Rejoicing in Darkness..... Streams in the Desert

 Rejoicing in Darkness 

    Streams in the Desert

He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him (Psalms 66:6).

It is a striking assertion, "through the floods" (the place where we might have expected nothing but trembling and terror, anguish and dismay) "there," says the Psalmist, "did we rejoice in him!"

How many there are who can endorse this as their experience: that "there," in their very seasons of distress and sadness, they have been enabled, as they never did before, to triumph and rejoice.

How near their God in covenant is brought! How brightly shine His promises! In the day of our prosperity we cannot see the brilliancy of these. Like the sun at noon, hiding out the stars from sight, they are indiscernible; but when night overtakes, the deep, dark night of sorrow, out come these clustering stars--blessed constellations of Bible hope and promise of consolation.

Like Jacob at Jabbok, it is when our earthly sun goes down that the Divine Angel comes forth, and we wrestle with Him and prevail. It was at night, "in the evening," Aaron lit the sanctuary lamps. It is in the night of trouble the brightest lamps of the believer are often kindled.

It was in his loneliness and exile John had the glorious vision of his Redeemer. There is many a Patmos still in the world, whose brightest remembrances are those of God's presence and upholding grace and love in solitude and sadness.

How many pilgrims, still passing through these Red Seas and Jordans of earthly affliction, will be enabled in the retrospect of eternity to say--full of the memories of God's great goodness--"We went through the flood on foot, there--there, in these dark experiences, with the surging waves on every side, deep calling to deep, Jordan, as when Israel crossed it, in 'the time of the overflowing' (flood), yet, 'there did we rejoice in Him!'"
--Dr. Macduff

"And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the door of trouble for a door of hope: and she shall sing THERE" (Hosea 2:15).

God's Master Plan of Finance.... Dr. Charles Stanley

 God's Master Plan of Finance

Dr. Charles Stanley

Malachi 3:7-12

Though the world is full of disorder, confusion, and uncertainty, believers in Christ have the wonderful assurance that God is in absolute control of every situation. When He created the heavens and the earth, He had a purpose and a plan, which He carried out with precision and order. Nothing was haphazard, late, or uncertain. The Lord also has a plan for each one of us, and every aspect of our lives is not only under His scrutiny, but also under His care.

One of those areas is our finances. If we'll follow God's plan, He promises to manage our money. Now, that's quite a blessing. After all, who do you think would be better at knowing how to handle money—you or our omniscient, all-powerful God? He promises that if we will give Him the first part of all we receive, He'll provide for our needs. He has an amazing way of making the remainder stretch farther than the original amount.

So, considering the blessings of this promise and the unfailing faithfulness of the Promise Giver, what is keeping you from obeying this command? The most likely reason is unbelief—fear to test Him on this even though He invites you to do so. But you may be asking yourself, What if He doesn't come through? What if I give it away and don't have enough?

The Lord is after your trust, and what better area to test and build it than your finances? Believing Him for our salvation seems easy, yet we often doubt He'll keep His promise when it comes to money. Take a step of obedience today, and discover how faithful your God really is.

Godly Ways to Handle Correction..... By Lynette Kittle

 Godly Ways to Handle Correction

By Lynette Kittle

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will counted among the wise”—Proverbs 19:20

For most of us, it isn’t easy to be corrected. And whether we receive it or not in the end it’s really up to us.

In every situation it’s important to weigh what is spoken to us, to see if it aligns with Scripture, and to thoroughly examine our hearts and motives in receiving it.

Like Proverbs 15:32 encourages, “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.”

Look at the Source

Although receiving correction from godly counsel or someone who truly loves us may be easier to accept, often advice isn’t coming from a person or organization that has our best interest at heart or from someone who even knows God.

At work, home, and out in the marketplace, it can come from people who are angry, and maybe not even angry with us but are taking out their frustration on us. Sometimes it comes from those who are acting out of their own hurts in life, lashing out and hurting others along their way.

It can also come from those who are jealous and envious of what we have, do, or are in life, from those who believe we’ve received unfair advantages.

Likewise, it can come from those who are in power but don’t know how to handle it.

So as correction comes, a lot of it is up to us to figure out how to handle it. It comes down to our call on whether to take it to heart or discard it by the wayside.

Overcoming Disappointment..... by Ryan Duncan

 Overcoming Disappointment

by Ryan Duncan

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. – 2 Corinthians 1:7

We’ve all been there. It’s that letter from the college you wanted to attend, saying they are not able to admit you at this time. It’s that person on the stage surrounded by people, announcing that first prize goes to the other contestant. It’s watching all the time and effort you put into something crumble away in a matter of seconds. Sometimes disappointment can be more devastating than tragedy, because it requires you to have invested in the outcome first.

The Bible tells us that we should rejoice in our sufferings, but I’d be lying if I said that what I did every time I was disappointed. Most of the time I just want to crawl off and be alone, or I end up angry and resentful. Sometimes I even find myself arguing with God over what just happened. So, what are Christians supposed to respond when faced with disappointment? Personally, I think there’s only one thing we can do: hope.

The early disciples faced their own share of letdowns. Paul, in particular, had his share of troubles in life, but look what he writes in Romans chapter 5,

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. – Romans 5:2-6

Sometimes disappointment can’t be overcome, only endured. In moments like that, it’s important to remember that we have hope on our side. Hope in Christ’s love, hope for better days to come, the hope to maybe even try again. So when the storms of life come your way don’t let yourself be troubled, instead pick yourself up and remember with God there will always be hope.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Whatever you may be going through remember to hope in the Lord.

Further Reading

Romans 15:13

A Prayer to Cling to Jesus in the Midst of Anxiety..... By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer to Cling to Jesus in the Midst of Anxiety

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” - Mark 4:38

We’ve all felt some amount of anxiety in our life. My anxiety has often taken me to the story of the disciples in the boat with Jesus. Mark 4:37-38 “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Picture this, while the storm was raging around them in the ocean, Jesus was sleeping. Many might read this passage and think why would Jesus be sleeping in the midst of their fear, in the midst of a storm they felt they were going to drown in? This question is a valid one. One I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves asking in seasons that looked like we might drown, too. Is Jesus really sleeping while we’re facing anxiety? No.

As you keep reading the story in Mark 4, you’ll see that Jesus woke up when the disciples called on Him, “Teacher don’t you care if we drown?” Certainly, Jesus cares about them and I love that He awoke at this question. He made it clear that He wanted to be invited into their anxiety. He wasn’t oblivious to the raging storm going on around them, He wasn’t caught off guard by their fear, what He wanted was to know they fully trusted Him.

The more I’ve been faced with feelings of anxiety or anxious thoughts the more opportunities I’ve had to invite the Lord in and stand in the confirmation He is with me. I’ve watched The Lord increase my faith by not just quick fixing my issue but by calling me to obediently seek Him when I’m facing the seasons I used to feel alone in.

You see, our faith in The Lord doesn’t cause affliction and anxiety to go away, but what it does give us security when we’re walking through it. What started as a place of loneliness, doubt, and wondering where God was, ended up bringing me to a place of feeling seen and understood by our Creator. Next time you find yourself facing events that cause your anxiety to flare up, worsen, or trigger old thought patterns, remember: you have Jesus in your boat. Call on Him, trust in Him, and cling to Him as He sees you through your raging storm.

Pray with me…

Lord,

Help me grow by seeing you in my moments of anxiety. Lead my heart to places in your word that I can pray aloud over myself when these feelings come. Father, help me remember that my feelings are not the boss of me and I’m always able to hand them over to you and seek you as my peace and refuge.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.