How about faith?
We drive our cars 60-70 miles per hour with an oncoming car doing the same with only a white line and six to eight feet separating us. We place our faith that every car will not cross into our lane. We fly on airplanes that take us over oceans, trusting the pilots with our very lives. We ride on thrilling amusement rides that take us several stories into the air and travel fifty to seventy miles per hour down a winding slope. We trust the operators of that ride with our own mortality.
Isn’t it interesting that we can place our faith in such things but cannot place our faith in the hands of our Creator?
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him
(Heb 11:5-6)
Expect difficulties and rejoice in them!
Most every day I come home from work, Charlene, my wonderful wife, will usually ask….”How was your day?” Isn’t that the million dollar question? If you’re like me you’ll probably respond based upon the circumstances of the day. Truth is, it’s usually impossible to measure the difficulties of our days as being good or bad. We must get into the habit of “being joyful in every situation” James 1:2-4, and trusting that God really is in control of all things. Usually, the difficulties of today are often God’s preparation for our victories of tomorrow, and we tend to push back the calendar when see the small picture. Consider……….. the difficulties of yesterday, and how they’ve prepared and shaped you for today.
”But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
Everything Is Alright Os Hillman
..”Everything is all right”…. 2 Kings 4:26
The prophet Elisha often would travel through the town of Shunem, and in that town was a well-to-do couple who extended hospitality to him. At first, they simply offered Elisha a meal when he came through town. Then, seeing that Elisha needed a place to stay and study, they built a room for him above their house so that each time he came through town, he had a place to stay. He was so appreciative of their kindness that one day he asked the wife what he could do for her. His servant Gehazi later informed Elisha that the woman was barren and her husband was old.
” About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms ” (2 Kings 4:16). A year later the son arrived.
One day the father was working in the field, and the son became ill and died. The woman ran to meet Elisha to inform him. When Elisha asked what was wrong, she did not panic and react in fear. Her response to Elisha seemed almost unnatural. “Everything is all right,” she said. Elisha went to the boy and raised him from the dead. It was a glorious miracle. (See Second Kings 4.)
Faith looks at situations through God’s eyes, not the eyes of our limited understanding. This woman did not panic, for she knew something more than the current circumstance. Faith does not panic, but realizes that what looks like devastating circumstances may be God’s plan to bring glory to Himself by demonstrating His power. When Jesus appeared on the water to the disciples in the middle of the night, they exclaimed, “It’s a ghost!” (see Mt. 14:26) First appearances can bring great fear upon us even to the point of paralyzing us. Find the Lord in your circumstance today. Exercise your faith today and trust Him for His outcome in the situation.
True Colors
Before coming to Chapel Hills Church in 2001, I owned a remodeling business. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do to their homes. One of the most common problems I’d run across was bathroom remodeling projects done incorrectly using improper materials. Undoubtedly, loose tiles, broken tiles, mold, and broken grout were all indicators of something that wasn’t quite right. The mess and expense of tearing everything out and starting from scratch was usually the best solution.
Are there external signs in your life that are a result of stuff you’ve hidden in your life?
Isaiah 59:2 You sins have hidden his face from you.
Do we really know our Savior?
I carry around, in my Iphone, an array of personal information about my wife and family and friends. For example, I have their clothes sizes, shoe sizes, birthdates, anniversaries, and other information. Whenever I’m away from home and thinking of someone, I’ll refer to that information and sometimes buy them a gift. That information is little compared the actual person and only little information describing who these special people are. Many people have this same relationship with Jesus, they carry around information that describes who He is, but don’t really know Him personally. Do you know Jesus?
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rich as He was, He gave it all away for us, in one stroke He became poor and we became rich.