So, I work at a local hospital and between school and work, I really don't have a lot of time to spare believe it or not. I struggle to hang out with my fiancée and balance out doing extra curricular activities and making everyone happy. Very difficult to say the lease to balance my time. I have been getting burned out spiritually, which is very frustrating and I don't want to do anything much less anything about it because I'm too lazy, which is human nature and very sad.
Well, I picked up 2 days on days at work and it was a huge change because I work nights. I was running around, making sure everyone was set up for meals, got people washed up, discharged patients from the hospital, etc. Very busy! There was one patient in particular who was very sweet. She was in her late 80s and just all around sweet. I remember this lady in particular because of how nice she was. In fact, she was so pleasant that she gave me joy and happiness that I directed towards the other patients making me WANT to take care of them better!
This lady was not a Christian as far as I know but she was used by God to show me that no matter what I do, I need to do it all for the glory of God! I had the opportunity, on my second day of picking up, to give away some of my patients. I asked to keep them and everyone thought I was crazy in the head! Yes, I was crazy but after that lady gave me the push I needed, I didn't want to give them up! I was so very happy because I was able to share the love of Christ with my patients. I was able to share my experiences with them and even witness to a few. What a blessing it is to talk about Christ.
It's still difficult especially now that I'm at work on break. I find my brain wandering and people's music and TVs blaring so it's hard to concentrate on God. Ultimately, you will find satisfaction in God by reading His word and when you continually seek Him. It's not something that can happen over night or in a day, month, or year. If you are completely satisfied with where you are spiritually, well, I have news for you, there's something wrong. Never be spiritually satisfied or you'll be in a spiritual rut, which is never a good thing!
I encourage each and every one of you to really seek God this year. Never be satisfied with your spiritual life. Continue to dig deep in to His word, memorize scripture, and keep on praying and thanking Him for every day! There is no formula for being spiritually satisfied with life but seeking Him is a great start.
The Rebelution
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Lessons Learned in 2012
As I look back on 2012, I have learned many lessons not just in my spiritual life but also my good old life as a human being. For instance, don't be stupid and try to cut a 1" diameter stick in half with your giant knife because you WILL cut yourself not to mention you did the very same thing a week earlier and super glued your cut shut so you wouldn't go to the hospital. Other simple lessons were at work or lessons on how to communicate with your significant other.
On a spiritual note, God really has laid on my heart the lesson of trusting in Him and making me realize once again, over and over, that there is literally nothing to hard for Him. My friend, Sam, discovered he had Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in the Fall of 2011. He and I grew up together but went somewhat separate ways when I moved to Michigan and after he went to college. When I found out this news that he was sick, I was devastated. My Mom, who is very close to Sam's mom, helped me stay in touch with anything new that occurred. I do not remember when, but Sam went through chemotherapy and they aggressively attacked the cancer and were able to get rid of the cancer. However, I was just informed a few days ago that the cancer is now back but I do not know any more details. Sam joined an organization called Imerman Angels. You can find an article here about his first experiences with this group.
I bring Sam up for this reason: even when his chances were slim and everything in his life was not going as planned, he still trusted God. In the article that I linked above, Sam wrote, "I didn't worry too much about what I was going to go through,” LiBassi says. “My mottos were: ‘It's life, you gotta deal with it and make the best of it’ and ‘Life comes at you fast, but God is sovereign.’"
Man, I wish I could say that about my life when big or small things happen to me. Sam doesn't know this but he really has been a huge role model in my life even more so recently. Why? He has challenged me to really trust God with everything. You are told to just trust God no matter what happens but how often do we do that? It's been a blessing to see a childhood friend doing what he should be doing and really seeing God's handiwork.
My Mom and I were talking about obeying God. She and I were talking about me getting into a lot of trouble when I was younger. My Mom always told me, "Sam, just obey! It's easier that way. Why don't you do that?" I always responded with a shrug. She then told me that when God asked her to do something she would give the same response as I did with her. God said to my Mom, "Why don't you just obey? It's easier that way." She shrugged like I did and said, "I don't know." This is, once again, another lesson learned in 2012. Obeying is hard. You may not get a reward here on this earth obeying God's word or even your parents for that matter but why does it matter? This is something I struggle with because I want to be rewarded here right now and yet heaven's reward is far superior to anything here on this earth.
As you look back on 2012 and look ahead, reflect on the lessons that you have learned. It may be a great learning experience and a huge encouragement. I know it was for me.
On a spiritual note, God really has laid on my heart the lesson of trusting in Him and making me realize once again, over and over, that there is literally nothing to hard for Him. My friend, Sam, discovered he had Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in the Fall of 2011. He and I grew up together but went somewhat separate ways when I moved to Michigan and after he went to college. When I found out this news that he was sick, I was devastated. My Mom, who is very close to Sam's mom, helped me stay in touch with anything new that occurred. I do not remember when, but Sam went through chemotherapy and they aggressively attacked the cancer and were able to get rid of the cancer. However, I was just informed a few days ago that the cancer is now back but I do not know any more details. Sam joined an organization called Imerman Angels. You can find an article here about his first experiences with this group.
I bring Sam up for this reason: even when his chances were slim and everything in his life was not going as planned, he still trusted God. In the article that I linked above, Sam wrote, "I didn't worry too much about what I was going to go through,” LiBassi says. “My mottos were: ‘It's life, you gotta deal with it and make the best of it’ and ‘Life comes at you fast, but God is sovereign.’"
Man, I wish I could say that about my life when big or small things happen to me. Sam doesn't know this but he really has been a huge role model in my life even more so recently. Why? He has challenged me to really trust God with everything. You are told to just trust God no matter what happens but how often do we do that? It's been a blessing to see a childhood friend doing what he should be doing and really seeing God's handiwork.
My Mom and I were talking about obeying God. She and I were talking about me getting into a lot of trouble when I was younger. My Mom always told me, "Sam, just obey! It's easier that way. Why don't you do that?" I always responded with a shrug. She then told me that when God asked her to do something she would give the same response as I did with her. God said to my Mom, "Why don't you just obey? It's easier that way." She shrugged like I did and said, "I don't know." This is, once again, another lesson learned in 2012. Obeying is hard. You may not get a reward here on this earth obeying God's word or even your parents for that matter but why does it matter? This is something I struggle with because I want to be rewarded here right now and yet heaven's reward is far superior to anything here on this earth.
As you look back on 2012 and look ahead, reflect on the lessons that you have learned. It may be a great learning experience and a huge encouragement. I know it was for me.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Playing the Part
So, my brother-in-law Josh and my sister Sarah are both actors. They enjoy role-playing parts from Shakespeare, English plays, and even classics like The Pajama Game. They have to memorize a lot of lines and practice many hours to do well especially when they get paid for what they do! It's my brother-in-law's career! It takes quite a bit of effort and their time to focus on the part that they play no matter how big or how small because they make up a whole in the plays.
In our Christian walk, we play an important part whether that be being a witness for Christ, being a layman in the church, being an encouragement to others, or setting an example for baby Christians. No matter what part we play we need to take it to heart because it makes up a much larger picture in our lives! There was an Adventures in Odyssey episode talking about this very thing. From what I remember, there was a group of people who were part of a body whether it was a literal body or a figurative body I cannot remember but they represented the head, the arms, torso, legs, eyes, ears, etc. One person left because they felt unwanted. They felt that their part was not worth staying and just quit. The person came back a few months later to find the building they met in abandoned and broken into all in shambles. The person found the head of the body and asked what happened. He said that everyone left and got different jobs and went out of state because that person left the body. They insisted that they get everyone back together but it was too late. It was a simple analogy yet the concept, although I don't recall every single detail, was very sound and stuck with me all these years.
I hear about people committing suicide because they don't think their life is important, which is sad. Everyone needs to hear about Christ. I hear more good about mega churches and contemporary Christian music reaching people because they are totally outspoken and they know their part in life than a lot of Christians these days in very conservative churches! I particularly don't like or agree with the music of these mega churches but most of the time, their doctrine is sound and the teaching they provide is spot on! Whatever these pastors and teachers are doing in these churches needs to be known elsewhere! Many more people need to know their part in life and how to utilize it! I just feel that the love of Christ is radiating out from these people. Ultimately, it is the Lord who gives these people the drive to preach and proclaim His word. I hope that we all find our part in our Christian life and use it to the fullest extent. God gave us gifts. Let's use them to fulfill His purpose.
I hope this makes sense to all who read this. I have a lot on my mind as of late and have been very burned out because of school. Praise the Lord I am done for the semester! I am looking forward to graduating and then getting married in December of 2013! I will keep you posted with the upcoming events. Feel free to ask any questions!
In our Christian walk, we play an important part whether that be being a witness for Christ, being a layman in the church, being an encouragement to others, or setting an example for baby Christians. No matter what part we play we need to take it to heart because it makes up a much larger picture in our lives! There was an Adventures in Odyssey episode talking about this very thing. From what I remember, there was a group of people who were part of a body whether it was a literal body or a figurative body I cannot remember but they represented the head, the arms, torso, legs, eyes, ears, etc. One person left because they felt unwanted. They felt that their part was not worth staying and just quit. The person came back a few months later to find the building they met in abandoned and broken into all in shambles. The person found the head of the body and asked what happened. He said that everyone left and got different jobs and went out of state because that person left the body. They insisted that they get everyone back together but it was too late. It was a simple analogy yet the concept, although I don't recall every single detail, was very sound and stuck with me all these years.
I hear about people committing suicide because they don't think their life is important, which is sad. Everyone needs to hear about Christ. I hear more good about mega churches and contemporary Christian music reaching people because they are totally outspoken and they know their part in life than a lot of Christians these days in very conservative churches! I particularly don't like or agree with the music of these mega churches but most of the time, their doctrine is sound and the teaching they provide is spot on! Whatever these pastors and teachers are doing in these churches needs to be known elsewhere! Many more people need to know their part in life and how to utilize it! I just feel that the love of Christ is radiating out from these people. Ultimately, it is the Lord who gives these people the drive to preach and proclaim His word. I hope that we all find our part in our Christian life and use it to the fullest extent. God gave us gifts. Let's use them to fulfill His purpose.
I hope this makes sense to all who read this. I have a lot on my mind as of late and have been very burned out because of school. Praise the Lord I am done for the semester! I am looking forward to graduating and then getting married in December of 2013! I will keep you posted with the upcoming events. Feel free to ask any questions!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Making Amends
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
An old friend called me today. I never did pick the phone up because I was too scared but more importantly, I was in class. I broke my friendship off with my friend back in March/April after receiving a phone call from him telling me things that would change my life forever. At the time, I was not ready to hear that my best friend was gay. I was not ready to talk about it. I was not ready for my life to be completely turned upside down but it happened in a split second. I didn't know what to say other than asking God to give me the strength to know what to say. Some things I said just came out and I wish I never said them. Promises I couldn't keep at the time.
I have been battling a lot since this has happened and my spiritual life has been affected because of it, sadly. I knew that I was not letting God handle my life and I have been miserable. Yet, God knows what He is doing. I am glad I have gone through trials not because I wanted to be far from God but it was good for me to realize how much I NEED Him! What a blessing! God's timing couldn't be better since I was chatting with a very good friend of mine a few days ago on Facebook. She asked me how I was doing spiritually and I told her I was doing OK but I really needed to be closer to God. She proceeded to tell me what she did to get herself closer to God. It was tough, just like working out every days, she disciplined herself by cleaning up her music, speech, movies, and lifestyle. She took the time that she spent on other things and read the Bible instead. This really put me in my place. I really have been examining myself as of late after this. Then, today, my friend called which was honestly perfect timing.
Now, it is time for me to make things right with my friend. I do not agree with his lifestyle and he knows this but he also knows that God loves him no matter what he does in his lifetime. I don't know what will happen after our meeting whether our friendship will be rekindled, whether he gets right with God and his family or he continues on with his life. I need a lot of prayer about decisions ahead because it is a big one so I would ask you to pray for me. All in all, like I said, I am very happy this happened. It's not fun, it's scary to go into the unknown but God will get me through this. He allowed everything to work together for good and I know He will continue to do so.
An old friend called me today. I never did pick the phone up because I was too scared but more importantly, I was in class. I broke my friendship off with my friend back in March/April after receiving a phone call from him telling me things that would change my life forever. At the time, I was not ready to hear that my best friend was gay. I was not ready to talk about it. I was not ready for my life to be completely turned upside down but it happened in a split second. I didn't know what to say other than asking God to give me the strength to know what to say. Some things I said just came out and I wish I never said them. Promises I couldn't keep at the time.
I have been battling a lot since this has happened and my spiritual life has been affected because of it, sadly. I knew that I was not letting God handle my life and I have been miserable. Yet, God knows what He is doing. I am glad I have gone through trials not because I wanted to be far from God but it was good for me to realize how much I NEED Him! What a blessing! God's timing couldn't be better since I was chatting with a very good friend of mine a few days ago on Facebook. She asked me how I was doing spiritually and I told her I was doing OK but I really needed to be closer to God. She proceeded to tell me what she did to get herself closer to God. It was tough, just like working out every days, she disciplined herself by cleaning up her music, speech, movies, and lifestyle. She took the time that she spent on other things and read the Bible instead. This really put me in my place. I really have been examining myself as of late after this. Then, today, my friend called which was honestly perfect timing.
Now, it is time for me to make things right with my friend. I do not agree with his lifestyle and he knows this but he also knows that God loves him no matter what he does in his lifetime. I don't know what will happen after our meeting whether our friendship will be rekindled, whether he gets right with God and his family or he continues on with his life. I need a lot of prayer about decisions ahead because it is a big one so I would ask you to pray for me. All in all, like I said, I am very happy this happened. It's not fun, it's scary to go into the unknown but God will get me through this. He allowed everything to work together for good and I know He will continue to do so.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Be Prepared
Man, I have been busy busy busy! Between me being engaged, school, landing a job at another hospital, family time, and trying to squeeze in fishing, my life is pretty hectic. Something that has been a common theme not only in my personal life but also in church. The theme has been being ready for Jesus to come.
My Dad always wants to be prepared for anything. He has a BOB or bug out bag with a lot of essentials that if you do need to literally get out of the house in 5 minutes or less this is what you grab. He and I have exchanged ideas about what should be in the bag and what I should put in my own from fishing gear to space blankets and food. Very simple yet very crucial elements to survive. It's almost like planning a wedding! Oh no. ; )
Seriously, I don't know why but Christ's coming again has been on my mind quite frequently as of late. Not that it's a bad thing but it really got me thinking: am I prepared for His coming? I was humming a song called, "Are You Ready for the Trumpet?" a few days ago. You can find a Youtube video here. It really is a very powerful song. The lyrics are as follows:
Verse 1
The hour is approaching when the souls of man will hear
A mighty shout resounding in the sky.
In power and great glory, King Jesus will appear
And take His children home to paradise.
It will be a celebration for the ones who chose His name
But total separation for the ones who turned away.
Chorus:
Are you ready for the trumpet, are you ready for the call?
Soon the angels will assemble to usher in the Son of God.
Will He come and find you faithful, will He know your name at all?
Every moment brings us closer, are you ready for the call?
Verse 2
The Bible speaks of two men who were standing in the field
Where one is taken and one is left behind.
Two women in the kitchen, one goes and one remains
So get your house in order while there's time
In the cross there is salvation,
through the Blood there is a way
To secure your destination on resurrection day.
Verse 3
There's an urgency to reach the world
We have no time to waste
For within the heart of mortal man
This very question is now made
Man! It gets me all excited just hearing the lyrics and reading them again! : ) I know we are all familiar with the Bible verses that talk about Christ's second coming from 1 Thessalonians 4 to the Parables in Matthew 24 and 25. There are many more verses and passages of scripture that reference and also encourage us to be ready and always watching for the Second Coming. I know this isn't a lot of meat in this post but this has a lot of meaning behind it. What would you do differently if you knew that Christ was coming tomorrow? Are YOU ready for the trumpet?
My Dad always wants to be prepared for anything. He has a BOB or bug out bag with a lot of essentials that if you do need to literally get out of the house in 5 minutes or less this is what you grab. He and I have exchanged ideas about what should be in the bag and what I should put in my own from fishing gear to space blankets and food. Very simple yet very crucial elements to survive. It's almost like planning a wedding! Oh no. ; )
Seriously, I don't know why but Christ's coming again has been on my mind quite frequently as of late. Not that it's a bad thing but it really got me thinking: am I prepared for His coming? I was humming a song called, "Are You Ready for the Trumpet?" a few days ago. You can find a Youtube video here. It really is a very powerful song. The lyrics are as follows:
Verse 1
The hour is approaching when the souls of man will hear
A mighty shout resounding in the sky.
In power and great glory, King Jesus will appear
And take His children home to paradise.
It will be a celebration for the ones who chose His name
But total separation for the ones who turned away.
Chorus:
Are you ready for the trumpet, are you ready for the call?
Soon the angels will assemble to usher in the Son of God.
Will He come and find you faithful, will He know your name at all?
Every moment brings us closer, are you ready for the call?
Verse 2
The Bible speaks of two men who were standing in the field
Where one is taken and one is left behind.
Two women in the kitchen, one goes and one remains
So get your house in order while there's time
In the cross there is salvation,
through the Blood there is a way
To secure your destination on resurrection day.
Verse 3
There's an urgency to reach the world
We have no time to waste
For within the heart of mortal man
This very question is now made
Man! It gets me all excited just hearing the lyrics and reading them again! : ) I know we are all familiar with the Bible verses that talk about Christ's second coming from 1 Thessalonians 4 to the Parables in Matthew 24 and 25. There are many more verses and passages of scripture that reference and also encourage us to be ready and always watching for the Second Coming. I know this isn't a lot of meat in this post but this has a lot of meaning behind it. What would you do differently if you knew that Christ was coming tomorrow? Are YOU ready for the trumpet?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Recycling God's Word
Around the internet, I see a lot and I mean A LOT of recycled jokes. There are memes, photobombs, and fails. I see people posting the same image or story on Facebook a lot. I'm thinking, "I have seen this image or story far too many times to count!" Yes, it get's frustrating. It's almost like people don't know how to be original any more. At least that is my personal opinion. I sit in church or school albeit a religion class and hear people complain about how they have heard this a million times! Why do they have to listen to this again? I heard a boy about 11 whisper to me in Sunday School, "This is so boring!"People really turn their ear off to Bible stories or passages because they "know it by heart."
I have noticed more and more that we think everyone is "recycling" God's word. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, if I remember my Bible correctly, it says in Isaiah 55:10-11, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
So, if I am reading this correctly, God's word will never return empty or void! I am not encouraging someone to "recycle" past sermons but rather to revisit those passages. I know there are some pastors who take sermons they have preached 20 or 30 years ago and preach them again. I think that is a bit of a gray area from the standpoint that you can preach the same message and have a different conclusion or hear the same message and get something different out of it but preaching should be lead by God. You shouldn't run out of ideas and then have to use past sermons because the Bible is full of lessons to learn. I have read my Bible several times and am always refreshed when I read a passage and something brand new jumps out at me! That's exciting!
I understand that it get's discouraging sometimes to read the Bible whether it be because you don't want to or like I said, you've read the passage over and over again for a Bible study and just have beaten it to death and really are not expecting to take anything brand new away from it. This is why we as Christians always have to have an open heart and mind while reading God's word. If you don't, it's as if we're reading just some book that is merely for pleasure than to grow in Christ. So, the next time your pastor preaches a sermon you heard a thousand times or you come to a passage you know by heart or those genealogies in the Bible, don't turn the preacher off or skip those passages, listen to God and keep an open heart and mind. God will speak to you. I guarantee it.
I have noticed more and more that we think everyone is "recycling" God's word. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, if I remember my Bible correctly, it says in Isaiah 55:10-11, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
So, if I am reading this correctly, God's word will never return empty or void! I am not encouraging someone to "recycle" past sermons but rather to revisit those passages. I know there are some pastors who take sermons they have preached 20 or 30 years ago and preach them again. I think that is a bit of a gray area from the standpoint that you can preach the same message and have a different conclusion or hear the same message and get something different out of it but preaching should be lead by God. You shouldn't run out of ideas and then have to use past sermons because the Bible is full of lessons to learn. I have read my Bible several times and am always refreshed when I read a passage and something brand new jumps out at me! That's exciting!
I understand that it get's discouraging sometimes to read the Bible whether it be because you don't want to or like I said, you've read the passage over and over again for a Bible study and just have beaten it to death and really are not expecting to take anything brand new away from it. This is why we as Christians always have to have an open heart and mind while reading God's word. If you don't, it's as if we're reading just some book that is merely for pleasure than to grow in Christ. So, the next time your pastor preaches a sermon you heard a thousand times or you come to a passage you know by heart or those genealogies in the Bible, don't turn the preacher off or skip those passages, listen to God and keep an open heart and mind. God will speak to you. I guarantee it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tough Times
I lost my job this past Friday. My boss let me go over the phone. In short, I was pulled into her office after a meeting and was sat down only to have explained to me that I apparently falsified information. I believe sincerely it was set up and she wanted me out. It is in God's hands and quite frankly, I am glad I am out of the hospital. There were many things that were hindering me from really following God and allowing me to draw close to Him.
This entire job loss, though, was really a test of my faith. I was doing an exegesis paper for my OT class. I selected my paper on the binding of Isaac because I thought it would be simple. God had other plans. You see, this paper was due Thursday and the meeting I had was that night. While I was working on the paper, I got a call from my boss. She told me she wanted to talk to me. I was freaking out wondering what was wrong. I finished the exegesis paper, turned it in, ran into a teacher who I absolutely loved because he was so kind and generous, and went to my last class for the evening never really thinking anything of the paper or the teacher. I was, however, panicking because of the phone call. I went to the meeting, my boss talked to me, told me the story, and I went home. I told my parents what happened and we prayed. As soon as I started praying, the gears started to turn. I thought of the paper I just wrote. I thought about how much faith and trust it took for Abraham to take Isaac, his ONLY son, as God puts it "your only son whom you love", and put him on the altar to sacrifice him. No questions asked. Only, faith, trust, and obedience. Awesome. I was literally blown away as I was praying and all I could think about was how blessed I was. God gave me the strength to really focus on the tasks at hand. He gave me the faith and I trusted Him. I obeyed Him. Has it been rough for the past several days getting grips on reality? Of course! Do I worry about my coworkers and what they think of me because I am gone? Of course! I really don't need to because ultimately, God knows best. For that, I am humbly grateful for His understanding, mercy, and grace.
God puts trials into our lives to make us stronger, to increase our faith, our trust, our obedience. Don't look at the bad times as punishment as the world says we need to. There are countless stories in the Bible about God's children having their faith and trust increased from Job losing everything and his friends trying to make him doubt God to David, the man after God's own heart, and the many tragedies that he had in the Bible. Never give up on God because He never gave up on you.
This entire job loss, though, was really a test of my faith. I was doing an exegesis paper for my OT class. I selected my paper on the binding of Isaac because I thought it would be simple. God had other plans. You see, this paper was due Thursday and the meeting I had was that night. While I was working on the paper, I got a call from my boss. She told me she wanted to talk to me. I was freaking out wondering what was wrong. I finished the exegesis paper, turned it in, ran into a teacher who I absolutely loved because he was so kind and generous, and went to my last class for the evening never really thinking anything of the paper or the teacher. I was, however, panicking because of the phone call. I went to the meeting, my boss talked to me, told me the story, and I went home. I told my parents what happened and we prayed. As soon as I started praying, the gears started to turn. I thought of the paper I just wrote. I thought about how much faith and trust it took for Abraham to take Isaac, his ONLY son, as God puts it "your only son whom you love", and put him on the altar to sacrifice him. No questions asked. Only, faith, trust, and obedience. Awesome. I was literally blown away as I was praying and all I could think about was how blessed I was. God gave me the strength to really focus on the tasks at hand. He gave me the faith and I trusted Him. I obeyed Him. Has it been rough for the past several days getting grips on reality? Of course! Do I worry about my coworkers and what they think of me because I am gone? Of course! I really don't need to because ultimately, God knows best. For that, I am humbly grateful for His understanding, mercy, and grace.
God puts trials into our lives to make us stronger, to increase our faith, our trust, our obedience. Don't look at the bad times as punishment as the world says we need to. There are countless stories in the Bible about God's children having their faith and trust increased from Job losing everything and his friends trying to make him doubt God to David, the man after God's own heart, and the many tragedies that he had in the Bible. Never give up on God because He never gave up on you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)