Tag: experiences

God Never Tires in Providing for and Protecting the Creatures He Created

Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

With so much going on around us that we are troubled by, but have no control over, it is easy to become frustrated at our station in life. With so much evil in the world today, it is very easy to become despondent and depressed. But how is this so?

How is it that we do not now trust in that which has been recorded throughout history and is prepared for our understanding in God’s Holy Word? How have we missed being enlightened to the ways in which Almighty God has been forever with us when we have the experiences of good men through their own observation and the God-inspired writings of His apostles and His prophets to instruct us? How have we not learned that the Maker and Former of all things, who upholds, governs and judges all that is under His kingdom, never tires of providing for and protecting the creatures that He created for His own glory? Why do we continue with our foolish frets and fears and not find peace in the storm when the One who vanquishes all that comes against us is always with us?

We should not be surprised at our weakness or lack of understanding. God was perfectly aware that we were not capable on our own to cope with the torments of our own flesh and the attacks of the enemy. Through His immeasurable grace He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. For those that He knew were weak, He provided all the strength required for victory.

Let us gather up our strength in the Lord when we are challenged by the enemy. Let us seek His might when we are being overwhelmed by the world and tormented by our own flesh. Let us rest on His promises as we claim our victories over our troubles.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing all that we need to overcome this world. We bless the name of Jesus who died on the cross so that we might have victory over all evil. We rejoice in knowing that Your Holy Spirit is always with us to provide peace, comfort and strength through all trials. Father, we pray that our hearts and minds are put to rest with the certainty of Your presence and Your promises. May those around us be comforted by the peace that they see in our lives during times of trouble. We ask all these things in the name of our ever-present Lord, Jesus Christ.

Every Single Thread of Our Lives is Being Stitched Together by Almighty God

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

If we are to be used by God, He will allow us to go through a multitude of experiences that are meant to transform us into instruments of His good work. Some of the experiences will be easy, but some of the experiences will certainly be difficult. All will be meticulously worked into the fabric of our lives with the final product in mind.

We need to understand that the sufferings that we go through are not those of ordinary men and women. We are being prepared for greater things to come. While we view our lives in the fabric of time, God views our lives in the fabric of eternity. While all we see is the weaving of one single thread at a time, God sees the final finished product all woven together in accordance with His will and plan for our lives.

Because God is who He is, the final product will be much more beautiful and useful than anything that we could ever even imagine or hope for. We will get to realize it when we stand before the Father in glory and the whole tapestry is revealed to us.

Let us be joyful as every single thread of our lives is being stitched into place by Almighty God. Let us rejoice and be glad in anticipation of the final tapestry that God has prepared for us as we share in the glory of His Son.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to experience life through many different trials. We rejoice in knowing that when we are struggling in the tribulations that the world brings to our door that Your Holy Spirit is always there strengthening us and guiding us to the next experience that You have set aside for us. Father, we pray for the patient perseverance to endure through all that You have prepared for us. May we be transformed according to Your will and plan for our lives. We ask all these things in the name of our Spiritual Rock, Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing in Our Trials as We are Prepared to Comfort Others in Their Suffering

2 Corinthians 1:4
Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

God’s Holy Word teaches us that we should rejoice in our trials because they are the building blocks of character in our lives. They certainly do build character and perseverance in our lives if we turn to the Lord to get us through the challenges we face.

But beyond the character building in our trials, there is an entirely different dimension that we benefit from. We not only gain in character, but we gain more – much more. We gain life experiences that we are able to share with others who find themselves going through the same thing. God prepares us to be comforters for others in their time of need.

Our past experiences give us the foundation for offering faith and hope. It is our obligation to make suitable returns for what we received by comforting others. It is our duty to join them in prayer, praise and thanksgiving as we seek a good end to their trials and ours through Jesus Christ.

Let us turn to our model, our suffering King, Jesus Christ as we face the trials of life. Let us grasp our cup of trembling with the same resolve and confident hope that Jesus did as He faced the Cross. Let us learn to rejoice in the face of suffering for we are being prepared to comfort others in their suffering.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the consolations and comfort that we find when we turn to Your Son, Jesus, in our times of need. We bless the name of Jesus for the abundance of all of the fruits of His sufferings that are poured out in a greater amount than our own suffering, providing us relief from our distress and trouble. Lord, we pray that You build our faith and hope through our trials, so that we may be comforters for those in our lives who are going through their own trials. May it all be for the glory of Jesus. We ask all these things in the name of the One who suffered all on our behalf, Jesus Christ.