"Although I have afflicted you,.....I will afflict you no more." Nahum 1:12
I have just experienced a period of testing. "Sorrows like sea billows rolled". I felt overwhelmed with the seemingly endless trials crashing over me in waves.
I remembered a time my husband almost drowned while we vacationed in Cancun. An excellent swimmer, he dove into the ocean waves and with a few confident strokes found himself caught in the convergence of two wave patterns crashing over him. Unable to catch his breath between waves, he would have drowned but for an alert life guard who rescued him.
My circumstances found me deeply humbled as familiar waters turned violent. I barely caught my breath before another trial overtook me.
As I studied the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the "Love" chapter, God showed me areas in my life needing pruning(for who He loves, He prunes)and I glimpsed His purpose in my suffering. Once I was able to submit to His shears, I sensed a new freedom. He'd cut away a few dead and useless branches I was carrying and the fruit of hope and joy sprang forth.(John 15).
"There is a limit to our affliction. God sends it and then removes it...........who knows how soon these raging waves will give way to a sea of glass"(Streams in the Desert) ................or when God our Lifeguard will pluck us from our circumstances. But we can know that it will be once we've glorified God and given Him all praise and honor.
Showing posts with label Testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Testing. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, August 13, 2007
God's Promises
"He has given us his very great and precious promises." 2Peter 1:4
When a shipbuilder erects a boat, does he do so only to keep it on the scaffolding? No, he builds it to sail the seas and to weather the storms. In fact, if he does not think of strong winds and hurricanes as he builds it, he is a poor shipbuilder.
In the same way, when God made you a believer, He meant to test you. And when He gave you promises and asked You to trust them, He made His promises suitable for times of storms and high seas. Do you believe that some of His promises are counterfeit, similar to a life vest that looks good in the store but is of no use in the sea?
We have all seen swords that are beautiful but are useless in war, or shoes made for decoration but not for walking. Yet God's shoes are made of iron and brass, and we can walk all the way to heaven in them, without ever wearing them out. And we could swim the Atlantic a thousand times in His life vest, with no fear of ever sinking. His Word is meant to be tried and tested.
There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to publicly profess Him and then not use Him. He loves for us to make use of Him, for His covenant blessings are not simply meant to be looked at but should be appropriated. Our Lord Jesus has been given to us for our present use. Are you making use of Him aas you should?
O beloved, I plead with you not to treat God's promises as something to be displayed in a museum but to use them as everyday sources of comfort. And whenever you have time of need, trust the Lord. ------Charles H. Spurgeon
I pray that you KNOW His promises!
When a shipbuilder erects a boat, does he do so only to keep it on the scaffolding? No, he builds it to sail the seas and to weather the storms. In fact, if he does not think of strong winds and hurricanes as he builds it, he is a poor shipbuilder.
In the same way, when God made you a believer, He meant to test you. And when He gave you promises and asked You to trust them, He made His promises suitable for times of storms and high seas. Do you believe that some of His promises are counterfeit, similar to a life vest that looks good in the store but is of no use in the sea?
We have all seen swords that are beautiful but are useless in war, or shoes made for decoration but not for walking. Yet God's shoes are made of iron and brass, and we can walk all the way to heaven in them, without ever wearing them out. And we could swim the Atlantic a thousand times in His life vest, with no fear of ever sinking. His Word is meant to be tried and tested.
There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to publicly profess Him and then not use Him. He loves for us to make use of Him, for His covenant blessings are not simply meant to be looked at but should be appropriated. Our Lord Jesus has been given to us for our present use. Are you making use of Him aas you should?
O beloved, I plead with you not to treat God's promises as something to be displayed in a museum but to use them as everyday sources of comfort. And whenever you have time of need, trust the Lord. ------Charles H. Spurgeon
I pray that you KNOW His promises!
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