From last Friday...
We kind of did a recap of our "provisions and expectations" discussion last Friday.
One point that was brought out is how when we trust the Lord and hold on to His word during our trials, the Lord uses our testimony to point others to Christ. And of course, it also points our children to Christ. God is so efficient! No matter what the trial, we can count on the Lord to multiply the benefits to us...as long as we trust and obey!
If we do not trust and obey, the Lord is not just waiting to zap us or to make us pay or exact vengeance. Rather his purposes towards us are for our good, and He will allow our trials to force us to humbly come to Him. Just as an earthly father or mother wisely recognizes that their child needs to experience consequences and choose the right if he is to mature in wisdom, our heavenly Father uses all things to work his good in our lives.
So often as mothers, we see situations where our child needs to learn from consequences. We recognize that such is valuable for the child to grow and mature. One great prerequisite to growth and wisdom is humility. How often we are humbled by our trials.
We also reviewed the wonderful way that the Lord uses his children to point others to Christ....when his children go through trials! Someone once remarked, "The world needs to see that Christians know how to have fun!" But it seems that the real need is for the world to see that a Christian's joy is not based on circumstances. The world needs to see us singing while we are in prison or being burned at the stake, or any number of the lesser trials we walk through.
At a prayer meeting recently, we heard the report of a older sister who was diagnosed with cancer. Her prayer request was "that this diagnosis would be used as a way to spread the gospel."
We could argue, she is an older woman without the cares of my life. That may be true, but we also recall the example of a man who was cut down in his prime, with many urgent things only He could attend to, and apparently many more years ahead, who said, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)
Trusting God and obeying God are the right responses to trials.
One point that was brought out is how when we trust the Lord and hold on to His word during our trials, the Lord uses our testimony to point others to Christ. And of course, it also points our children to Christ. God is so efficient! No matter what the trial, we can count on the Lord to multiply the benefits to us...as long as we trust and obey!
If we do not trust and obey, the Lord is not just waiting to zap us or to make us pay or exact vengeance. Rather his purposes towards us are for our good, and He will allow our trials to force us to humbly come to Him. Just as an earthly father or mother wisely recognizes that their child needs to experience consequences and choose the right if he is to mature in wisdom, our heavenly Father uses all things to work his good in our lives.
So often as mothers, we see situations where our child needs to learn from consequences. We recognize that such is valuable for the child to grow and mature. One great prerequisite to growth and wisdom is humility. How often we are humbled by our trials.
We also reviewed the wonderful way that the Lord uses his children to point others to Christ....when his children go through trials! Someone once remarked, "The world needs to see that Christians know how to have fun!" But it seems that the real need is for the world to see that a Christian's joy is not based on circumstances. The world needs to see us singing while we are in prison or being burned at the stake, or any number of the lesser trials we walk through.
At a prayer meeting recently, we heard the report of a older sister who was diagnosed with cancer. Her prayer request was "that this diagnosis would be used as a way to spread the gospel."
We could argue, she is an older woman without the cares of my life. That may be true, but we also recall the example of a man who was cut down in his prime, with many urgent things only He could attend to, and apparently many more years ahead, who said, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)
Trusting God and obeying God are the right responses to trials.
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