We live on a hill. Down the shallow canyon below our home is an elementary and middle school. We can sit on our patio, or I can sit at my desk, and hear the distant chattering of hundreds of children - almost like bees humming and buzzing. I like the sound, fall is here, school has begun.
My husband and I also will be starting school. We'll be taking a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class. This is a brand new study in the book of Isaiah. We've had years and years of study, but nothing excites us more than another opportunity to learn!
Why, we wonder. God's Word is living and He always has something new to teach us. We never feel like 'we know it all'. The Lord has planned it that way of course, if it were easy, we'd get bored. He gives us what we need on a daily basis. He never changes, Heb. 13:8 "Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever", but, we change! He meets us where we are today. How great is that?! I'll continue the theme of the last blog on how the Lord is always taking care of us, loving us, supporting us, and most important, drawing us to Him.
Remember when Moses and the Jews were wandering around the desert after escaping the Pharaoh in Egypt? You'll find this story in Exodus 16. God sent bread (manna) every day for forty years. He fed them exactly what they needed, not more, not less. Some of the people wanted to do it their own way and tried to store up an extra amount. Remember what happened? God would not allow it! The manna rotted and became infested with maggots
( Ex 16:20) .....how very gross!
In Matthew 6 we see what we call 'The Lord's Prayer'. "Give us our daily bread" Jesus
prays. God fills us up daily - we don't have the power to store up spiritual truth. He knows what we need and when we need it. There are times we feel like He has us on a starvation diet! Lord, I'm so empty we say. That too is for a reason. We can trust that He loves us and His timing, as well as the amount He feds us, is perfect.
Just as the Lord uses others in our life to bless us, He also allows Satan to work through others to attempt to upset and provoke us, shake our faith, give up our peace, and worst of all.....lose our joy! This is part of His plan to draw us toward Him, to seek His love and comfort. We are all flawed human beings. If we weren't innately flawed, we wouldn't need a Savior, Galatians 2:21. We hurt, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Hurt people hurt people. Forgive quickly and know that at the moment, that person is being used as an instrument of Satan. Satan wants us to fail, God wants us to be victorious!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1: 2 - 4
The Apostle Paul understood this. God gave him a thorn in the flesh - we're left to guess what the 'thorn' may have been. But according to 2 Corinthians 12, Paul thought this was an O.K. thing! God told him that His power is made perfect in weakness. We are weak, He is strong! Paul said this is why he delights in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and difficulties.....because when we are weak we depend on God's strength. It's all about Christ's power resting on us! 2 Cor. 12:9 Some who are timid may fear they won't be able to withstand other's 'dumping on them'. Never fear, you will stand, because God will make you able to stand.
"To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand".
Key point.....the Lord is able. We are not!
Thank you Lord that we can rest in YOUR power. In our inadequacy, we worship you.
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Words from the song 'Here I Am to Worship'
