‘God does not give us
overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is
what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are
you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are
willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will
immediately get the strength. […] If you completely give of yourself
physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually,
you get more strength. God never gives
us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the
moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our
own common sense. But a saint can “be of
good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is
absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.’ CHAMBERS
What makes your life different from the person who
does not know Jesus? You face the same
issues .. temptations .. failures … with this exception … hardship … pain …
heartache … loss … may come your way .. But God will give you the strength to
walk through those fires … Like the three men in the furnace … you will go
through it but you will not perish … Like Daniel in the lions’ den. Paul and Silas in prison .. read this account
from Paul ….
2
Corinthians 11:24-27 ‘From the Jews five times I received forty
stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was
stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the
deep; in journeys often, in perils of
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the
Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the
sea, in perils among false brethren; in
weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness—‘
When you think about Paul do you think about these
events in his life or do you think of Paul confronting Peter over Judaizers .. or
standing before the people on Mars Hill … or on the road to Damascus … or
perhaps holding the cloaks of those who stoned Steven. Paul knew personal hardship … but he also said
….
Philippians 3:12-14 ‘Not that I have
already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has
also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not
count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those
things which are ahead, I press toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’
Rick Warren said that our past does not define us
.. we are not prisoners of our past or [my words] of our pain and failures …
What has happened to us .. what is happening to us .. is not what defines who
we are … it is our faith … our walk with the Lord … that does that … God never
wastes a hurt … He will use it for ministry … I had the opportunity yesterday
to speak with a young man about dealing with the pain of false accusation … he
was angry and resentful. I shared with
him about a similar experience in my life .. and that the right response was to
give it to God, forgive … release resentment … to be free from the bondage that
can come when we hold on to a hurt ….
2
Corinthians 1:3-4 ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, (4)
who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are
comforted by God.’
What in your past has control over you? What is it that God forgives but you
cannot? Walk with Jesus and you walk in
freedom.
John 8:36 ‘Therefore if the
Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.'
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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