How Has Your Faith Been Tested This Year?

 

By: Sarah Geringer 

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

How has your faith been tested this year? Notice I didn't ask, Has your faith been tested? In a year full of trials and tribulations, all of us have been tested in our faith.

Before you answer that question, I'd like you to reflect on another time when your faith was tested, and how God pulled you through. Here's my story.

I remember 2008 as another year of testing. My husband is a builder, and he was just starting his company at the time. The market was glutted with homes to sell, and buyers were scarce. We could not get credit to build more than one spec house at a time, though our credit was in the near-perfect range. Gas prices soared to around $4.25 per gallon for diesel, and we were spending over $1,000 per month just for him to drive around.

I had given birth to our third child that summer. Three children in diapers and/or potty training. I cut out dozens of coupons each week to use for groceries. I had faced legal action over a job contract, but I lost big time. So I felt stuck in a job that was utterly dissatisfying, yet the bright side was that it allowed me to stay at home with my kids.

In the 2008 recession, as well as in a contentious election season that fall, my faith was being stretched to new limits. Did I really trust God to be my Provider? Did I really believe that he was in total control of all things, including the future of our country? Over and over that year, I meditated on the Sermon of the Mount, particularly the part that said "do not worry." Through those trials, I learned to trust God in new ways. 

And as always, God pulled us through that season of trials. My husband was one of the few new builders in our area that survived and even thrived after the recession. I fulfilled my job contract and moved on to greener pastures. I now treasure my memories of my three little ones as the bright spots of joy in that difficult season.

2020 has given us new opportunities to trust God. But it's not over yet. One of the most challenging tests of trust comes next week with the U.S. election, which will have an impact across the globe. We Christians must choose to trust God even when our faith is being stretched to its limits. It's time for us to really, truly believe what we've been taught all these years in sermon after sermon, Bible reading after Bible reading.

I love this passage in 1 Peter that tells us the value of being tested. Yes, these are real trials we are facing, just like the real trials I faced in 2008. The Bible never promises that our lives will be free from trials. But it says that our trials will only last a little while, in light of all eternity. They are for our good, proving that our faith is genuine.

Your faith is precious to God. If your faith remains strong through the many trials of 2020 (and more ahead, to be sure), you will receive blessings in heaven someday for persevering through this season. Isn't that amazing to consider? Doesn't that give you hope?

I'm sure we have many more joys ahead. Joys that we need to seek, not take for granted. Our hope is not only waiting for us in heaven. It's here for us on earth too, as long as we are walking beside God in our trials.

I pray that as you meditate on these verses of 1 Peter, you will reflect on times God pulled you through past seasons. I pray that your faith will be strengthened through the tests of 2020, and purified in the fire of God's glory.

Want to pray for our nation in the days leading up to the election? Visit the Recent Posts box at my site, where you'll see several non-partisan prayers I've written for America, like this one.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Thanks to BibleGateway.com for easy scripture navigation!

When You're Facing Death

  By: Shari A. Miller

Every morning for the past 10 years, as I've opened my tired eyes,  I've stared death in the face. 

And it's been each and every morning that I've wished death would walk away, because to be honest.... I'm really getting tired of looking at it day in and day out. That's what happens when you have metastatic breast cancer, or any other type of fatal disease.  

At times, it's not an easy burden to bear. Many a tear has been shed, the question of why has been asked a thousand times. Pain has wracked my body, making it difficult to walk and at times even hard to get out of bed. 

If you're facing a life threatening illness you may know what I'm talking about. Even if you have a friend or loved one that's walking down this road you may have an idea of where I'm coming from.

At times I feel very lonely walking this road. Oh my friends and family support me and pray for me. My sweet husband will do just about anything I ask in order to make me happy or more comfortable, as will my son and daughter. However, they just don't know what it's like to be the one who is dying and I pray they never will.  

I'll be really real and honest with you now.....

There have been times when I have been mad at God. Mad because no matter how hard I pray....He just hasn't healed me yet. But, you know what, I think God understands this.

It was his own Son that prayed in the garden of Gethsemane,

"And going a little father he fell on his face and prayed saying, "My Father, if it be possible,  let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."  Matthew 26:39

His own Son had to face the hardest road of all, that of imminent death. His own Son in human form knew the sorrows that we face as He faced them Himself.  God knows the sorrows and the fears we face. He understands our every tear and our every desperate cry to Him.

I have found that the key to not letting this situation overcome me is making sure that my faith is greater than my fear. 

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

Yes, the times will still be hard, yes there are times when I'll still question and get angry. However, when it really comes down to it my faith in God is bigger than all that.

Through it all do I think that God can still heal me? Absolutely? If you're in this situation can He heal you too? Of course! He is in the business of doing miracles everyday. Until then, I will look death in that face and say, "Not today!" Today I will rise up from my burdens and I will serve my risen King each and every day! I will follow His call and obey Him through the darkest of storms. Through it all I will have this sickness mean something. I will talk about His goodness and share with others what a wonderful Savior He truly is. When I decide to live this way, the burdens are lifted just a bit and light overtakes my soul while I'm choosing to live in each moment glorifying my Savior.

Just like Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it's time for me, and all of us to rise up from the chains of death and serve our Lord and King. Don't let the enemy win friends, align with the Lord and follow His will today.

He Loves You That Much

 By: Jenifer Metzger

Today's Bible reading has us in Hosea 11. In this chapter we see how deeply God loves Israel.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called My Son.

Hosea 11:1

We also see how Israel has turned away from God. They are living in evil with hearts full of sin. Through all of their evil and sin, God still loves them so very much. But, He loves them too much to let them keep on living in sin.

As parents, we love our children. They can disrespect us or disobey us and it breaks our heart and may even stir some anger, yet we still love them. They may turn from God and do things we know will lead them down a path of destruction, yet we still love them. Our love never wanes, never fades. We love them too much to let them keep living like that. We want want them to obey, be respectful, and live for God. But love is always there.

God doesn't wait for us to become perfect, or even good. We can go to Him now, just as we are. He accepts us, sin and all. But He loves us too much to let us keep living in sin. He will begin to stir our heart and prompt us to rid ourselves of those things that cause us to sin. The Holy Spirit will work in us to clean up those areas that are displeasing to God.

No matter what sin or struggle you have been dealing with, God loves you. He loves you and accepts you right now, exactly the way you are. But remember, He will ask you to rid yourself of any and all sin. He loves you that much.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.

Through the Darkest Valley

 By: Joanne Viola

 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.”
(Psalm 23:4, NLT)

 

A shepherd often has to lead his flock from one grazing place to another and the safest way to do that is to pass through the valley. It is there in the valley that the best grazing and water will be found on their travels.

Though the travel can be difficult, challenging, even dangerous, the sheep are not afraid for they are keenly aware of the presence of their shepherd with them.

And so it is with us.

In every situation, in the deepest disappointments, setbacks, or betrayals, we can keep walking through our valley with the assurance of our Shepherd’s presence.

May we remember we are walking through; we are not stopping there for a spell nor are we going to reside there. We are going to walk through.

As we go through, may we hold onto the promise we are being led to higher ground and all will turn out well and for our good (see Romans 8:28).

As we learn to walk through the valleys with the presence of our God beside us, we often find we become better able to encourage and strengthen those going through the same, or similar, circumstances.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT)

We come through the valleys because of the blessed assurance we have in and through Christ.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT)

When the valleys of life come – not if but when they come, for they will surely come – how will we respond to them?

May we remember that God is not before us but beside us as we go through any difficulties which may arise in life.

He will lead the way through,
calming our fears,
as He stays close to us.

 

Photo by Daniel Burka on Unsplash

 

 

You Are Firmly Held By God

by Elizabeth Stewart

The enemy loves to torment us with worry, fear and anxiety when we are the most vulnerable. Let's face it, we're all a bit vulnerable right now. We are still in a worldwide pandemic that has affected our lives socially, emotionally, physically and financially. We are in the midst of a very contentious election season in our nation. There is civil and racial unrest in our nation and riots in many of our cities. Add to that all of the challenging circumstances that we experience living life on sin-sick planet earth, and yes, we are definitely vulnerable right now to satan's tricks. Thank God, that we have the Captain of the Lord of Hosts, Jesus Christ and His angel armies, fighting on our behalf. We also have the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as our weapon to use against satan's lies.

The other night, I woke up in the middle of the night tormented by anxious thoughts about everything from the upcoming elections, to the future, to finances, to our children and grandchildren. I knew that my mind was under attack by the enemy and so I began to pray about each area I was feeling anxious about. (satan hates it when we do that, by the way. It's called resisting the devil. he flees when we do that.) Before long, I heard God's voice in my inner being say to me, "You are firmly held." I recognized those words from the song Get Your Hopes Up by Josh Baldwin. the words of the bridge of the song are:

Christ before me

Christ behind me

I am firmly held

In His mercy never ending

I'll remind myself

You can listen to the entire song here:

 https://youtu.be/e6FZzIy6VjA 

And then I recalled the words from one of my favorite verses, Hebrews 13:5 from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition. 

"Let your character, or moral disposition, be free from the love of money, including greed, avarice, lust and craving for earthly possessions, and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have, for He, God Himself, has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not. I will not. I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down, relax my hold on you! Assuredly not!"  

The truth is, I'm not satisfied with my present circumstances and what I have. I want the pandemic to be over, I want financial security, I want a peaceful nation. Truth be told, I want a comfortable, trouble free life. (I have some work to do on that being satisfied part!) But, that's not what life is like living in a world tainted by sin. We have good times, hard times and sometimes we go through horrible times. In order to make it through whatever times we are facing we need to remember that God Himself, the One Who created the heavens and the earth, the One Who created us and redeemed us through the sacrifice of His only Son, has promised us that He will not fail us, give us up, leave us without support, leave us helpless, forsake us, let us down, or relax His hold on us. We are firmly held, friends. We need not fear.

justfollowingjesus.com

God is Your Comfort

By: Sarah Geringer 

Do you need some comfort that lasts longer than a warm blanket, a hot cup of coffee or tea, or a hug from a loved one?

God is your ultimate source of comfort. His comfort will sink into your spirit as you meditate deeply on these comfort-themed verses.

 

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 NLT

When you face darkness or danger, God’s comfort is a protection for you. He walks right beside you in your suffering.

 

Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

Psalm 119:50 NLT

Which promise of God is reviving you today? The book of Psalms is full of God’s promises. Choose one to help you through your troubles today.

 

May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Psalm 119:76 NIV

In which struggle can God’s unconditional love bless and comfort you? Meditate on this verse as often as needed, to receive God’s love over and over.

 

I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?

Isaiah 51:12 NLT

If people are opposing you, take comfort in knowing that God is the Mighty One over all. He is the one who will exact perfect justice someday.

 

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

Isaiah 61:1 NLT

Suffering from a broken heart? The freedom God provides gives you hope and comfort. He does not overlook your hurt, but promises redemption.

 

As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 66:13 ESV

God comforts us with the same kind of tender loving care a mother has for her baby. Picture God holding you in his arms when you need comfort.

 

I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.

Jeremiah 31:13 NLT

If you are suffering from grief, God promises a day of rejoicing to comfort you. Cling to the hope in this verse.

 

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

Your troubles have great purpose. They will help others who are suffering in the same way that you are. Trust that God will use your trial for ultimate good.

 

For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:5 NLT

Feeling mocked or belittled for your faith? Turn to God for this promise of comfort, and rejoice that you have God on your side.

 

Which one of these verses brings you the most comfort today? Make it your meditation verse for the next few weeks, and experience more of God’s comfort in your daily life.

Want free printables of meditation verses like these? Sign up in the pink boxes at my site, and you'll get access to my Library of printable meditation verses!

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Thanks to BibleGateway.com for easy scripture navigation!

Freedom is Found in Letting Go

 By: Shari A. Miller

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

At one time or another we've all had a feeling of deep fear that overwhelms us and cuts us down to our core. It could come from anything: lack of money, marriage problems, children going astray, political elections, the state of our nation. You name it...there are a thousand things we could be fearful over.

For me, the number one fear that has dominated my life is ... metastatic breast cancer. 

I've been dealing with breast cancer for almost 17 years. It's a long story that I'll save for a other day. Through it all I've dealt with ups and downs, highs and lows and just a roller coaster of emotions that has plagued me from one day to the next. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was home alone with my five year old son. I had just gotten a call from my doctor and he told me the terrible news. I moved as far away from my son as I could so he wouldn't hear me. I called my husband on the phone and screamed a high pitched scream, while tears were running down my face I said to him, "It's cancer! It's cancer! Please come home now!" I hung up the phone and cried out to God, "Why God? Why?"

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7

I didn't receive an answer that day, nor did I the next. However, just recently the Lord told me how to be free from the never ending fear that plagued me. 

"Let it go my child, let it go."

Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. - Psalm 118:5

He of course had been trying to tell me this all along. But, it was just recently that I finally understood and could hear Him clearly. 

He asked me what I was really afraid of, asked me why I was letting cancer have first place in my life. He specifically said to me, "Don't I want what's best for you child? In the end won't I fulfill my plan for your life? In the end won't you see Me and have eternal life with me?"

I of course answered, "yes" to all His questions. It was then that waves of peace came rushing over me just like the ocean. It was then that something so simple and yet profound was placed on my heart and swept over me like a cool morning breeze. I don't have to worry, I don't have to fear. God is in charge of my life and He will never let me down, all I have to do is surrender it all to Him, have faith in Him, and trust Him with the outcome.

This doesn't always happen automatically for me. Every day, and sometimes every hour, and  then every minute I have to surrender it all to Him. When I do, I feel at ease, and happy. I don't have to carry all of these burdens. I don't need to have it all figured out because God all ready does.

What are you facing today friends? What has been keeping you in bondage and not allowing you to move forward? Have you allowed God first place in your life, or is something else taking His place? Whatever your fear might be, whatever is trying to consume your life, give it up and let it go, surrender it all to the Father and watch Him take control and work everything out for His good.

Lord, Heal Our Land

 By: Jenifer Metzger

Today I was reading in Hosea chapter 4, following along with the Woman to Woman Bible reading plan, and the words struck me as quite familiar.

Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel,

for the Lord has a case

against the inhabitants of the land:

There is no truth, no faithful love,

and no knowledge of God in the land!

Cursing, lying, murder, stealing,

and adultery are rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another.

For this reason the land mourns,

and everyone who lives in it languishes,

along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky;

even the fish of the sea disappear.

Hosea 4:1-3

Do they ring familiar to you too? No truth, faithful love, or knowledge of God. Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, and bloodshed. Sounds like the world today.

There is so much hatred in the world, so much pain and suffering. Our land is mourning. Our spirits are mourning. We were meant for more than this. We were meant to work together. To love, to be kind, to be compassionate.

So how do we rid our hearts and our land of this hatred and suffering? Pray! We pray and ask God to forgive us. We seek His face. We turn from our evil ways. Then, we love others. We help others. We are kind to others. We are compassionate toward others. We give. We show Jesus through our actions. And finally, we share Jesus through our words. This is the way. The only way.

And My people, who bear My name, humble themselves,

pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways,

then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin,

and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Today I challenge you to spread some love. See others around you as Jesus sees them -not as their sin, but as a soul in need of a Savior. Do something kind to help someone. Smile and wave at strangers. Be the hands and feet of Jesus. If everyone would do this, we would see healing in our land.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.

Understanding Our Call to Holiness

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy Of: Aaron Burden

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." ~Matthew 5:48

I used to read Matthew 5:48 where Jesus calls us to be perfect (or “holy”, depending on your translation), and it wouldn’t make sense to me. After all, we are already holy in God’s eyes and made perfect in Christ at the moment of salvation. Surely Jesus wasn’t expecting us to be perfect in all our daily actions, for if that were even possible, then what would the need have been for a Savior? As for sanctification, that growth process is all about walking by the Spirit, not striving in our own strength to be perfect. So what is Jesus saying here?

It wasn’t until I actually looked up the meaning of the Greek word translated “holy” or “perfect” in this verse that it all began to make much more sense.

The Greek word “teleios” carries with it several meanings (as Greek words tend to do!), some of which are “being whole”, “wanting nothing necessary to completeness”, and “perfected”.

When Jesus calls us to be “holy” or “perfect”, He is calling us to live in light of what is already true of us - we are already perfect in His sight, already holy, already whole in Him, and already in complete possession of everything we need in order to live a life of godliness, fulfillment, and purpose in Him.

It isn’t about striving. It isn’t about a burden on your back of a standard to live up to. It isn’t about crossing all your t’s and dotting all your i’s. It isn’t about being sinless (we do, after all, still have the old flesh to still contend with!).

It is about walking in step with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide and direct you, and living in light of what is already true of you, thanks to the glorious good news of the gospel. 

May that bring you some rest and peace today, friends! 

He Guides Me Along Right Paths

 By: Joanne Viola

 “He guides me along right paths …” (Psalm 23:3, NLT)

We all want to know we are headed in the right direction, have made the right choices, and this requires the ability to be led or guided. This might be where the struggle comes in.

Sheep are a funny creature. They require careful and constant attention. Left to go their own way, they would quickly get into trouble. They are also a very stubborn breed who resist guidance. Scripture compares us humans to sheep:

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.”
(Isaiah 53:6, NLT)

In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller gives us a list of several attitudes we need to develop if we are going to be sheep guided on the right path. Let me briefly share them:

1. We become willing to love Christ best and others more than myself. This is selflessness at its best and when we discover living this way, we will discover a delight in being on God’s path.
2. We are willing to be set apart. Instead of following the crowd, we will only follow Christ, even if it means being different than the crowd.
3. We become willing to forego our right in favor of others. We are able to put others first, our rights and desires taking second place to theirs.
4. We are willing to let go of “being the boss”.
   

   “The person who is prepared to put his personal life and personal affairs in the Master’s hands for His management and direction has found the place of rest in fresh fields each day. These are the ones who find time and energy to please others.” (Phillip Keller, page 79)

5. We become willing to accept the circumstances of life with gratitude instead of asking “Why?”. We let go of needing to know the reason behind everything and accept that our lives are in God’s hands.
6. We become cooperative with God’s plans and accept His will. We find contentment in bending our desires and plans to the plans of the Father, recognizing His ways are best and for our good.
7. We become obedient.

These attitudes develop over a lifetime, sometimes more easily than at other times. But as we sheep allow our Shepherd to guide our paths, we will discover again and again, His paths are good. And pleasant. And beneficial.

For He always
guides us along the right paths.

 

Photo by Jonathan Poncelet on Unsplash

 

A Heart Check-Up

 by Elizabeth Stewart

Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on it's own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV

Have you ever asked God to show you the truth about your own heart? I grew up loving Jesus from as far back as I can remember. I always wanted to live for Him and to do the right thing. It was easy for me to believe the truth of the Bible when it says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It was even easy for me to acknowledge and repent of my own sinful acts and choices. But, the truth is I struggled with the Bible verse that says there is no one good, no not one. I understood the concept that this is another way of saying that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect holiness. But, because I had always wanted to be a good girl and tried to be a good girl, because my area of sin struggle was more inner attitudes than outward behaviors that everyone could see, a little voice within me would argue with God's Word when it said there is no one good, no not one. I wanted there to be some sort of parentheses added to that verse-there is no one good, no not one, (except Elizabeth, because, though she's not perfect, though she has, on occasion, sinned she always wanted to be good and tried to be good so she can have a pass on this one.)  Then, one night, I asked God to show me the truth about my own heart and He actually did. I saw how proud, arrogant, judgmental, resentful, unforgiving, stubborn, and hard my heart was. It was excruciating. I cried deep tears of repentance, because I saw that my heart was full of sinful attitudes. God cleansed my heart that night and made my heart that had been hard with pride, stubbornness and hidden areas of anger, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment into a  clean and tender heart. That was two decades ago, but the memory lives on in me every day. I see clearly where my struggle and weakness lies-in my own self-righteous attitudes and tendencies. I begin most every day asking God to search my heart and to keep it clean from those ugly attitudinal sins that like to accumulate there. I want to live with a heart that is tender and pliable in God's hands.

Today, I had a similar heart revealing experience while listening to a sermon on love. The speaker talked about personalizing the verses from 1 Corinthians 13 about love. He suggested putting our own name in the text. And so I did.

Elizabeth is patient and kind;

Elizabeth does not envy or boast;

Elizabeth is not arrogant or rude.

Elizabeth does not insist on her own way;

Elizabeth is not irritable or resentful;

Elizabeth does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Elizabeth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Elizabeth's love never ends. 

Immediately, I was convicted. So many of these things are not true about me. But, thankfully, that wasn't the end of the exercise. The next step was to ask the Holy Spirit Who dwells within the spirit on the believer to help me to love like God loves. 

God change me!

 Holy Spirit help me to be patient and kind;

Help me not to envy or boast;

Help me not to be arrogant or rude.

Help me not to insist on my own way;

Help me not to be irritable or resentful;

Help me not to rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoice with the truth.

Help me to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things.

Help me to love like You God, with love that never ends.

God's Word is true. There is no one good, no not one, including me. While, on the outside, I may look like a good girl, I know that without God's forgiveness and help my heart tends to be a selfish, sinful, unloving mess. But, thanks be to God, His grace is sufficient to forgive me, to cleanse me from all of my unrighteous thoughts, attitudes and deeds and to help me to do what I cannot do in my own strength. Now that's good news!

Trusting God in Changing Seasons

 

By: Sarah Geringer 

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
2 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

The first and last cosmos flowers bloomed in my garden yesterday. They must have "known" that a frost warning was in effect overnight. These lovely flowers reflect God's glory as his creation slowly goes to sleep this fall.

On my prayer walk, I contemplated the brief nature of autumn, my favorite season. Leaves burst into bright colors, but only for a few weeks. A day of wind and rain can bring most of them down. The whole landscape changes as the trees shed their leaves, and it happens so quickly.

As I breathed in the scent of drying leaves, I thought about this: We expect the changing seasons. They are no surprise to us. Fall has come every year, and it will continue. It's a change that's on God's appointed schedule.

This change is expected, but other changes aren't, and they are so jarring. The sudden medical diagnosis that leaves you reeling. A marriage problem you didn't see coming. A prodigal child abruptly leaves home, three appliances go out in one week, or you are rear-ended or side-swiped. These changes can alter our lives' landscapes, especially when we didn't see them coming.

We must remember: God is in control of all our changing seasons. The ones we expect and the ones that blindside us. 

We can trust God to be our anchor in the seasons that blow us around like so many autumn leaves. He is like the steady oak tree that stands firm, year after year, towering in majesty over the other trees.

Since God appoints everything for a certain time, you can trust him fully. He knows exactly when the next season of life is coming, and exactly long it will last. By choosing to trust him when the seasons of life change, your faith will grow.

Here's a prayer to encourage you today:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your unchanging character.

I want to trust you more each day.

Help me turn to you first in changing seasons.

In the changes I expect, make my faith strong.

In the changes I didn't see coming, be my anchor.

May I gain greater faith in you

as I choose to follow you closely in each life season.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Want to trust God more in life's changing seasons? Check out my book, Newness of Life: Trusting God in Times of Transition.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

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Thanks to BibleGateway.com for easy scripture navigation!

For the Father Up Above is Looking Down in Love

  By: Shari A. Miller

"Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." - Proverbs 16:24

I can remember a children's song that I heard when I was about 6 years old, the name of it was, "O Be Careful, Little Eyes," by Cedarmont Kids. One of the lines of the song went like this:

"O be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little mouth what you say"

God has been challenging me lately, to make sure that I am careful what I say. Especially in this day and age when tensions are high and we are about to have one of the most important elections that we'll ever see in our life time. It can be so easy to get caught up in it all and feel the need to stomp our foot, demand that others see our point and that others see that our point is indeed the right one. Social media is rife with tension with the us against them mentality; things are being said that would never be said to one another if we were talking with them face to face. I find this so sad and disheartening. 

Have you ever been guilty of this? Guilty of saying something that you shouldn't or liking a post that you shouldn't? I know I have. When I do, God catches me and says, "Is this really something that you should be a part of ?" When I hear His voice I usually say, "You're right Lord." It's then that I go back and fix my mistake. 

When I get sucked into the drama on social media, I try and remember 2 things.

1. Is this how I want to represent Christ?

I never want to disappoint my Lord by saying something that would dishonor Him, or hurt my witness about Him. I want to make sure that I honor Him with my words and actions and not set a bad example.

2. I need to remember that when I say something negative about someone I am talking about a child of God.

Jill Dillard from, "Counting On," recently posted something on her Instagram stories that really hit close to home. You can see it in the picture below.

"Kamala is beloved. Donald is fearfully and wonderfully made. Mike is cherished. Joe is important enough that I died for him." Wow! That statement really makes me stop and think. When we talk negatively about anyone of the people mentioned or anyone else in our lives for that matter, we are not only hurting their character but ours as well. We are far from offering God's grace to those involved when we do this. Instead of talking bad about anyone, let's try to focus on their good points, and if this can't be done, let's try saying nothing at all. 

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."  - Ephesians 4:29

I have found that the best way to keep my heart in check when these situations arise is to take it to the Lord in prayer and to remain in His Word. This helps me to remain in the right frame of mind when I get on social media. It reminds me whose child I am and that I need to act as such.

 

Remember we were created in God's image and it's our job to lift one another up and point them closer to God. It's our job to let others see Jesus living inside us, and have them wonder what that special something is that we have inside us, that's glowing bright for all the world to see.

And remember, that the Father up above is looking down in love, so let's be careful everyone what we say.