of birth, the most important thing is, of course, living.

Obvious as it seems, I was reminded while reading Francis Schaeffer's book, True Spirituality, that many professing Christians seem to languish in denial of this fact regarding the moment of their own spiritual birth. Ask a friendly question of, "how is your relationship with the Lord?" and you may hear an answer emphasizing a past decision, a moment of crisis, or an experience—as if past events were all that mattered. Schaeffer wrote,

"In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it must be minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on our new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live." (ch. 1)

Yes, we are grateful for the past. We look forward expectantly to the bright future ahead with Christ in His manifest presence. But our present walk with Christ, right now, is the most important moment. Romans 14:17 says, "The kingdom of God is [present tense] ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

1 John 1:7 reaffirms this emphasis on the present—true spirituality is concerned with walking [present tense] in the light "as He is [present tense] in the light, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us [present tense] from all sin."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Refocus today on your present walk with Christ. If your fellowship with the Lord is broken, let 1 John 1:1 illumine the path. It says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Trust God's promise of forgiveness and cleansing in Christ, and begin to walk with Him again. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live spiritually.

Further Reading

Psalms 86:7

Could God Really Love Someone Like Me?

Could God Really Love Someone Like Me?
By Chris Russell

Today’s big question: “Is it possible that God could love someone like me?”

Love is one of God’s most central attributes. The Scriptures tell us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God’s love is clearly shown in His plan for our salvation, which was worked out through His only Son as a sacrifice for us. God’s Word comes from pure love and, in this sense, is a type of “love letter” toward us. The very act of revelation to us is an act of intimate love between the Creator and His creation. The Bible shows us clearly how we can have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ because of God’s love toward us (John 3:16).

When I was a younger Christian, I had a difficult time comprehending God’s love for me. I had knowledge of His love, but I didn’t really understand the depth of His love for me. That is, I did not fully grasp that love until December 22, 1993. That was the day that my first child was born. The day when I became a dad, I gained a whole new world of understanding about God’s love for me. I remember the flood of emotion that I felt when I saw my son for the first time. That was an overwhelming experience for me, and my heart overflowed with love for him.

I also remember the moment soon thereafter when it dawned on me: “Wow, you mean God loves me this much? I had no idea.” For the first point in my life, I began to get a glimpse of the depth of God’s love for me, and I found that to be truly astonishing.

That new sense of God’s love became a new motivation for my serving Him. You see, when you become aware of the depth of God’s love, it changes you. It changes the way you want to live your life, the reason why you want to live for Him, and the depth of your commitment toward Him.

Today’s big idea: as you become aware of the depth of God’s love for you, allow that realization to become the driving force in your obedience to Him.

What to pray: pray that God will help you to sense His love for you, and pray that He will help you to respond to His love with complete devotion to Him.