 Trouble Makers: There's a man mentioned in 2 Samuel chapter 20 by the name of Sheba. His reputation was that of a rebel. He encouraged Israel to desert King David after the death of Absalom. David was in the process of being brought back as king after his son, Absalom, executed a Coo against his kingdom; now here comes this rebellious person, Sheba, who tries to keep people from following David. This world is full of 'Trouble Makers'. They come in all shapes, sizes, and cultural backgrounds. Their main objective is to cause division wherever they go. They have a negative influence on all who listen to them. They are not for peace. They come to disturb. We see in this chapter how God deals with trouble makers. The interesting thing about them is that they run when the heat is under them. They don't have much by way of courage. They do their dirt and run and hide, but usually not for long. Sheba ended up getting his head cut off! Have you encountered a trouble maker? Tell God about them and leave Him to handle them. God has a way of quieting them and giving them what they deserve. He knows how to get rid of trouble makers. Betrayal: In 2 Samuel 19:24-28, is the story about Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the last surviving heir of Saul. Long story short, Ziba lied (16:3) as to the reason Mephibosheth wasn't with him when he (Ziba) went to meet King David. He said in essence that Mephibosheth abandoned David. Later we read in chapter 19 that it wasn't true. Ziba's intent was to gain something for himself from David's situation in relation to the now absence of Absalom. Instead of him serving Mephibosheth, he goes behind his back, bad mouths him, and concocts a lie. Experiencing a 'Betrayal' is never easy. It makes it difficult to trust again. In this case, when the truth is disclosed, David continues his kindness to Mephibosheth. In the end, lies are short lived and God always exposes them and the persons who spout them. "A lie is but for a moment", the Bible says. "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment" (Proverbs 12:19). Harmful Attacks: The Apostle Paul was being attacked by Alexander, the coppersmith. He caused a lot of harm for him. These were serious attacks. In 2 Timothy 4:14 it says, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his work." The bible tells us that whatever we plant (sow) we will surely reap. So, we know Alexander got what was coming to him. God's word won't return void, meaning, what God says always comes to pass! Adversaries: Do you remember the story of Hannah and Peninnah? This account describes what an adversary does. Due to Peninnah's jealousy of Hannah (the wife who was loved more, though she was barren), she sets a plan in motion to make Hannah's life miserable every chance she gets. Misery will always want company and that is it in a nutshell. Peninnah was having all the children, at the time, yet she couldn't get the love and affection from Elkanah. Look at how that story ends; Hannah cries out to God to intervene and He does, big time! She gets pregnant and has a total of seven children, and we read no more about her adversary. God knows how to shut the mouth of those who rise up against us to cause us pain and suffering. He silences them! Trust God and he will do the same for you! Vengeful Spirits: In Matthew chapter 14, there's an account involving John the Baptist and the spiteful, vengeful, Herod the tetrarch. John told him that it was not right for him to mess with his brother, Philip's wife, Herodias, so he put John in prison. Herod, at that time, really wanted to kill John, but because of John's reputation, likened to a prophet, he feared the multitude. Herod had a big birthday party and his niece, Herodias's daughter, danced before him. He made a promise that she could ask what she wanted from him and he would give it. Her mother, wicked Herodias, tells her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. So John was beheaded as a result of this revenge. Yet, God allowed it. But don't think for one moment that the judgement for Herod and Herodias has been overlooked. It hasn't because they are accountable to God for the murder of an innocent servant of the Lord God! We can also add Jezebel to this portion on 'Vengeful Spirits'! We read about her in 1 Kings chapter 21. Her husband, King Ahab, wanted his neighbor's vineyard and asked him for it. Naboth told Ahab that he couldn't sell his inheritance and Ahab got upset, went home sulking and when Jezebel his wife, asked him what was wrong, he told her and she schemed and plotted the death of Naboth. Again, God allowed and innocent man to lose his life to wicked vengeful spirits. However, the death of Ahab and Jezebel, Israel's king and queen, was one of shame and infamy. There was no male ever to take the throne from Ahab's line and Jezebel was thrown from a window and the dogs ate her and there was nothing left of her but her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands (2 Kings 9:35-37). Jealous and Envious Spirits: The experience that David had with King Saul shows us how dangerous jealousy and envy can be. Saul let things get way out of hand, within his own heart. Jealousy says, "I wish I had what you have", while envy says, "I want what you have and I will do anything to keep you from having it." The account is in 1 Samuel 18:8. Saul became jealous over the fact that the women sang a song of victory naming David, when Saul was use to it being about him. He resented David for the attention and accolades he received that day when he killed Goliath. Saul made many attempts on David's life but to no avail. Saul's reign did not end well and David became Israel's next king. Jealousy and envy accomplishes nothing! Does this type of behavior cause a lot of problems? Yes, it does, but to the one who hides under the shadow of the Lord's wings, he or she will be protected and helped to navigate around such individuals. Satan is behind such behavior and uses it to hinder believers from accomplishing what God has for them to do. Do not submit to such spirits! Cry out to God, and then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord! "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray" (James 5:13). "God will repay each person according to what they have done" (Romans 2:6 NIV). Persecution: Once again, we can add David to this one too, for he suffered being persecuted by Saul (1 Samuel 19). Hannah suffered being persecuted by her adversary, Peninnah. The Bible says, "All who live godly will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). When we are living in a way that pleases God, we will attract persecution. All sorts of attacks will come, even our own family members will hate us and strike out against us in all sorts of ways. People on our jobs, schools, and even people who once liked you will turn on you because God's 'Light' that shines through you will reveal their darkness. They will be repelled by you and lie on you and scheme against you too. The scripture says, in essence, to expect persecution when it comes. It's not for you and me to fight against those who persecute us. Commit your soul to the righteous judge and He will give the grace (divine ability) to endure your circumstances. Just take it the the Lord God. Our persecutors won't go free! Who knows, they might even come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by your testimony and repent of such behavior. Hatred: The all time, familiar story of Joseph and his 10 wicked brothers take the cake (Genesis 37, 39,40, through chapter 47)! What a story! I love this story because it shows us God's providential care of Joseph. It shows us how when we live out God's purpose for our life, the result is grand, to say the least. God is always preparing us for that ultimate ministry work we were born to fulfill. Joseph's brothers could not, and did not enter into spiritual things like he did. They were fleshly, disobedient, and dysfunctional family members. They were jealous and envious of Joseph. As an aside, some of them had different mothers. That also adds problems to their family dynamic. They hate Joseph to the point of wanting to kill him! They sell him for money and lie to their father concerning his disappearance, and finally thought they got rid of the brother whom their father loved so dearly. Well, 17 years go by and boy do they get the surprise of their lives! Joseph, the one they despised has now become Governor of all Egypt, and in charge of the food! So, now they need him, the very one they hated, they need in order to survive. What a flip in this script! Don't fret because people hate you and plot evil against you. Tell it to Jesus! He has a plan for them! They have to answer to God for their actions. They will not go free! God says, "For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back" (Hebrews 10:30). Prejudice: In Numbers chapter 12 we read about Miriam and Aaron, her brother. These were Moses's two siblings. We remember Miriam as the young girl who watched her baby brother, Moses, as he floated down the Nile river in a basket, in order that he might be preserved. As an adult she leads Israel in praise and worship! She is now engaging in racism. She started the negative remarks about her sister-in-law who happened to be of another race. Aaron followed her lead and they both sinned. However, Miriam is the one who is afflicted with leprosy. She initiated the racist behavior. God judged her immediately, it seems. James 2:9 says, "But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors." Racism, and prejudice is a sin. "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (vs 1). Our society has been reeling from this malady and it won't ever end because the issue is the heart of man. Until man's heart is regenerated, born anew, by the word of God, it will remain dark, and ugly and full of sin. Many are the targets of such racism, but in James, God speaks to His own people, Christians, and tells us that we can't say we hold the faith of the Lord Jesus with racism in our hearts. Yes, Christians can be prejudice! God judges Miriam and rebukes Aaron! Don't ever forget this! Trust God in these last days, tuck yourself under His wings and let Him quiet your heart and navigate you through this dark scene. Liars: There was a married couple who was prosperous in real estate. Acts chapter 5 sets the scene with Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. Long story short, they lied to the Apostle Peter concerning what they sold their land for. Now, this was voluntary. No one dictated what they should give. They said they would give such and such, and then gave less, keeping back some of the proceeds for themselves. Perhaps the larger amount they agreed to was to impress others. Maybe they wanted it to look like they gave more than everyone else. Pride will do that. Yet, in their hearts, they wanted the money for themselves. Well, Ananias took a while to return and so his wife went looking for him. She knew where he had gone. When she arrives, Peter asks her what they sold the land for and she lied just like her hubby and they both died instantly, right on the spot for it. You see, what they didn't understand was this, when you lie, you are not merely lying to the person you see, you are lying to the Holy Spirit of God. Why did God fall on them immediately? Was it that serious? God wanted everyone who heard about what they did to understand how He feels about 'Lying' period! God hates a lying tongue. "These six things doth the LORD hate; yea seven are an abomination unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-19). It's interesting to note that the liar hates the person they are lying to. "A lying tongue hates its victims" (Proverbs 26:28a). Have you ever been lied on, or lied to? How did it make you feel? Well, none to worry, God knows the truth and so do you. Take comfort in the fact that God can shut the mouth of the liar! Remember earlier in this blog I said a lie is but for a moment. The truth always surfaces. If it doesn't come out in the wash, it most certainly will come out in the rinse! God has your back, He will do something about it because lying is a real big deal to God, and He hates it! In some of these cases there was judgment from God upon the individual (or people).
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 Are you down, discouraged, mentally and emotionally tired and unhappy ? Do you feel as if life has treated you unfairly and life is unkind? From the time that sin came into the world by Adam and Eve, the world has been plunged into the above symptoms and more! The good news is that you don't have to remain feeling down, discouraged, mentally and emotionally tired and unhappy! God has a remedy to fix all of that. When we set our heart and mind to approach God on the issues of our life, He begins to set us free from the symptoms that seem to plaque us day after day. Now, it doesn't happen over night like some magical cure. It does require that you sit down and have an out right honest talk with God about everything going on in your life. Bring your past and all of its ugliness to Him as well. You've got to enter into an intimate place with God, first believing that He is who He says He is, Confessing that you have sinned against Him as an unbeliever, or maybe you're a Christian who has not fully surrendered to Him, never the less, explain what your life has been and place faith and trust in Him and ask for His help. God hears and answers prayers of the humble in heart and those who cry to Him in their hour of need. Make today the last day that you walk around with all of those symptoms oppressing you. Let God know that you are willing and ready to place your trust in Him in order to live a life of peace, happiness, joy, and contentment for the life He created you to live! Scriptures: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Psalm 84:18 "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry." Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and our strength, A very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  Romans 10:11
What a week of phenomenal blessings! God is good like that! He always hears and honors my prayers! It always pays to trust in God and do things His way. Often He calls us to patience, and we know how difficult it can be to wait without knowing when you'll see what you want come to past. But it is the best and most important thing to do. Wait on the Lord! God does incredible things for those of us who have learned to trust Him. I can tell you from personal experience that it is all worth waiting for. His timing is perfect! What He has waiting for us is better than anything we could ever ask for. It isn't until we see the blessing that we understand why things happened the way they did. So, as I sat and reflected on all of God's goodness to me, I enjoy the blessings from His hand! He answers prayer even beyond anything I could have thought to mention to Him. Pray in faith without wavering, the scripture tells us, hold on to what God promises in His word, keep the faith no matter what, and you too will rejoice and be filled with the Joy of The Lord!  1 Samuel 18:1
You will always attract: 1. Who Are You? Are you confident and secure within yourself? You will attract confident and secure people. They will be a part of your inner circle. Insecure, less confident individuals gravitate towards those who are like them. 2. Where Are You? Spiritually speaking, when you have chosen to let God rule your life and everything in it, when you've allowed Him to rule your spirit, and guide your steps you will undoubtedly attract others who are authentically in partnership with God. In the Bible, Jonathan and David's relationship was a divine connection that was made because they were two individuals who felt the same way about God, and honored their faith in God by the level of trust they placed in Him. They were on the same page and this was what the attraction was in Jonathan's soul being knit together with David's. Look at the success God gave to each of these men and when they worked together for the same common goal, God not only made their feats to succeed, He protected them in the midst of it and blessed them. They were able to accomplish what the average person couldn't. Who Are You Attracting? The people who are operating in an opposite way than you, will always be repelled by you so expect attacks, and criticism from them, and be assured that God will exalt you and give you good success regardless, because He is God over all and He and only He has the power to take you where you need to go, spiritually speaking and naturally speaking! Trust in God Always! Put your faith and confidence in Him only!  I use to think that as long as I was doing what God wanted me to do, I would avoid problems. Boy, was I wrong. It is true that when we are being obedient to God we will avoid all the negative, life altering things He doesn't want us to experience. However, we will meet up with unpleasant challenges even when we're trying to obey God. Why is this?
God knows what will build our character, make us strong, and bring out Christ like behavior in us. He is pleased when we are following His will, but He sees areas in our lives that may need some fine tuning. Life would be so much easier for us if we can just have things go smoothly. That's the human perspective, but life wouldn't be easier avoiding challenges. Think about it. Without challenges we wouldn't learn about the power that God possesses. We wouldn't really see our need for such a God. We also wouldn't learn about ourselves, and who we should depend on. Facing difficulties, and trials teach us valuable lessons in life. While enjoying the blessings of the Lord, answered prayer, and getting some of what we so desire from God, we could face difficulty simultaneously. There is nothing odd about this. While God is trying to teach us much needed lessons, He also tries to adjust our thinking. For sure, the challenges will force us to stay close to God. Often, when we are in the throws of blessings, we're so happy and glad; we may drift a little away from the Lord without noticing it. We can be so caught up with the blessings of God that we let our guard down. Challenges during times of blessing will certainly keep us grounded and keep us spiritually on guard. So, if you experience trials in the midst of great moments of blessing, just simply hold on to God, ask Him for His wisdom and guidance, and ask God to help you to see what He's trying to show you. He is faithful, He will open your eyes to the important stuff that is needed at that time in your life. He will teach you, and reveal knowledge and understanding that only comes with such experiences. He will test your heart as well, to show you what lies within. Remember, Job was walking in obedience to God and was greatly blessed, and look at the ways his life was being challenged. Daniel was a young man who was honoring God even while in Babylon, he stood out among his peers, but he faced the challenge of the lion's den. The Apostle Paul was fulfilling the calling that God had placed on his life, but he had haters, people trying to kill him and all sorts of problems while walking in obedience to God.  Genesis 6:11-12; Romans 12:19; Psalm 9:9-10
Not only is sexual assault sin, it's equated with murder. Consequences will fall on the one who commits rape! Sexual assault kills by robbing life emotionally, and psychologically, from the victim. The violation creates hindrances and barriers that go beyond the physical body. The victim is often unable to function healthily in society. The victim's mindset is altered and needs therapy of some kind to restore a sense of health. Rape imposes a kind of death on the victim (George Athas). The law God gave in Deuteronomy 22:28-29 was for the benefit of the wronged woman because she wasn't to be abused and then discarded. Tamar begged her half brother, Amnon, to marry her. He cruelly refused and she was abused and discarded (2 Samuel 13:16). The law provided for a victim of sexual assault. The woman was to be supported by her rapist husband and he was never to divorce her. This was her legal right (if she chose to go along with the marriage). If she chose not to marry her rapist, she was still to be supported all her life (Exodus 22:16-17). Tamar was cared for by Absalom, her brother. They had the same mother, Maachah, who was a Princess. The victim's father could object to the union, but the rapist must still financially support the victim (Exodus 22:16-17). In today's society, there is little compassion, and no compensation for rape victims. Hardly are these violators caught and charged. Rape is a devastating thing to live with, especially without being able to make sense of it all. God can compensate the rape victim and care for her for the rest of her life! When Absalom died, I believe God still took care of Tamar. Perhaps she returned to the Palace where her mother, Maachah, and other siblings were. She no longer had the position and place she had before the assault, but she was cared for there. Sexual assault affects everyone in the family. Maachah, as a mother had to have been affected. King David, her father, protected the abuser by doing nothing to punish his son, Amnon. David was just simply angry about it. Tamar's position as a young beautiful woman was now relegated to that of a little better than a servant. I couldn't imagine the psychological challenges and emotional damage she suffered. Later, in Absalom's revolt against his father, King David, he rapes 10 of his father's concubines on top of a roof in broad daylight as revenge for his sister Tamar's rape being ignored. What an ironic twist to David and Bathsheba's sin. The place David first laid eyes on her was from the roof top. Tamar means 'Date Palm'. It suggests food, security and life. I believe inspite of all that befell Tamar, God provided food, shelter, security, and life for her all of her days. God is a restorer of the years the locust has eaten. God hates all sin and even if the rapist is never brought to justice, God will exact punishment on them! The victim may never be privy to God's justice on their rapist, but know that they will suffer the consequences for their crime! Please take some time to read the above verses at the beginning of this blog. May it bring comfort and help to anyone in need. God can handle your pain and He will bring healing into your life, just trust Him to help you.  Deuteronomy 2:7
" For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing." When you look back over the years of your life as a believer, what do you see? How do you assess what life has been for you? Do you feel as if you are the only one who knows your story, and life experiences? I don't know about you, but it is so encouraging for me to know that God knows everything I've been through, He knows all about the challenges, the obstacles, how I've been treated by others, He knows my wilderness journey and everything I've experienced. Why is that encouraging to me? While life is dealing its hand, God is watching it all. He chooses to allow certain events to build me up, grow me, and train me to trust Him more and more. Also, God has so many blessings and blessed experiences for me to enjoy; He also has great ministry work for me to partake in. If I falter and fail, I miss out big time! Has life dealt you a painful blow? Well, tuck yourself in under the shadow of God's mighty wings and He'll strengthen and nurse you back to health. If the people you thought were your friends fail you, and turn their backs, praise the Lord big time because there is always a good reason God separates us from certain individuals. God wants to bring you into another social circle that will better suit the plans He has for you. Trust God to pick your friends, and trust Him when it's time to move on without them. All of life is a test! God reveals Himself and His special plans for us often through testing and trials. I know, it's never easy, but I can personally testify to it being necessary. I have never read in the Word of God about mighty men and women of God who did great things with a social circle in place. Have you? We read that they were by themselves, alone, serving mightily for God. There were no social circles around them. Even David was separated from Jonathan. David was alone with no friends to rely on. In Judges 4:4-24, we read about Deborah and how she, a prophetess and judge in Israel, led timid Barak and the army to victory! She embraced God's calling upon her life and she stayed in tune with God and she knew what to say to the Lord's people. She knew God's Word and she could instruct Barak and remind him of what God said. What social circle do you see standing with her? The Christian life is a life that requires each of us to embrace the calling God has placed upon our lives. To individually accomplish all that God has for us to achieve, will require being alone and in tune to His voice and His voice only. It is not a 'group effort'! There are places in the journey of our lives where friends can't come along. You and I have to know when to walk away from social circles and be on a mission for God! Social circles can be a hindrance to the things God has called us to do. Rejoice when friends drop out of your life. They may even be fellow believers, but if you are a believer who sits in God's presence daily in prayer and the study of His Word, and you start to notice things happening in your social life, you can attribute that to God. He is allowing it for your blessing in the end. There is an exception to this that we can find in the first chapter of the book of Daniel. Daniel had friends who were on the same spiritual page as he was. God had a specific plan for Daniel and his friends that led to a deep revelation about God as a testimony to the steward, the chief of the eunuchs and King Nebuchadnezzar. This was truly for spiritual purposes. God knows what the journey has been for you and all the things you have had to go through and encounter. He will continue to be with you and guide you along the way. Trust God, He knows what He is doing with you. Don't mourn over the losses in your life. God has something specially carved out for you! Take it from me, I am enjoying some wonderful times in my life right now. I look back and see all the things, and people God has removed and set to the side, clearing the way for where He has me for such a time as this. It is wonderful and it is glorious! Do you want to do great things for God? Do you want to accomplish and achieve what you're gifted in? Do you want to rise to a higher level spiritually? Then, you must ask God to help you to embrace what has to happen in your life in order for that to be possible. Keep the faith and keep trusting every area of your life to God!  It has been a year so far into this pandemic and so much has changed. People have been thrust into illness due to the Covid-19 Virus, and some have died as a result. The entire world has been impacted by these events. Presently, we are still in a pandemic. Many are starting to feel some relief with the vaccines that have been made available. We will still need to wear masks and social distance a little while longer until it becomes safe to return to normal. The question remains, will things get back to the way they were? We have been afforded the opportunity to re-evaluate our lives and to adjust our thinking. Many have had to take a serious look within to assess what is of vital importance right now, and align themselves accordingly. What were the things you were involved in before the pandemic occurred? Have you had to rethink anything? If nothing else, we've seen how brief life is and unpredictable at that. Things happen quickly without warning, much beyond our control. This is not the time to be sailing through life without an anchor of some sort. There were people I knew who died of Covid-19; some were very young, some were peers, while others were in the prime of their lives. There is so much grief and sadness in the world right now, on top of the usual stuff that many were experiencing. Now is the time to settle one of the most important questions of one's life. Do you know where you will end up when you die? No one gets to choose how they will leave this life or the events that will bring on death, but we can know where we are going when we breathe our last breath. If you happen to be reading this blog and you don't know the Lord as your personal savior, then please ask yourself that question and see what answer you come up with. What I love about God is that He gives us a choice whether or not to choose the salvation He offers through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He, God, sacrificed His only son to provide a way where mankind could have a relationship with Him. His offer is free for the asking. John 3:16 states very clearly, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Yes, the word, 'Perish' suggests that there is something else after one dies and leaves this earth. God's desire is that all of mankind receives the opportunity to live forever! There is a question that lingers for those who are Christians and it is this; What have we been focused on before the pandemic? What, if anything, has changed for us now? We should not be going about life the same way as we were prior to Covid. There should be a shift in our thinking. If nothing else, we should have connected with the fact that time waits for no one. The things God has given you and I to do will not wait until we are ready to do them. The ministry work will pass on to someone else if we are not busy doing it. May we each take a look at where we want to be, spiritually speaking, and may we have the courage and the faith to execute the will of God for our lives. That is the key to 'True Success' with peace and contentment. There is no better life than to live out the life God planned for you. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." May God help us all to realize the value of our lives and to live like there's no tomorrow. Stay safe, wear your mask, and keep social distancing!  Areas the Lord uses to speak to us, to teach us, or to discipline us: 1. Emotional challenges: situations that tap into those deep emotional places we struggle with. The Lord enters those places to help us develop strength, and to adjust us so that we don't let these issues hold us back spiritually and in our lives. He wants us to press forward despite things that may have hurt us in the past. 2. Financial challenges: We may be tested in this area to see how much we are trusting God to provide or if we're trusting Him at all. He wants to develop our faith more. 3. Under attack: When the enemy comes to discourage us, the Lord may allow his tactics and the people he uses to cause us grief. The Lord God wants us to be resilient and persevere no matter who doesn't like us, or treat us well, or who is our adversary. So the Lord will send those challenges our way to teach us how to get through it and to keep keeping on.  Life is full of ups and downs. There is not one of us who have not had obstacles in our path. We have all experienced hardship, discouragement, hurt and pain at some point in time of our lives. Initially we may feel as if we can't move forward.
One thing I've learned is that every unpleasant situation that life throws at you is important. It provides an opportunity to learn who you really are and what stuff you're made of. We learn from those experiences, or should learn valuable lessons from them. It's an opportunity to readjust our thinking, our decisions, and the direction we're going in. As a believer, we are to take our situations to God and sit down with Him and hash out every aspect of it in order to see things from God's perspective, and to get the help needed to deal with the problem. God always has a solution for every challenge we face. We first must be willing to be honest with God about the circumstances we're in and how we feel about it, as well as the struggle we're having in moving forward. It's important to get to a place where we can shed the weight of troubles quickly. If we hold on to sadness, disappointment, and difficulties for too long, we end up getting stuck. Being stuck can hold us back from the good things that are waiting to happen. 'Being Stuck' now becomes a hindrance. It can linger way too long. In 1 Peter 5:7 it says, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." It is God's pleasure to take all of our cares, burdens, and struggles and manage them for us. He takes the load of those things and lightens the stress, the pressure, and the weight of it all. Our duty is to do the 'casting', meaning, we are to readily hand them over to Him. This is how you spell 'R-E-L-I-E-F'! God has a wealth of blessings, and wonderful things in His hand waiting for you to partake in. Don't allow yourself to be hindered by past hurts, present trials, or current situations that seem hard to bear. Give them to God! Don't get stuck! |
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