by Luke Vertz
Have you ever been face to face with a seemingly impossible task or decision ahead of you? I’m talking about something like a time in which God has put it on your heart to talk to someone about Himself, or to not be anxious about a test when all you can think about is being anxious about that test. Or maybe God has asked you to let go of a distraction that is keeping you from Himself like an unhealthy relationship, social media, or a secret sin.
Once you think of a time, ask yourself how you reacted?
Did you give up immediately?
Maybe you tried and failed?
Or did you by chance take the task directly to God and through faith, attempt the impossible?
Most of us, myself included, probably reacted with one of the first two options.
Maybe this will help you not feel so bad. It’s not a natural
reaction to trust in the midst of fear or uncertainties. We typically shrink back or shake off the thought and go on with our day. It’s easy, comfortable, and just plain makes sense. But that is not what we’re called to do as disciples of Christ.
If you have ever gone through with putting 100% faith in God, I would imagine that you did not regret it. This is the reaction that pleases God and causes our faith to GROW and be made complete. The same goes for those of you who have not yet taken that leap of faith yet. God will not fail you. He will not drop you or let you go.
READ James 1:2-6
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But
when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not
waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of
the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
Hebrews 11:1-6
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By
faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s
command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be
seen.
4 It
was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than
Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and
God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he
still speaks to us by his example of faith.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And
it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come
to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who
sincerely seek him.
Matthew 21:21
Then Jesus told them, “I
tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do
things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May
you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
I challenge you to put your faith to the test. Ask God to use you in a special way this week, and WHEN He does, trust that He will take care of everything.
Be encouraged through prayer and reading His word today.
Be blessed!
Friday, July 29, 2016
Thursday, July 28, 2016
The Fountain Effect
by Sierra Beatty
Have you ever been really excited about something and could not wait to tell people about it? Or maybe had those friends that tell you the same story over and over again because it was something they were proud of? Why can’t we be that way about spreading the word of God?
Often times when faced with the opportunity to tell someone about Him, we freeze up and think we aren’t qualified to answer their questions or that we will answer it incorrectly, and we end up turning away from the situation. This is something I struggle with. Especially with all the controversy about what the Bible teaches and what the world wants. The truth is that we have rivers of Living Water coursing through us and that is something to be shared! Our time here is short, high school only lasts four years, and college flies by. Our window is now! What legacy are you leaving behind?
As someone who has grown up in church, I have heard
people pray for God to pour into the pastor so he can pour into the people more than once. This is something I have come to call “the fountain effect” because a fountain has water pouring from one level to the next with each pool bigger than the last.
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-8
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
When we hear a message from a Pastor, God is pouring into him and the Pastor, in turn, pours into us. We should turn around and pour into other people so the message can spread like the water in a fountain and everyone can hear about Him. Don’t be a lake that gets filled with rain, yet is stagnant, or dried up because no one shared the water. I encourage you to share your water with your campus or workplace, so they too, can have Living Water.
Have you ever been really excited about something and could not wait to tell people about it? Or maybe had those friends that tell you the same story over and over again because it was something they were proud of? Why can’t we be that way about spreading the word of God?
Often times when faced with the opportunity to tell someone about Him, we freeze up and think we aren’t qualified to answer their questions or that we will answer it incorrectly, and we end up turning away from the situation. This is something I struggle with. Especially with all the controversy about what the Bible teaches and what the world wants. The truth is that we have rivers of Living Water coursing through us and that is something to be shared! Our time here is short, high school only lasts four years, and college flies by. Our window is now! What legacy are you leaving behind?
As someone who has grown up in church, I have heard
people pray for God to pour into the pastor so he can pour into the people more than once. This is something I have come to call “the fountain effect” because a fountain has water pouring from one level to the next with each pool bigger than the last.
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-8
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
When we hear a message from a Pastor, God is pouring into him and the Pastor, in turn, pours into us. We should turn around and pour into other people so the message can spread like the water in a fountain and everyone can hear about Him. Don’t be a lake that gets filled with rain, yet is stagnant, or dried up because no one shared the water. I encourage you to share your water with your campus or workplace, so they too, can have Living Water.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Happiness In Crappiness
by Nikki Lane
I’ve found something to be true in life: you will see what you’re looking for. I know that sounds kind of dumb and you’re probably thinking, “Well duh. Tell us something we don’t know, Nikki.” You’ll see what I mean though. For instance, I recently got a new car—a Nissan Rogue. I like my new car, I think it’s great. Want to know what sucks though? I literally feel like I see 54 Nissan Rogues every single day. They’re everywhere; everywhere I turn I see one. It’s a little frustrating, to be honest. Now, do you think just because I got this car everyone else decided to get one at the same time? Well, of course not. There have always been 54 Nissan Rogues on the road near me every day; however, it’s now that I’m looking for them I see them. This same concept is true in life with bigger, more important, things. If you look for good in the world, you will see good. If you look for bad in the world, you will see bad. It’s all out there, that is for sure. It’s up to you what you see though.
I believe this is really important for us as Christians. It’s inevitable: we WILL face hard times—it’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. It’s going to happen and it’s important to ask yourself, “In the difficulty that I’m going through, do the people around me see how big my God is OR do they see how small I think my God is?” There is power in your perspective. We all know those people who have something to complain about every single day, don’t we? Regardless of what is going on in their life, they always find something to be upset about, something to complain about. Have you ever wondered if they are LOOKING for good in their life?
READ: Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
God is big. This verse doesn’t say, “God will try to make…”, or “God will make some things…” No no, it says, “God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good…” Every single thing, God will make it work for your good. He’s powerful. I believe there are some things God has made work for our good, but we have yet to see it as “good” because we’re not looking for the good. Change your mindset. I’ve seen it put like this, “Seek out the happiness in all of life’s crappiness.” Sure, there is plenty of crap in the world, but if you’ll choose to, you’ll see the good too. There is good even in the bad, because of God. Look for it and you’ll find it. The next time an obstacle appears or you feel like you’re going through a trial, look for the good in it. Change your perspective and watch God work.
I’ve found something to be true in life: you will see what you’re looking for. I know that sounds kind of dumb and you’re probably thinking, “Well duh. Tell us something we don’t know, Nikki.” You’ll see what I mean though. For instance, I recently got a new car—a Nissan Rogue. I like my new car, I think it’s great. Want to know what sucks though? I literally feel like I see 54 Nissan Rogues every single day. They’re everywhere; everywhere I turn I see one. It’s a little frustrating, to be honest. Now, do you think just because I got this car everyone else decided to get one at the same time? Well, of course not. There have always been 54 Nissan Rogues on the road near me every day; however, it’s now that I’m looking for them I see them. This same concept is true in life with bigger, more important, things. If you look for good in the world, you will see good. If you look for bad in the world, you will see bad. It’s all out there, that is for sure. It’s up to you what you see though.
I believe this is really important for us as Christians. It’s inevitable: we WILL face hard times—it’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. It’s going to happen and it’s important to ask yourself, “In the difficulty that I’m going through, do the people around me see how big my God is OR do they see how small I think my God is?” There is power in your perspective. We all know those people who have something to complain about every single day, don’t we? Regardless of what is going on in their life, they always find something to be upset about, something to complain about. Have you ever wondered if they are LOOKING for good in their life?
READ: Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
God is big. This verse doesn’t say, “God will try to make…”, or “God will make some things…” No no, it says, “God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good…” Every single thing, God will make it work for your good. He’s powerful. I believe there are some things God has made work for our good, but we have yet to see it as “good” because we’re not looking for the good. Change your mindset. I’ve seen it put like this, “Seek out the happiness in all of life’s crappiness.” Sure, there is plenty of crap in the world, but if you’ll choose to, you’ll see the good too. There is good even in the bad, because of God. Look for it and you’ll find it. The next time an obstacle appears or you feel like you’re going through a trial, look for the good in it. Change your perspective and watch God work.
Choose Him
by Jessica Meador
If we're being vulnerable and honest, I would say my absolute favorite seasons of life are the ones where I am beat down and broken. I'm talking about the ones when your cries are so ugly that you can’t keep up with the snot running from your nose so you just let it run together with your tears. Cries so ugly that spit is collecting in your mouth cause you barely have time to breath much less swallow your spit. You may be reading and thinking, "Gross! Are you serious? This is your favorite season of life?" Yes those are my favorite, here is why.
For about 6 months I was praying “God, please put someone in my life who is a leader that who pushes me closer to you and I can just do life with them.” Then slowly a guy walked into my life. He was a cutie and loved Jesus! "Is this who I was praying for???" My heart was so ready! Yes this is it--God answered my prayers! We got to know each other and the next thing I knew we were together. Things were going great! He was everything I didn’t even know I wanted. I was dreaming of marriage and was so excited. But then God had other plans. He threw in an obstacle. God told us it wasn’t the right season and we needed to break up…"Come on God! I thought this was your will?! I thought I was doing good?" I was so hurt. I didn’t understand. I started blaming myself and was so frustrated!
In this obstacle I had a choice to make: I could throw in the towel and say this is too difficult or I could embrace the arms of Jesus and know and believe that He is near to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18). It is in the moments of hurt that I experience Jesus in a deeper way than I ever have before. Day by day, second by second he is teaching me. Teaching me about Himself and about myself. If you have never experienced God this way, where He comes so near to you...I wish I could loan you my heart for a day just so you can get a glimpse of how great our God is in our suffering. God doesn’t put band-aids on our hurts. No, He goes deep into the crevice of the wound, cleans and heals it! God is waiting to do big things in you. ALLOW God to display His power through you! Don’t quit when things don’t look pretty, because the same God that is on His thrown when everything is perfect in life is the same God on His throne when it looks like nothing is going to be okay.
Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
When obstacles come your way, SUBMERGE yourself in expectations for God, to go deeper than you EVER have! It is because of these moments of difficulty that I know Jesus more. Take a look at everyone’s life in the Bible, would you say it’s all rainbows and butterflies? No! God's power is displayed at the highest when we feel not in control, weak, hurt, and have no place to run. Jesus promises to never leave you or forsake you. He is running this race with you--obstacles and ALL. Choose Him!
If we're being vulnerable and honest, I would say my absolute favorite seasons of life are the ones where I am beat down and broken. I'm talking about the ones when your cries are so ugly that you can’t keep up with the snot running from your nose so you just let it run together with your tears. Cries so ugly that spit is collecting in your mouth cause you barely have time to breath much less swallow your spit. You may be reading and thinking, "Gross! Are you serious? This is your favorite season of life?" Yes those are my favorite, here is why.
For about 6 months I was praying “God, please put someone in my life who is a leader that who pushes me closer to you and I can just do life with them.” Then slowly a guy walked into my life. He was a cutie and loved Jesus! "Is this who I was praying for???" My heart was so ready! Yes this is it--God answered my prayers! We got to know each other and the next thing I knew we were together. Things were going great! He was everything I didn’t even know I wanted. I was dreaming of marriage and was so excited. But then God had other plans. He threw in an obstacle. God told us it wasn’t the right season and we needed to break up…"Come on God! I thought this was your will?! I thought I was doing good?" I was so hurt. I didn’t understand. I started blaming myself and was so frustrated!
In this obstacle I had a choice to make: I could throw in the towel and say this is too difficult or I could embrace the arms of Jesus and know and believe that He is near to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18). It is in the moments of hurt that I experience Jesus in a deeper way than I ever have before. Day by day, second by second he is teaching me. Teaching me about Himself and about myself. If you have never experienced God this way, where He comes so near to you...I wish I could loan you my heart for a day just so you can get a glimpse of how great our God is in our suffering. God doesn’t put band-aids on our hurts. No, He goes deep into the crevice of the wound, cleans and heals it! God is waiting to do big things in you. ALLOW God to display His power through you! Don’t quit when things don’t look pretty, because the same God that is on His thrown when everything is perfect in life is the same God on His throne when it looks like nothing is going to be okay.
Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
When obstacles come your way, SUBMERGE yourself in expectations for God, to go deeper than you EVER have! It is because of these moments of difficulty that I know Jesus more. Take a look at everyone’s life in the Bible, would you say it’s all rainbows and butterflies? No! God's power is displayed at the highest when we feel not in control, weak, hurt, and have no place to run. Jesus promises to never leave you or forsake you. He is running this race with you--obstacles and ALL. Choose Him!
Monday, July 25, 2016
Going Back to the 4th Grade
by Chandler Moreau
As a 4th grade teacher, I am exposed daily to the shenanigans of little children who don’t know how to behave. Whether they are passing notes in class, trying to fight to prove their toughness, or making fun of people to make themselves feel better. IT NEVER ENDS! As a student teacher, I had my fair share of these little blessings from God. He would test and stretch me on a regular basis. It was definitely a tough 16 weeks.
After my period of student teaching ended, I was offered a job at the same school. Two thoughts went through my mind: 1. YES A JOB! MONEY! and 2. I’ve heard that the group I will have next year is “horribly misbehaved”. Bitter sweet moment for sure! I didn’t want to take the job because I thought it would be too difficult, too hard, too frustrating. Knowing that it was going to be a rough year, I was forced to take the job because I didn’t receive any other job offers from other schools.
That school year, God tested me, stretched me, further than I thought I could go. It was the hardest obstacle I’ve had to overcome! The difficulties of teaching are immense, and there is a tremendous pressure on you because your success as a teacher determines the future of 60+ 4th graders. The students were always misbehaving, my fellow teachers weren’t helpful towards me, and I was drowning in deadlines and paperwork. This past school year was the HARDEST year of my life.
READ JAMES 1:2-12
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Trials are a blessing! Being very similar to working out, they stretch you, strengthen you, and teach you to become greater. After my year of teaching, I feel more prepared to minster to my students next year. God made me into a much better teacher. He has helped me to become a harder worker. Instead of seeing trials as a negative, flip it around to see the positive benefits. There can never be a rainbow without a thunderstorm. Trust Him!
As a 4th grade teacher, I am exposed daily to the shenanigans of little children who don’t know how to behave. Whether they are passing notes in class, trying to fight to prove their toughness, or making fun of people to make themselves feel better. IT NEVER ENDS! As a student teacher, I had my fair share of these little blessings from God. He would test and stretch me on a regular basis. It was definitely a tough 16 weeks.
After my period of student teaching ended, I was offered a job at the same school. Two thoughts went through my mind: 1. YES A JOB! MONEY! and 2. I’ve heard that the group I will have next year is “horribly misbehaved”. Bitter sweet moment for sure! I didn’t want to take the job because I thought it would be too difficult, too hard, too frustrating. Knowing that it was going to be a rough year, I was forced to take the job because I didn’t receive any other job offers from other schools.
That school year, God tested me, stretched me, further than I thought I could go. It was the hardest obstacle I’ve had to overcome! The difficulties of teaching are immense, and there is a tremendous pressure on you because your success as a teacher determines the future of 60+ 4th graders. The students were always misbehaving, my fellow teachers weren’t helpful towards me, and I was drowning in deadlines and paperwork. This past school year was the HARDEST year of my life.
READ JAMES 1:2-12
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Trials are a blessing! Being very similar to working out, they stretch you, strengthen you, and teach you to become greater. After my year of teaching, I feel more prepared to minster to my students next year. God made me into a much better teacher. He has helped me to become a harder worker. Instead of seeing trials as a negative, flip it around to see the positive benefits. There can never be a rainbow without a thunderstorm. Trust Him!
Friday, July 22, 2016
Miracles
by Luke Vertz
Have you ever seen a miracle?
Think about the setting and when it took place.
Was it perhaps in the midst of a trial or tough season?
For most of us, we would love to see a miracle, however not many of us want to be in the place where we need one. We are not promised a smooth ride in life but rather guaranteed trials instead. In these trials, you can choose to give in and give up, or you can hold fast to God, expecting him to move in miraculous ways.
There is a song that came out recently called, Miracles, by the band, Jesus Culture. If you haven’t listened to it, you are missing out and should do it right now.
There is a backstory to this song and I would like to share just a bit of it here. The song, Miracles, was inspired by a tragic loss that lead singer Chris Quilala and his wife endured in December 2014. They experienced the tragic loss of delivering a stillborn baby boy. They immediately began to pray expecting God to bring their boy back to life as He did time after time in the Scriptures we read today. In spite of praying the most heartfelt, fervent prayers they could pray, they did not see God perform the miracle they were expecting-- to bring their boy back to life.
This song is about choosing to believe that God is who He says He is. Guys, there will be times in life that God will choose His perfect and sovereign will over what we ask and pray for. Despite what our circumstances look like, it is in those moments, we are left with a choice. Do we still believe that God is always good and truly is the God of miracles, in spite of everything in our being objecting to, protesting, and even rebelling against what we think God should or should not do? We do have a choice to make. Remember, Satan will try to “sift us as wheat…” but remember, the Lord compassionately prays for us, that our “faith will not fail”. Life will always bring us moments when our faith is tested. It may be huge, like it was for Chris and his wife, or it may be in smaller, seemingly insignificant areas. But the more we choose to trust that God is Who He says He is, the stronger our faith in Him will become and we will experience the gift of His Peace that passes all understanding!
Read Psalm 77:11-14
But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
Take time today to prepare and strengthen your faith to believe that God is always a good Father no matter what. Times will come in life that will challenge your belief, and that will be your moment to say, “I still believe that You are the God of miracles!”
Be Blessed!
Have you ever seen a miracle?
Think about the setting and when it took place.
Was it perhaps in the midst of a trial or tough season?
For most of us, we would love to see a miracle, however not many of us want to be in the place where we need one. We are not promised a smooth ride in life but rather guaranteed trials instead. In these trials, you can choose to give in and give up, or you can hold fast to God, expecting him to move in miraculous ways.
There is a song that came out recently called, Miracles, by the band, Jesus Culture. If you haven’t listened to it, you are missing out and should do it right now.
There is a backstory to this song and I would like to share just a bit of it here. The song, Miracles, was inspired by a tragic loss that lead singer Chris Quilala and his wife endured in December 2014. They experienced the tragic loss of delivering a stillborn baby boy. They immediately began to pray expecting God to bring their boy back to life as He did time after time in the Scriptures we read today. In spite of praying the most heartfelt, fervent prayers they could pray, they did not see God perform the miracle they were expecting-- to bring their boy back to life.
This song is about choosing to believe that God is who He says He is. Guys, there will be times in life that God will choose His perfect and sovereign will over what we ask and pray for. Despite what our circumstances look like, it is in those moments, we are left with a choice. Do we still believe that God is always good and truly is the God of miracles, in spite of everything in our being objecting to, protesting, and even rebelling against what we think God should or should not do? We do have a choice to make. Remember, Satan will try to “sift us as wheat…” but remember, the Lord compassionately prays for us, that our “faith will not fail”. Life will always bring us moments when our faith is tested. It may be huge, like it was for Chris and his wife, or it may be in smaller, seemingly insignificant areas. But the more we choose to trust that God is Who He says He is, the stronger our faith in Him will become and we will experience the gift of His Peace that passes all understanding!
Read Psalm 77:11-14
But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
Take time today to prepare and strengthen your faith to believe that God is always a good Father no matter what. Times will come in life that will challenge your belief, and that will be your moment to say, “I still believe that You are the God of miracles!”
Be Blessed!
Thursday, July 21, 2016
The Struggle Bus
by Madison Smith
If you have known me for any amount of time, you may or may have not heard me say, “I’m on the struggle bus today.” The lovely Urban Dictionary defines it as this: “Struggle Bus [struhg-uhl • buhs] noun – a metaphor for a difficult situation, used when things aren’t going your way.”
I don’t know about y’all, but not only have I ridden the struggle bus in my lifetime, I have also driven it. I have wrecked it, and at some point, I’m pretty sure I made it sink all the way to the bottom of Lake Ray Hubbard. The struggle is real, okay? I know all of y’all understand at least one of those “scenarios”.
Literally everyone rides the struggle bus, and on the ride, we tend to look more to our problems more than we look to God. A lot of us have a hard time trusting God with the obstacles we face, and we often forget what good encountering trials can do for us. One of my favorite passages is James 1:2-3 “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
How awesome is that?! We can take our struggles and turn them into an opportunity to glorify God! I know how difficult it is to find joy in the midst of your struggles, trust me. If you take each trial you face and make it a chance to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and endurance, you will eventually start thanking God for the obstacles thrown your way. Weird to think that you could become thankful for things that make life hard, isn’t it? Once you see what powerful things The Lord can do through you when you face hard times, you will learn that God doesn’t do it to punish you. He does it to push you and your faith.
READ EXODUS 14
Do you see how even in their time of trial, the Israelites stood firm and saw the power The Lord so generously (and effortlessly) showed them? We can all do that too. We can stand firm even when it is so hard to. I know how much easier it is to pay a fare for a ride on the struggle bus, stay there, and never grow. But God wants us to glorify Him, especially in our trying times!! I want to challenge you to learn to praise God and thank Him even when it hurts… So quit paying to ride on the struggle bus, and realize that your trials are opportunities to see the power of our Father and to further your faith!
If you have known me for any amount of time, you may or may have not heard me say, “I’m on the struggle bus today.” The lovely Urban Dictionary defines it as this: “Struggle Bus [struhg-uhl • buhs] noun – a metaphor for a difficult situation, used when things aren’t going your way.”
I don’t know about y’all, but not only have I ridden the struggle bus in my lifetime, I have also driven it. I have wrecked it, and at some point, I’m pretty sure I made it sink all the way to the bottom of Lake Ray Hubbard. The struggle is real, okay? I know all of y’all understand at least one of those “scenarios”.
Literally everyone rides the struggle bus, and on the ride, we tend to look more to our problems more than we look to God. A lot of us have a hard time trusting God with the obstacles we face, and we often forget what good encountering trials can do for us. One of my favorite passages is James 1:2-3 “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
How awesome is that?! We can take our struggles and turn them into an opportunity to glorify God! I know how difficult it is to find joy in the midst of your struggles, trust me. If you take each trial you face and make it a chance to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and endurance, you will eventually start thanking God for the obstacles thrown your way. Weird to think that you could become thankful for things that make life hard, isn’t it? Once you see what powerful things The Lord can do through you when you face hard times, you will learn that God doesn’t do it to punish you. He does it to push you and your faith.
READ EXODUS 14
Do you see how even in their time of trial, the Israelites stood firm and saw the power The Lord so generously (and effortlessly) showed them? We can all do that too. We can stand firm even when it is so hard to. I know how much easier it is to pay a fare for a ride on the struggle bus, stay there, and never grow. But God wants us to glorify Him, especially in our trying times!! I want to challenge you to learn to praise God and thank Him even when it hurts… So quit paying to ride on the struggle bus, and realize that your trials are opportunities to see the power of our Father and to further your faith!
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