“.. . patient in affliction. . .”

“Be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12;12 (NIV)



When we face difficulties in our lives, it is human nature to get anxious and up tight as we try to go through the trials. They come in many forms-unemployment, illness, financial woes, relational issues, and anything that causes interpersonal misunderstanding.

We have to realize we don’t go through these circumstances alone. We can relax because God through Jesus Christ guides us through the deep valleys we have to traverse. Because we have Jesus, we CAN relax and deal with the issues we face and deal with things that vex us.

Be Joyful In Hope. . .

“Be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 (NIV)



A friend’s older sister has been ill for almost two months. At one point, it looked like this older sister wouldn’t be with us much longer. My friend had a meltdown not her usual way of dealing with life issues.

Several people prayed with her one night after Bible study. The prayer fellowship people prayed when they met a little later.

We can be joyful because, as followers of Christ, we believe He walks with us as we go through our days no matter how rough.

We can be joyful because we know He hears and answers prayers of those who abide in Him.

Being joyful doesn’t mean we don’t hurt or experience sadness. Joy comes from deep in the heart and soul. Joy comes from the Lord.

Genuine Faith

That the trial of your faith, being much more

precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried

with fire, might be found unto praise and honour

and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” I Peter 1:7 (KJV)



We have times when we notice people and their behavior. We have to understand what causes people to act the way they do.

Have we ever met someone who sees nothing wrong in talking about people behind their back? Or do we know a person who chooses to be reckless with their health by pursuing self-destructive habits? What about a person who prefers to keep things in a state of drama all the time?

In these situations, I wonder about their faith. Is it real? Do they practice it daily or do they parade it around for everyone to see when the occasion seems to warrant.

In my experience, I have learned that our faith, to be tangible, has to be practiced each day. We pray in faith-believing that God hears our prayers and will act on our requests. We make plans in faith- understanding those plans may have to be changed, canceled or postponed. We sometimes forget our plans are just that OUR PLANS. God’s plans are the one’s that count.

When our faith is the real deal, we trust God for all we are, all we do, and all we have. He made us. He gives us certain qualities to use for Him. He provides all we need.

Seek The Lord

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

And all these things will be added unto you. Matt 6:33



When we have ideas presented to us that we don’t know where they come from, we need to pray.

When we receive blessings from God through others, we need to give thanks.

When we hear of someone hurting physically, we need to lift them up to God in prayer.

When we know of people who are facing this world without hope, we need to knock on the doors of heaven until we get an answer.

When we know of friends who face family issues in their lives, we ask God to guide them through.

When things seem to go against us, we need to check and see if we are right in our relationship with God.

What am I saying here? We need to pray, pray and then pray some more. With the present state of the world, we can’t do anything but pray.

Whenever we have tough decisions to make, we need the Lord’s guidance. He tells us to seek Him. His message is to approach Him first.

Look To The Lord

1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness

and who seek the LORD:

Look to the rock from which you were cut

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

Isaiah 51:1 (NIV)



We hear of strange behaviors in people’s lives, sometimes, the tales we hear are of people who receive mistreatment from others. Then, we hear stories of those who say or do hurtful things in order to cause problems to those who earlier received the malicious treatment.

As I sit her in the quiet of my home, I wonder why people have to inflict those around them with such grief. Those who receive these hurts find themselves hard-pressed in dealing with those who repeatedly choose to cause hurt.

We live in trying times, unemployment, health issues, and general unrest abounds everywhere we look. These circumstances do not respect any age group, any socioeconomic class, or people in any career.

People of Christ aren’t exempt from these tribulations. We have learned that certain trials beset us because we are still human; we call them issues of life.

What can we do to conquer these vexations? I have seen people act prideful and choose to ignore the issues at hand. Their thinking is that the circumstance will go away on its own. Others choose to aggressively fight the situation. We see this when they or their loved one has a life-threatening disease. Sometimes, this approach has a positive outcome. I recently heard of a family who had less than a week to deal with the health issue of a loved one before he passed away. The family is relying on God to comfort them. At other times, the outcome is a negative one. We all know of families that have lost fellowship with one another because someone said something that caused hurt to another.

From time to time we have to prioritize our lives. We have to make our relationship with God real and lasting. We have to let Him direct our ways.

Trust

Trust the Lord your God with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him and he

will make your paths straight Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)



I have loved this verse since I discovered it in the mid 1980s. It spoke to me then and still speaks to me today.

The words from Solomon, the wisest man in the world, say a lot to us. In a few short words he tells us to rely on God not what we know. God sees the big picture. We only see a tiny part of it.

Our understanding is finite, limited to our perspective. God’s knowledge of us and our circumstances is unlimited. He was there when we were created. He knows all about us, even what makes us do the things we do.

There is a conditional promise in this passage.

“. . . in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” In the King James the promise reads, “. . .He will direct thy paths.” We, as His children, want God to take the nasty curves out of our lives. These trials come to all of us; they are a part of life. But God will help us through these rough spots.

The foundation of this promise is our trusting God. It seems we have to rely on Him, depend on what He says, and believe He controls our lives in order for God to truly care for our needs.

Seek

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)





I find verbs to be interesting. Recently, I did an exercise with the verbs in the mission statement of the nonprofit ministry I volunteer with.

We learned in grade school that verbs were action words. Except for the verbs of being, all of them give us a mental picture of action taking place.

In the scripture above, we see the word “seek”. This word reminds me of when I have lost something and I begin to look for it. I wear a very special dinner ring. It has sentimental value. The top, shaped in the word love, came with a garnet that filled the letter “O”. The garnet is my son’s birthstone. I remember losing the ring a few times. One time, I retraced my steps at home, even asked the pastor of the church I had started attending if it was found.

I went to so far as to write out notices for the bulletin boards at work; I also posted one on the mirror in the ladies’ restroom. I did find that little white gold dinner ring but not until I searched everywhere.

Yes, in order to receive the good things of God we have to search for His rule in our lives and what He wants us to do.