by David Brenneman
As we place our dependence
upon God, an incredible
freedom and peace will begin
to rest in our hearts. And
reaching that point in our lives
makes every setback worth it.
To You they cried out and
were delivered; in You they
trusted and were not
disappointed.
-PSALM 22:5
God created everything with
a plan, and He has principles
that govern all He does. The
Lord always operates with a
sense of direction and purpose
in mind-not only for us as
individuals, but also to achieve
His universal, eternal goals.
O LORD, You are my God,
I will exalt You, I will give
thanks to Your name;
for You have worked
wonders, plans formed
long ago, with
perfect faithfulness.
-ISAIAH 25:1
"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
"Why is this happening to me!?!?"
"I can't take it anymore!?!"
"I have no idea WHAT to do!"
You're in the right place.
Rejoice and be glad in it.
"Huh?!?" you might respond with. "My world is falling apart! You want me to be happy about it!?!".
Not me...God's Word says that in everything give thanks. Even the things that aren't going well as far as our perceptions go.
Go deeper with "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
You, hopefully, did come to Christ for salvation at some point in your life. If you did, all the hope that's available in the power of the resurrection of Christ is within your grasp. If you have not, you're pretty much on your own.
Someone was there to pray me towards salvation in Christ. My prayer for all who read these posts who haven't come to Christ for salvation yet is that they would.
For those here who have come to Christ but are struggling with their 'world' falling apart...why are you trying to go it alone?
In Christ means just that...you're following Him, obeying in what He says, following His direction. Sometimes we get ahead of Him and end up in some unique circumstances. He's still there to pull us through. Jesus said, in His model prayer, "your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".
If you're still trying to get your will to be done instead of His, you're creating a problem for you.
You may think your situation is dire, insurmountable, impossible even.
Fantastic! Jesus also said "And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”" Matthew 19:26.
And think on this: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." 1 Peter 4:12-13.
My Dear Reader...if indeed you are saved in Christ Jesus...you are held safely in His hands.
Several times Jesus rebuked His Disciples for their lack of faith. They should have known and understood that the Father wouldn't allow anything or anyone to thwart the plans of God for Jesus while Jesus was living for the will of His Father to be completed.
We, for ten months, could have panicked because of the circumstances of my unemployment. Wondering where was God in all this...truth was He was all over it. He provided every dollar we needed every single month. On top of this He provided food for us and our cats. He kept the lights on and gas in the vehicle's. Kept me busy with odd jobs, learning, restoring my confidence. My mind kept wondering if I was facing age discrimination in the application process. No, it was that I was back in school learning. The new job for me wasn't ready yet.
You, my Dear Reader, need to re-read Luke 10:38-42 about Mary and Martha.
As a great hymn says "Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer; Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.".
Turn your eyes from your circumstances and towards your Savior. Take whatever is on your heart to the Lord in prayer. Quit trying to figure out what He's already figured out.
"Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:31-34.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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