“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
~Psalm 46:10
It probably doesn't seem as if Christians or Christianity is popular right now. God seems to be some distant after thought to most people, and being a Christian is something to laugh about and ridicule. But no matter what others might think, God will be exalted across the whole Earth, every knee will one day bow before Him, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 14:11).
Those who deny there is a God, those who claim to worship mother nature, or believe in reincarnation, or say that there is no power higher than themselves, will one day admit they were wrong and Jesus Christ is Lord of all (Acts 10:36).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:1-5)."
We all live in darkness when we live outside a relationship with Jesus Christ. Each and everyone of us need a connection to something bigger than ourselves, yet we choose to connect with useless deities that cannot help, or save us. We try to rely on our own power to make it through each day, and fail in our efforts. We turn to alcohol or other drugs to ease the pain. We turn to a plethora of distractions so we don't have to think about the stresses of life, yet the answer to all of life's questions are in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
We may have to live in a world of strife, stress and sin, but we do not have to be part of it. We don't have to participate in this worldly notion of living for self-gratification, and living as if we won't answer for our words and deeds. We will all stand before God one day.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10)."
Life is a choice. Jesus is a choice. Choose wisely.
Read
Exodus 10-12
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."
Monday, February 5, 2018
Friday, February 2, 2018
Too Many Broken Hearts
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."
~Psalm 34:17-18
This year is just a month old, yet it has brought heartache to many of my friends. My cousin lost his wife, my friend lost her mother, another friend learned her husband's cancer has returned, and my best friend's mother was found unresponsive, was hospitalized and is now in a nursing home. And closer to home, my father, who has been battling cancer, found he had a new tumor that is inoperable. Life is unpredictable at best, and it is ever-changing, throwing surprises, heartache, and fear of the future our way. It's easy to tell people to be strong, to depend on the Lord, to pray, and to not be afraid, but do those things help, or do they sound like platitudes to the brokenhearted?
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging (Psalm 46:1-3)."
There is something very comforting in the Psalms, and I know I have found peace and comfort there many times. There is nothing wrong with quoting Scripture to help someone through a difficult time either, even Jesus quoted Scripture. However, Jesus wasn't just about quoting Scripture, He was a doer of the Word also. He didn't just tell people to be of good cheer, He helped them in their times of sorrow and need.
While it's true we can't bring the dead back to life, we can help those who are grieving in some very real ways. We can let them know we're there to listen, even if it's a 3 a.m. phone call; or, if they're close enough, coffee before work. We can send cards, flowers, or another thoughtful gift, but listening to the cries of the brokenhearted, and being a shoulder to cry on, and crying with them, is one of the most important things we can do.
After a loss, friends and family are there for a little while but the time comes that everyone else goes home, back to their own lives. Those who are grieving are left to grieve alone, or to deal with an ill loved one on their own. That's when it gets real, when they realize how alone the world can be.
A real friend sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), and every one of us need a friend like that. Be the brother, or sister, that is there in the silence, the one who doesn't just say the right thing but practices what they preach.
"Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action (1 John 3:18)."
Read
Exodus 1:1-4:17
Weekend Reading
Exodus 4:18-9:35
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."
~Psalm 34:17-18
This year is just a month old, yet it has brought heartache to many of my friends. My cousin lost his wife, my friend lost her mother, another friend learned her husband's cancer has returned, and my best friend's mother was found unresponsive, was hospitalized and is now in a nursing home. And closer to home, my father, who has been battling cancer, found he had a new tumor that is inoperable. Life is unpredictable at best, and it is ever-changing, throwing surprises, heartache, and fear of the future our way. It's easy to tell people to be strong, to depend on the Lord, to pray, and to not be afraid, but do those things help, or do they sound like platitudes to the brokenhearted?
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging (Psalm 46:1-3)."
There is something very comforting in the Psalms, and I know I have found peace and comfort there many times. There is nothing wrong with quoting Scripture to help someone through a difficult time either, even Jesus quoted Scripture. However, Jesus wasn't just about quoting Scripture, He was a doer of the Word also. He didn't just tell people to be of good cheer, He helped them in their times of sorrow and need.
While it's true we can't bring the dead back to life, we can help those who are grieving in some very real ways. We can let them know we're there to listen, even if it's a 3 a.m. phone call; or, if they're close enough, coffee before work. We can send cards, flowers, or another thoughtful gift, but listening to the cries of the brokenhearted, and being a shoulder to cry on, and crying with them, is one of the most important things we can do.
After a loss, friends and family are there for a little while but the time comes that everyone else goes home, back to their own lives. Those who are grieving are left to grieve alone, or to deal with an ill loved one on their own. That's when it gets real, when they realize how alone the world can be.
A real friend sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), and every one of us need a friend like that. Be the brother, or sister, that is there in the silence, the one who doesn't just say the right thing but practices what they preach.
"Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action (1 John 3:18)."
Read
Exodus 1:1-4:17
Weekend Reading
Exodus 4:18-9:35
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
If, Indeed!
"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven..."
~Colossians 1:21-23
Prior to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I was "alienated, hostile and doing evil deeds" in the sight of God. There is no way humans can be good enough on our own, no matter how we try. Our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and no matter how hard we try, we will never be good enough to step foot into Heaven. But thank God for His unfailing love that His death reconciled us so that we are "holy, blameless and above reproach before Him" (Colossians 1:22)!
There is no other way to approach Heaven except through Jesus Christ. There is no other path that leads us to righteousness. There is no other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). We might like to think we've got the answers, and we might like to think we make our own path, but that path leads to eternal damnation. The only path that ensures eternal salvation is Jesus.
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14)."
It is easy to follow that wide path of destruction. In fact, the world encourages it. Live for today, have fun, don't worry about tomorrow, is the mantra of life in this world but it's end is death. There is only one Life to live that leads to eternal salvation.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)."
Read
Job 40-42
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
~Colossians 1:21-23
Prior to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I was "alienated, hostile and doing evil deeds" in the sight of God. There is no way humans can be good enough on our own, no matter how we try. Our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and no matter how hard we try, we will never be good enough to step foot into Heaven. But thank God for His unfailing love that His death reconciled us so that we are "holy, blameless and above reproach before Him" (Colossians 1:22)!
There is no other way to approach Heaven except through Jesus Christ. There is no other path that leads us to righteousness. There is no other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). We might like to think we've got the answers, and we might like to think we make our own path, but that path leads to eternal damnation. The only path that ensures eternal salvation is Jesus.
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14)."
It is easy to follow that wide path of destruction. In fact, the world encourages it. Live for today, have fun, don't worry about tomorrow, is the mantra of life in this world but it's end is death. There is only one Life to live that leads to eternal salvation.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)."
Read
Job 40-42
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Hope
"According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."
~Philippians 1:20
Trials either make us or break us. Paul had more than most of us can imagine. But through shipwrecks, prison, illness, starvation, thirst, he never blamed God. He did the opposite, he counted it all glory in Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Life is going to throw up roadblocks, we are going to fall down along the way. Life hurts. We lose loved ones, friends betray us, spouses can break our hearts, our children stray off course, our finances can be lost, along with jobs, houses, and everything we hold dear. Our bodies fall apart, we suffer in pain physically and mentally. The world around us spins out of control and we feel helpless.
But for those who know the Lord, it is all a temporary condition that we know is intended to bring us closer to the Lord. Our dependence is on God and His provision, on what we know to be true of Him alone, not on what the circumstances and world around us say. It is in Christ we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
For those who are not Christians, the world looks grim. Life is a daily struggle. Hope is gone. But for those whose hope is in the Lord, the future is bright and glorious!
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him (Psalm 62:5)."
Read
Job 38-39
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
~Philippians 1:20
Trials either make us or break us. Paul had more than most of us can imagine. But through shipwrecks, prison, illness, starvation, thirst, he never blamed God. He did the opposite, he counted it all glory in Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Life is going to throw up roadblocks, we are going to fall down along the way. Life hurts. We lose loved ones, friends betray us, spouses can break our hearts, our children stray off course, our finances can be lost, along with jobs, houses, and everything we hold dear. Our bodies fall apart, we suffer in pain physically and mentally. The world around us spins out of control and we feel helpless.
But for those who know the Lord, it is all a temporary condition that we know is intended to bring us closer to the Lord. Our dependence is on God and His provision, on what we know to be true of Him alone, not on what the circumstances and world around us say. It is in Christ we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
For those who are not Christians, the world looks grim. Life is a daily struggle. Hope is gone. But for those whose hope is in the Lord, the future is bright and glorious!
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him (Psalm 62:5)."
Read
Job 38-39
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Are You A Light?
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
~Revelation 2:7
Lately, I have been struck by how much of the the Bible is directed at Christians and the churches. While the Bible is generally thought of as the book that tells you what you've done wrong, it addresses God's people more than it does sinners. That sounds strange because we think of the Bible telling us to repent, to become Christians, to stop sinning, and follow God. While that is true, God does tell us those things, a great portion of what is said is actually directed at those who have already proclaimed themselves to be Christ's followers. Even Christ Himself begins by admonishing the churches in the Book of Revelation.
In the New Testament, we read Paul's letters to the churches at Rome, Corinth, the province of Galatia, (which was the North Central area of Asia Minor), Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, Thessalonica, and many others. The lack of love for one another, the immorality and sin that continued among the church members ran rampant, and Paul spent much of his time trying to impress upon the churches the importance of godliness in both word and deed.
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27)."
We are the Church that is to be presented to God without spot or wrinkles. The words Paul wrote so long ago addresses Christians today and how we are to act. As followers of Christ, we are to be His light for others to see, and an example of the love of God for others to follow.
"If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6)."
Let us all be doers of the word and not just hearers (James 1:22) so that we will be the light on the hill that others follow to Jesus (Matthew 5:14).
Read
Job 35-37
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
~Revelation 2:7
Lately, I have been struck by how much of the the Bible is directed at Christians and the churches. While the Bible is generally thought of as the book that tells you what you've done wrong, it addresses God's people more than it does sinners. That sounds strange because we think of the Bible telling us to repent, to become Christians, to stop sinning, and follow God. While that is true, God does tell us those things, a great portion of what is said is actually directed at those who have already proclaimed themselves to be Christ's followers. Even Christ Himself begins by admonishing the churches in the Book of Revelation.
In the New Testament, we read Paul's letters to the churches at Rome, Corinth, the province of Galatia, (which was the North Central area of Asia Minor), Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, Thessalonica, and many others. The lack of love for one another, the immorality and sin that continued among the church members ran rampant, and Paul spent much of his time trying to impress upon the churches the importance of godliness in both word and deed.
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27)."
We are the Church that is to be presented to God without spot or wrinkles. The words Paul wrote so long ago addresses Christians today and how we are to act. As followers of Christ, we are to be His light for others to see, and an example of the love of God for others to follow.
"If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6)."
Let us all be doers of the word and not just hearers (James 1:22) so that we will be the light on the hill that others follow to Jesus (Matthew 5:14).
Read
Job 35-37
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
I Am What I Am
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain."
~1 Corinthians 15:10a
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain!" There was a time when His grace toward me was in vain, when I didn't comprehend the meaning of grace, salvation, or eternity without God. Like most people, I preferred worldly pleasure over the Word of God. I lived a lifestyle of parties, drinking, drugs, rock n roll, and living to have fun and satisfying my own desires. The thought of what might happen to my eternal soul should I die never crossed my mind. Have you lived that way? Are you living that way now? If so, there's still time to change the road you're on - if I may quote Led Zeppelin! As long as you are drawing breath into your body, you have time to change your eternal destiny.
Change isn't always easy but it is a necessary part of life. Living as if there is no tomorrow may find us dead regretting that we didn't give life and eternity more thought. You are going to die. We are all going to die. That is simply the culmination and reality of life. Whether you are young or old, or somewhere in between, death is the final step you'll take in life. No matter what you've heard about reincarnation, going to a better place, or death being the final end and there is nothing more, is all a lie. There is a very real afterlife that is only determined by the decision you make while living. You can't live apart from Jesus in this life and expect to step into Heaven for eternity. That's not how it works. God had a design planned for this world and for each one of us born into it. Throughout the Bible, that plan has unfolded and was completed when Jesus Christ died on the Cross for each of us. There is only one way to Heaven and that is through the Blood of Jesus Christ and each of us making the decision to accept Him as our Savior while we are alive.
"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30)."
Jesus was not talking about His life being finished, He was talking about the fulfillment of prophecy throughout the Old Testament. Prophecy about who He was and why He came to earth as a mere human was finished. Sin was finished. Death was finished. The old nature was finished. Sacrifice was finished. Working to get into Heaven was finished. Trying to be good enough was finished. All the work Jesus was sent to do on earth for each of us was finished on the Cross at Calvary and all that is left for us to do is accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
I was on a paved road to hell when I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. I was changed into someone who wanted to be better than I had been, who wanted to live my life differently and to be assured that my soul didn't end up in hell. I wasn't perfect by any means and I sure didn't have many answers, nor did I get everything right. I still made mistakes, I still had my moments when the old person I used to be rose up, I got mad, I said things I shouldn't have and did things I regretted. I was not perfect by any means but I was saved by grace and little by little, grace led me to be a better person each day. Salvation is given the moment we confess our sins and ask Jesus to be our Savior, and grace covers us as we follow Him and learn how to be more like Him. It is no different than when we raise our own children. They come to us helpless but they learn and grow over time. We don't expect a newborn to walk, or a one year old to carry on meaningful conversations. We allow them to grow at their own pace, guiding and nurturing them, using discipline when necessary. God is the same way with us. We must crawl before we can walk, and walk before we can run but the love of God is always with us.
"I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready (1 Corinthians 3:2)."
As we grow in the Lord by going to church, prayer, and Bible study, we are fed more and more "meat" of the Word. I have read the Bible through many, many times and every time I read, God reveals something brand new that takes me deeper into my relationship with Him. Don't wait until it's too late, make your decision for life everlasting today.
God loves you so much that He gave up Heaven to live among us, and He is waiting for you to make the decision to love Him in return. Say this simple prayer from Rev. Billy Graham:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, I pray, Amen."
Read
Job 32-34
A Year Of Blessings
©2018
~1 Corinthians 15:10a
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain!" There was a time when His grace toward me was in vain, when I didn't comprehend the meaning of grace, salvation, or eternity without God. Like most people, I preferred worldly pleasure over the Word of God. I lived a lifestyle of parties, drinking, drugs, rock n roll, and living to have fun and satisfying my own desires. The thought of what might happen to my eternal soul should I die never crossed my mind. Have you lived that way? Are you living that way now? If so, there's still time to change the road you're on - if I may quote Led Zeppelin! As long as you are drawing breath into your body, you have time to change your eternal destiny.
Change isn't always easy but it is a necessary part of life. Living as if there is no tomorrow may find us dead regretting that we didn't give life and eternity more thought. You are going to die. We are all going to die. That is simply the culmination and reality of life. Whether you are young or old, or somewhere in between, death is the final step you'll take in life. No matter what you've heard about reincarnation, going to a better place, or death being the final end and there is nothing more, is all a lie. There is a very real afterlife that is only determined by the decision you make while living. You can't live apart from Jesus in this life and expect to step into Heaven for eternity. That's not how it works. God had a design planned for this world and for each one of us born into it. Throughout the Bible, that plan has unfolded and was completed when Jesus Christ died on the Cross for each of us. There is only one way to Heaven and that is through the Blood of Jesus Christ and each of us making the decision to accept Him as our Savior while we are alive.
"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30)."
Jesus was not talking about His life being finished, He was talking about the fulfillment of prophecy throughout the Old Testament. Prophecy about who He was and why He came to earth as a mere human was finished. Sin was finished. Death was finished. The old nature was finished. Sacrifice was finished. Working to get into Heaven was finished. Trying to be good enough was finished. All the work Jesus was sent to do on earth for each of us was finished on the Cross at Calvary and all that is left for us to do is accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
I was on a paved road to hell when I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. I was changed into someone who wanted to be better than I had been, who wanted to live my life differently and to be assured that my soul didn't end up in hell. I wasn't perfect by any means and I sure didn't have many answers, nor did I get everything right. I still made mistakes, I still had my moments when the old person I used to be rose up, I got mad, I said things I shouldn't have and did things I regretted. I was not perfect by any means but I was saved by grace and little by little, grace led me to be a better person each day. Salvation is given the moment we confess our sins and ask Jesus to be our Savior, and grace covers us as we follow Him and learn how to be more like Him. It is no different than when we raise our own children. They come to us helpless but they learn and grow over time. We don't expect a newborn to walk, or a one year old to carry on meaningful conversations. We allow them to grow at their own pace, guiding and nurturing them, using discipline when necessary. God is the same way with us. We must crawl before we can walk, and walk before we can run but the love of God is always with us.
"I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready (1 Corinthians 3:2)."
As we grow in the Lord by going to church, prayer, and Bible study, we are fed more and more "meat" of the Word. I have read the Bible through many, many times and every time I read, God reveals something brand new that takes me deeper into my relationship with Him. Don't wait until it's too late, make your decision for life everlasting today.
God loves you so much that He gave up Heaven to live among us, and He is waiting for you to make the decision to love Him in return. Say this simple prayer from Rev. Billy Graham:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, I pray, Amen."
Read
Job 32-34
A Year Of Blessings
©2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Triumph In Sorrow
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth."
~Job 19:25
You ever have days when nothing seems to go right? I have. In fact, I've had weeks and months when it seemed as if Murphy's law was in full effect and if something could go wrong, it did go wrong. But such is life.
The above verse has always given me such comfort in the middle of the trials of life. Job had a lot going on. He had suffered the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health. On top of that, instead of a little comfort from friends, they berated him and his wife gave up on him. Job was despaired. But in the middle of his tribulations, he said one thing right -- "I know my Redeemer lives and in the end, He will stand on the earth."
We must persevere through our trials, even when it feels like giving up might be the best option. Job felt like giving up, and those around him agreed he should. But Job's faith told him otherwise--no matter how dire life appears, God will see us through our darkest days. Not only will He see us through them, He will bring us into something better than what we were before. Trials aren't meant to break us, they are meant to take us from glory to glory, and refine us into Christ's image.
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)."
"My brothers, (and sisters) count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (James 1:2-3)."
There is a reason for the trials in life. While no one enjoys going through them, we can be joyous in knowing that our Father in Heaven has a lesson plan that is going to enrich our lives in ways we can't even imagine.
Read
Job 19-21
Weekend reading
Job 22-31
A year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
~Job 19:25
You ever have days when nothing seems to go right? I have. In fact, I've had weeks and months when it seemed as if Murphy's law was in full effect and if something could go wrong, it did go wrong. But such is life.
The above verse has always given me such comfort in the middle of the trials of life. Job had a lot going on. He had suffered the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health. On top of that, instead of a little comfort from friends, they berated him and his wife gave up on him. Job was despaired. But in the middle of his tribulations, he said one thing right -- "I know my Redeemer lives and in the end, He will stand on the earth."
We must persevere through our trials, even when it feels like giving up might be the best option. Job felt like giving up, and those around him agreed he should. But Job's faith told him otherwise--no matter how dire life appears, God will see us through our darkest days. Not only will He see us through them, He will bring us into something better than what we were before. Trials aren't meant to break us, they are meant to take us from glory to glory, and refine us into Christ's image.
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)."
"My brothers, (and sisters) count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (James 1:2-3)."
There is a reason for the trials in life. While no one enjoys going through them, we can be joyous in knowing that our Father in Heaven has a lesson plan that is going to enrich our lives in ways we can't even imagine.
Read
Job 19-21
Weekend reading
Job 22-31
A year of Blessings by Marie McGaha
©2018
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