For every story, there is a Savior. On every road there leads a path and for every hour there is a purpose. Do you ever doubt if your Savior really existed? Perhaps when the path is long and the hour grows short, you question whether He is with You. I have watched many people be put to the test. And I can tell you from experience, the longer the road, the harder it is to trust in Jesus.
All of us, if we are Christians, believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose again. But when circumstances come into play, and the solution seems far away, do we trust? I'm not trying to make you feel guilty; I just want us all to look at our motives and the motives of our Savior. How do we gain greater faith if our journey doesn't encounter hardship? I don't think it's possible. Paul had great faith and yet, his faith got stronger when His path narrowed. You're probably asking me what I mean by that. Well, Paul was made blind, and then our Savior sent someone to release him from his blindness. And later on, he was in jail, and an angel was sent to let him go for a time, only to die in prison.
Was he being punished for his crimes against the Christians? Anyone else looking at it would probably answer yes, but we must look at God's motives in all things. Do we pay consequences for our actions, absolutely. However, I think if we look further into God's motives, we will see that his path was being narrowed so that all Christians would understand how he came to great faith. It doesn't happen over night. Faith comes from trials and the need for Jesus. The more that we need Him and recognize Him in our daily lives, the stronger our faith becomes. Job needed God but he really needed him after everyone, including his wife deserted him. Where else was he to go? Some might have turned from God, not getting the answers they wanted quickly. While, others, through their experiences, would move toward Christ because that's what they've been trained to do.
We are in training. Anyone that doesn't understand it, better take a second look. We are growing and being molded into God's image. It is no different than Kevin Durant throwing 100 baskets or more before a game. How do the great become great? They practice. That practice builds confidence and skill. Once those two come together, something amazing happens. Paul, David, Peter and John all walked with God in their own way. Some closer than others, but they trained, wrote, prayed and worshiped their God. Like all human beings they made mistakes. But in those mistakes, they saw the hand of God.
If you have made mistakes in your life, I am sure you've paid a price. That price might be shame, sadness, a lack of self-esteem or worse. I don't know your situation but I do know that God uses our mistakes to get us to understand the power in His love. We are not robots and He didn't make us that way. Each of us will face challenges. We just need to remember that although there will be consequences; Christ is growing us to be His. At the end of the day, most of us are unloveable, but Christ loves us and wants us in His training program! Are you ready to practice and be part of the greatest team ever? I am and I want us all to be. The only way we can reconcile ourselves to grace, is to study the word, surround ourselves with women that believe, and pray to encounter Christ. Our training starts by reading, our skill level becomes greater when we pray and both of these together lead to a great relationship with our Savior! If you're doubting my words, take time to ask Christ to reveal Himself and then sit still so He can. Just saying, "I want to be like Esther, Ruth, Mary or Mary Magdalene won't get us to the promise land." We can't be like them. Jesus wants us to be the women he created. So let's take the time to train and be part of the great victory in Jesus Christ!
Habakkuk 3: 17-19 NKJV:
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls--
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
My prayer today:
May the Lord of light shed upon us the importance of faith, so that we might understand our trials and become diligent followers all our days. Lead us on the path of righteousness and guide us through the toils of life. Help us to be good students and to pray for those things that will help us on our paths. Be there for us in the quiet and build our faith as You see fit. We cherish Your guidance and Your will. Our goal is to forever be on Your team. Give us time daily to be in Your presence and provide patience as we face life's challenges. We seek You first in all things and ask You to guide us to Your kingdom. AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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