Tag Archives: Christianity

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Patient in Affliction

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Impatient Reaction vs. Patient Response

Billy, a young potato farmer, was having a conversation with Satan. Billy was harvesting his potatoes, and each one seemed smaller than expected. The crop was small, and the potatoes were little.

Satan offered to Billy, “Follow me, and I promise you big potatoes every year.”

Billy responded, “If I follow you, you will not give me any potatoes.”

Billy patiently responded in a rough moment in life. Satan was hoping Billy impatiently reacted. How do we handle those moments in life?

Romans 12:12 encourages Christians to patiently respond. “Be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer,” encourages Paul.

Patient in affliction.

You and I are being encouraged to be patient during adversity. 1 Peter reminds us it is these seasons in life which help our faith develop.

As adversity comes, here is encouragement.

 

  • James encourages us to consider trials pure joy because they are developing Godly character in us.
  • The adverse seasons may be leading to a better place then we have been thus far. A wise man once said, “Waiting on God is worth the delay.”
  • “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance,” says Hebrews 6:12.
  • We can look ahead to what is coming for us.

Trials will come, and we can follow Billy’s example to navigate the season. It is better to have small potatoes than no potatoes.

 

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Joy in Hope

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“Joy is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the king is in residence there,” said Robert Rainey.

In a Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, so Linus said, “Charlie Brown, you are the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.”

Are we like Charlie Brown? It is easy to become wrapped up in circumstances and loose sight of our hope. As Christians though, we are encouraged to always be joyful for our hope.

“Be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer,” encourages Romans 12:12.

Be joyful in hope.

Life certainly has its difficulties, but we can always look ahead to the hope we have in Christ.

1 Peter describes this hope as…

  • A living and eternal hope. Time will not take our hope away.
  • A hope which will not perish or spoil. Our hope will always be the same. It is not going away.
  • A hope which will withstand trouble. We may be enduring afflictions, but they are not powerful enough to rob us of the hope we have in Christ.

No matter what we are going through or where we are right now, we can look ahead to the joyful promise we have been given.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

He Hears

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“I’m pretty sure you heard.”

We find 2 timely reminders about God in Ya Heard by Thomas Rhett.

  1. God hears our prayers. They are not just bouncing off the ceiling, but he really is paying attention. God may not answer the way we think he will, but he does answer us.
  2. God cares about us. He cares about the small aspects of our lives as much as he does the large aspects. We should talk with him about all aspects of life.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QU5XQmrZO7k

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

What is on your grateful list?

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Psalm 103 encourages gratefulness.

In the hustle of life, it is easy to forget the ways in which we are blessed. Good things might even become commonplace, so it is easy to forget to be grateful.

Not always, but sometimes in the busyness, you and I forget to be thankful for the good things in our lives.

Amid a storm, we also may forget. Everything around us is crumbling and falling, so it is hard to focus on what is good.

Psalm 103 encourages us to always be grateful.

David opens and closes the Psalm with this encouragement.

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me,” writes David in verses 1-2.

He says in verse 22, “Praise the Lord everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord.”

Psalm 103 gives us some reasons to always be grateful.

We can all make a list of good things in our lives, and David offers a few suggestions for the list.

  1. The Lord’s forgiveness.
  2. The Lord’s help.
  3. The Lord’s dependable track record.
  4. The Lord’s character. Verses 8-11 say, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins. He does not deal harshly with us as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”

Acting

What is on your list? Try making a list and giving thanks for it daily.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Feeling overwhelmed by change?

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Blessed are the flexible, for they are not bent out of shape.

“Everything changes but change,” John F. Kennedy said. As we grow older, we realize how much life really changes. It is easy to be overwhelmed as things change.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by change, here are a couple points to remember.

1. Do not fight the unavoidable.

You and I may be able to delay change, but eventually, it must happen. There is no need to fight what is unavoidable. Blessed are the flexible, for they are not bent out of shape.

2. God does not change even though life changes.

While everything else in life will change, God will remain the same. Psalm 102:27 says of God, “But you are always the same. You will live forever.”

Isaiah 33:6 says, “In that day, he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.”

Jobs may come and end with a pink slip. Friends may come and go quickly. A health crisis may cause life to screech to a halt. But God remains the same.

  • “He never changes as a shifting shadow does,” according to James 1:17.
  • Numbers 23:19 states, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Acting

When change overwhelms us, we do not have to endure it alone. We can ask the Lord to help us. When we are overwhelmed, we can pour out our thoughts to the Lord, and he will help us sort through them.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

When everything falls apart

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Stability may crumble. People may turn away, but God will stay.

He found himself thrust out of the king’s liking. Saul was annoyed and jealous of David, so he wanted him killed. David fled to Gath hoping to find refuge, but they chased him out of town. He ends up in a cave hiding from Saul, and David finds his refuge in the Lord.

Psalm 56 and 57 record David’s thoughts during this time.

They will not leave me alone.

“O God have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me,” David writes in Psalm 56:1-2.

Can you relate? It seems everyone is against you. They constantly pick at the work you are doing. They continually criticize and never encourage. You feel no matter what you do, it will never be enough. Their ideas and agenda do not include you, so the quicker you are cut off the better.

Where will you go? What will you do? David had the same kind of questions and found refuge in the Lord.

David turned to the Lord for refuge.

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you,” David writes in Psalm 56:3.

David says in Psalm 57 he will hide in the Lord’s refuge until the calamity passes. “My heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises,” he writes in verse 7.

David’s stability was shaken. He had nowhere to turn until he remembered he could trust the Lord.

Our stability may be shaken, and we may feel as if we have no where to turn. But we can trust the Lord. He will be with us while we are the topic of office gossip. He will be with us as others may toss us aside. Those slandering us may treat us like garbage, but the Lord will treat us like a treasure. He will be with us until the calamity passes.

Like David, you and I can confidently say, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Overcoming

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We can conquer barriers.

In May 2001, Erik Weihenmayer accomplished something only about 150 people a year do. He climbed to the top of Mt. Everest. The thing that made Erik’s achievement unusual is he was the first person who is blind to scale the world’s tallest mountain. Born with Retinoschisis, Erik was completely blind by age 13. Rather than focus on what he could not do, he made the choice to focus on what he could do and went much farther than many expected.

Many times, you and I are faced with a choice: continue or quit. It would be nice if following God always meant smooth sailing; however, that is not the case. There will be people who do not like us and obstacles to cross in doing what is right. We should not allow the people and obstacles we face to cause us to quit.

Psalm 92 reminds us we will be overcomers with the Lord. The Psalmist writes in verse 11, “My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries. My ears have heard the route of my wicked foes.”

The Lord will be with us as we fulfill our God-ordained purpose. The Lord will help us in this life, and at the end of our journey, we, in Christ, will be able to overcome this world. So, hang on and keep climbing.

Touch the Top of the World is Erik’s autobiography, and it is available at Amazon.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Should we give thanks?

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Psalm 92 reminds us it is good to give thanks.

Look around, and it is easy to find circumstances causing anxiety and fear. They seem to be everywhere; anxiety and fear seem to live on every street and lurk around every corner. It is easy to be consumed by circumstances.

Psalm 92 recommends we counterbalance our looks with thanksgiving.

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High. Proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,” writes the Psalmist in verses 1-2.

Verses 4-5 go on, “For you make me glad by your deeds Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works Lord, how profound your thoughts?”

As we look around finding anxious and fearful circumstances, we can also find the marvelous work of the Lord.

  • The beauty and complexity of creation.
  • The Lord’s work in our own lives.
  • The promises we find in Scripture.

As we look around, it seems we have much for which to be thankful. We can awake each day assured of God’s love and go to bed each night thankful for his protection that day. It is good to give thanks.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

God, why?

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A Familiar Question Asked in Psalm 73.

Why? Parents of young children hear this question a lot, and it is a question that comes up in all seasons of life. Sometimes, the question comes up in our relationship with the Lord.

It did for Asaph, the writer of Psalm 73. He was one of the choir directors under King David’s reign. Asaph saw the wicked prospering and the righteous being oppressed, and he wondered why.

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart,” Asaph writes in verse 1. Yet, it seemed all these people who had nothing to do with God were having all kinds of success. He struggled with how this could be happening, which is okay.

Asking why is okay.

It is a common misconception that Christians are to never ask why. We are just to accept things as they happen without questioning; however, the Bible records individuals of great faith struggling to always understand. Abraham, Moses, and David are just a few who struggled and questioned God, yet they were totally reliant on the Lord.

“It is not a sin to doubt. Disbelief is sin, but questioning, sincerely seeking, is acceptable to God because in the presence of God, you may ask any question you want,” according to Max Lucado.

God did not turn his back on John the Baptist or Thomas when they asked questions, and God will not turn his back on you and me if we ask questions. Sincerely seeking answers from God’s perspective will change ours.

Seeking answers from God’s perspective will change ours.

Look at how it changed Asaph’s perspective in Psalm 73. “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny,” remarks Asaph in verses 16-17.

Looking at life from God’s perspective changed Asaph’s. He recognized with God there was hope in the future, but with everything else, hope was fleeting.

When you and I are confused about circumstances in our lives, we can sincerely seek answers from God. Viewing our lives from his perspective will provide us with hope. We have this hope because of the promise the Lord has made us. Trying to answer life’s ponderings in any other way will leave us longing.

We may not have the answers, but we know who does.

Asaph concludes in verse 28, “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge.” With his hope resting on the Lord, Asaph had a vision for the future. Meanwhile, he may not have understood everything, but he knew God did.

With our hope resting on the Lord, we too can make him our refuge. We may not understand everything, but we know he does. With the Lord as our refuge, our hope is secure, and we do not have to understand everything because he does.

 

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Are we running after the right ambitions?

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“It’s about the people that you love and the places that you saw. Finding peace in the chaos, and beauty in the flaws.”

What are we running after? What are we trying to achieve? Are we always comparing ourselves to the neighbor next door? Beauty in the Flaws by Sophia Scott reminds us it is not the amount of money we make or the status we gain that matters.

The people and places we impact matter. The peace we can find matters. If we spend all our time chasing after money and prestige, we will find ourselves longing for more.

The Bible says Solomon was the wisest person to ever live, and he pursued the meaning of life. He pursued it within money, prestige, hard work, and partying. At the end of the pursuit, he writes these words.

“That’s the whole story. Here, now, is my conclusion: fear God and obey his commands for this is everyone’s duty,” Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 12:13.