Living with Suffering..... Streams in the Desert

Living with Suffering 

Streams in the Desert

There he proved them (Exod. 15:25).

I stood once in the test room of a great steel mill. All around me were little partitions and compartments. Steel had been tested to the limit, and marked with figures that showed its breaking point. Some pieces had been twisted until they broke, and the strength of torsion was marked on them. Some had been stretched to the breaking point and their tensile strength indicated. Some had been compressed to the crushing point, and also marked. The master of the steel mill knew just what these pieces of steel would stand under strain. He knew just what they would bear if placed in the great ship, building, or bridge. He knew this because his testing room revealed it.

It is often so with God's children. God does not want us to be like vases of glass or porcelain. He would have us like these toughened pieces of steel, able to bear twisting and crushing to the uttermost without collapse.

He wants us to be, not hothouse plants, but storm-beaten oaks; not sand dunes driven with every gust of wind, but granite rocks withstanding the fiercest storms. To make us such He must needs bring us into His testing room of suffering. Many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God's testing room of faith.
--J. H. McC

It is very easy for us to speak and theorize about faith, but God often casts us into crucibles to try our gold, and to separate it from the dross and alloy. Oh, happy are we if the hurricanes that ripple life's unquiet sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious. Better the storm with Christ than smooth waters without Him.
--Macduff

What if God could not manage to ripen your life without suffering? 

Perseverance in Prayer..... Dr. Charles Stanley

Perseverance in Prayer

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 12:11-13

As a pastor, I speak with many people about their spiritual journey. From these interactions, I know that most individuals are not satisfied with their prayer life. They lack anticipation and faith, and time with God feels empty. Most likely, this is why many Christians pray so little and so passionlessly.

Yesterday, we began looking at obstacles to a healthy prayer life. Let’s explore one more hindrance that blocks vibrant communication between God and us: impatience.

Most of us have at some point brought our supplication to Jesus vigorously but did not see the desired results. Unfortunately, humans are, by nature, fainthearted. We get weary of asking and listening when all we perceive is silence. Remember, though, that God is not some “cosmic bellhop”; He does not act on our cue. In fact, if we could see the big picture as He can, we would gladly wait for His way and time.

Actually, I believe that we benefit by not receiving all that we request. Understanding this concept is a sign of spiritual maturity. When we are thoroughly satisfied with the Lord’s presence, our relationship with Him will flourish, even when we don’t get all we ask. When that is the case, we grasp what prayer is—not a long want list, but a relationship.

Barriers can develop if we persistently cry out to God but nothing changes. Continue to pray. Beyond this “wall,” you’ll sense God’s presence, where you will find peace, joy, and awesome glimpses of His glory. This will be completely satisfying, even if He never gives you exactly what you requested.

When You Feel Unlovable .....AMY CARROLL

When You Feel Unlovable
AMY CARROLL 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Because I’m a cold-natured gal, I have blankets all over my living room. Anytime I sit down, I snuggle up.

But there’s one blanket in particular that’s more valuable to me than all the others. I love to get under its warmth, pull it up to my chin and sink into the memories of my Grandma Dohm. You see, my grandmother made that blanket for me.

When I lie under it, my imagination goes a little wild. I ponder all the work and love my grandmother invested as she knitted for hours, thinking of and praying for me. She devoted her time and heart to making something precious and lasting for me.

That description doesn’t just apply to my grandmother’s blanket. In a much deeper way, you are precious and lasting! I love the way Psalm 139:13-14 says it, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (NIV).

God spent immeasurable care in the planning, creating and knitting together of you. I can picture Him delighting in you and the purpose He was weaving into you. He must have had a grin stretching from one divine ear to the other as He dreamed you up!

God loves you simply because He made you.

But is that hard to believe today?

Maybe you’re having a bad day … or maybe you’ve never felt worthy of love.

Perhaps you’re stumbling over past mistakes, failures and sins, feeling undeserving and undesirable.

Some of us were handed the label of “unlovable.” Or maybe you always feel like the outsider, never experiencing the joy of belonging.

When we feel unlovable, we can learn from David, who said, “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made.” If not for the phrase before it —“I praise you” — that statement would be nothing but bragging. “I praise you” is the essential piece our self-love culture is missing. The first part of the verse makes the second part true. If we start with the praise of our Creator, then loving ourselves becomes the overflow. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (emphasis added).

In praising God, loving ourselves becomes an act of worship toward our Creator.

Not long ago, a friend made me put this idea into practice. When I shared these thoughts with her, she said, “I want to hear you put this into action! How do you love yourself? What do you love about who you are and how God created you?”

I hesitated, and then started a list:

• I praise God for giving me a passion for justice.
• I thank Him for the compassion He’s woven into me.
• God created me to teach. I’m so thankful I love doing it!
• And even though I got teased as a little girl, I like that my nose turns up at the end a little bit.
• I praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Just like the blanket my grandmother knit for me, you are one of a kind. You’re not a replica. You aren’t mass-produced, hot off the presses and stacked on the shelf just like every other one. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by your adoring Creator. On days when you feel unlovable, embrace the fact that you’re immensely loved!

Lord, I may feel I’m unworthy of love, but I thank You for Your deep, deep love for me. Because You created me, I worship You by loving who You made me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” (NIV)

Ephesians 2:4-5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (NIV)

Helping Kids See the Gospel...... by John UpChurch

Helping Kids See the Gospel
by John UpChurch

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

First, I want to blow up a common misconception. You’ve probably heard that Francis of Assisi, that saint of old, said something along the lines of: "Share the gospel. If necessary, use words." He did, but his story and evangelistic career don't end so abruptly in a manner that suggests we never speak our faith. When you study Francis's life, you find that he spoke the gospel… a lot. He preached on haystacks and street corners and pretty much anywhere people were. He preached to peasants and nobles, lepers and prisoners. So, it's safe to say that he believed in the concept that "faith comes by hearing."

But Francis did back up his preaching with some pretty amazing examples of the gospel. He demonstrated the sacrifice of Christ in ways that the people around him could see and touch. You could say that his life of poverty served as a parable for Christ giving up the riches of heaven (Philippians 2). Given the culture (which wasn’t too different), a rich man’s son choosing rags over raging parties does send a pretty potent message (it’d be like Paris Hilton choosing a monastery over Malibu Beach houses).

So, Francis and his famous quip and his demonstrations of the gospel have given me something to think about. Namely, as a father, how do I make what Christ did real to my girls? How can I show them what I teach with my words and through the Bible? Since I can’t exactly forsake all my possessions and provide for them at the same time, I’ve learned to think on a bit smaller scale.

The Exchange: I admit it. This seems kind of hokey. But I’ve found that simply exchanging something dirty for something clean (with a gospel explanation) has made quite the impact. For example, my oldest daughter hates for any two items on her plate to touch. Even a microscopic amount of mashed potatoes befouling her green beans is enough to make her queasy. So, instead of fighting about the silliness of it, I recently just traded one of my un-besmirched beans for hers. When I did so, I pointed out that this is similar to what Jesus did for us. He took our dirtiness of sin and gave us His cleanness (2 Corinthians 5:21). She studied the bean with squinty eyes and then ate it.

The Takeaway: This isn’t something I do often—just so we’re clear. But every once in a while, when my girls do something that deserves some “reflection time” in the “reflection chair,” I take away the punishment completely. That only works if I know they’re truly repentant about what they’ve done (and if they know it’s uncommon). I point out that they deserved punishment—according to our if/then Scripture chart—but they aren’t getting what they deserve (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The Substitute: This isn’t one I’ve used just yet because I want them to be a little older. But my wife and I have planned something we hope will really drive home the point. When they mess up, I'm going to take the punishment they deserved. I'm going to lose the privilege they should have lost, to suffer the consequences of their failures. I want them to see that Jesus did just that for us (Isaiah 53).

Intersecting Faith & Life: No earthly example can truly capture what Jesus did—not Francis, not my dinner table exchanges. His sacrifice is just too ridiculously huge. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try. Be intentional with your teachable moments. A tangible example of what you preach with your lips can reach people in ways that words alone cannot.

Jesus Sees You..... By Adrian Rodgers

Jesus Sees You
By Adrian Rodgers

Jesus’ disciples were way out in the sea, and Jesus was on the shore. But He saw them toiling and rowing. He never took His eyes off them.

Are you in the midst of a storm? Did you know He sees you right now? You say, “He doesn’t know where I am. He doesn’t know this difficulty. Why is He so far away? Why am I in the storm and He is on the shore?” Friend, He is there, and He’s praying for you. He’s up there on the mountain looking down. He sees right through the dark. You can’t see Him, but He sees you. You can say, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

My advice for you in the midst of your storm is to see Jesus, the great I AM, and see Him walking on the water. And that thing that looks like it’s going to be over your head is already under His feet. You’re seated in the heaven lies with Him. And you can’t drown with your head above water. He is the great I AM. You can put it down: you are guarded by His power.

Heavenly Father, you have created this world and called it good. Yet we are the ones made in your image. Let us never forget how much you love us.

A Prayer for When You Need to Ask God 'Why?'..... By Cindi McMenamin

A Prayer for When You Need to Ask God 'Why?'
By Cindi McMenamin

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV).

Admit it. You have lots of WHY questions for God.

Why am I going through this situation?

Why did You let that happen?

Why didn’t You allow me to experience that blessing?

Although it is human nature to question and try to find the reasoning behind God’s ways, I truly believe most of our “why” questions result from ignorance about Who God is or a lack of faith in what He is doing.

After more than 30 years of discipling women, I’ve come up with what I call “God’s Top 10 Answers to Our ‘Why’ Questions.” They are not in any particular order. But they are all based on Scripture and what it tells us of God’s character. If He were to speak audibly perhaps His answers to your questions would be:

1. Trust Me. I have My reasons.

2. So you will grow.

3. You never asked.

4. You’re asking for the wrong reasons.

5. So you’ll rely on Me.

6. Just Wait.

7. I have something better in mind.

8. I’m protecting you.

9. I’m making you more like Jesus.

10. Because I love you.

Can you trust this God upon whom you have piled your questions? Then say this prayer from Your heart as a way of letting Him know you are His and You trust Him with whatever He has in mind:

Lord, thank You that in spite of your “no” or “wait” or even Your silence, You know what is very best for me and You promise to work for my eternal good, not just my temporary satisfaction. Thank You that in all all situations, in all pain and pressure and circumstances beyond my control, You are making me more like Christ, as I give up my will and surrender to Yours.

Scripture says without faith it is impossible to please You so I choose to believe that You have it all under control. Thank You for being a good, loving, all-knowing and ever-present God who will not let anything touch me that hasn’t first passed through Your loving hands. In the name of Jesus, Amen.