Friday, July 13, 2012

Take Your Medicine - It's Good For You

My Utmost For His Highest

‘My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification. Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.” CHAMBERS

James 1:2-4 says  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Do you see your difficulties in that way?  That they are good for you?  It can be like taking a medicine that tastes horrible .. and your mom says “It’s good for you.  It will make you better!” She is not the one taking the medicine and you are pretty certain the medicine is worse than the illness.  But the truth is, the medicine was good for you  and it did make you better.  So it is with life for the Christian.  God uses life to shape us and to conform us in the image of His Son and to grow our faith.  Faith is the connection with the Father through the Son.  Faith brings substance and reality to our relationship with God.

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

So our faith is tested in those difficult times … and made stronger through them .. which means that our connection to God is stronger .. which means that our light will be shining even brighter … which means that people will see Jesus in us which means we are accomplishing our purpose which is to know Jesus and make Him known.  Haiti is a difficult place to be .. but it is the right place for us to be because God has called us here.  There is a building materials store nearby named ”Perseverance” .  Every time I drive by, I think about what that means in my life.  It is about perseverance … trusting God or as a pastor friend says .. “Faith-ing God” all the time.

Today, I pray that …..that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:10-12

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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