PRAYER IN TROUBLED TIMES

Three words in the New Testament that embrace trouble.

These are tribulation, suffering and affliction. They differ somewhat, and yet, practically, each of them means trouble of some kind. Our Lord gave His disciples warning that they might expect tribulation in this world, that they could not hope to escape it, and that they would not be carried through this life on flowery beds of ease. How hard to learn this plain and patent lesson!

"In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world" ~John16:33

There is the encouragement. As He had overcome the world and it's tribulations, so might they be able to do the same.

Paul also taught this lesson as throughout his ministry as he confirmed souls of the children of God and exhorted them to continue in their faith. He told them,

"we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" ~Acts14:22

Paul knew this firsthand as his journey was anything but smooth and easy. He uses the word sufferings to describe the troubles he had experienced in Romans 8:18.

"For I reckon(or consider) that the sufferings of the present time

 are not worthy to be compared with the glory

which will be revealed in us"

What an encouragement that must have been for Paul's sufferings, but what about the others who he had brought to a faith in Christ and their suffering?

Paul talks about the sufferings of the children of God in 2Corinthians.

"For our light affliction, which is for a moment,

works for us an far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"

2Corinthians 4:17

So how can this apply to the time in which we live today? The modern world in which we live in 2013 may believe that we are so much more advanced or that the experiences of the time of Paul would never be possible today. I would have to beg differently as a believer and encourage my brothers and sisters to certainly consider this type of thinking to be deception to the greatest degree. Although science and technology have advanced greatly, we are but a few catastrophes away from experiencing life as people did a thousand years or even two thousand years ago. Just recently, around the world the news has spread about the vulnerability to attack of the communication and locator systems that have been placed into orbit. How far back would that put us, especially since most people only use cell phones for connecting and getting directions?

Then there is the growing threat of natural disasters according to studies. What would it mean to you and I if we experienced an earthquake like Haiti? What if there were more of the mega-storms to come as we experienced with Hurricane Sandy? How much more is our government going to be able to help with the disasters and what of the insurance companies stop paying for damages or go bankrupt? Just how many days would it take to do back to the days of Paul? If there is ever this time when we loose the conveniences of today and people lose the comforts of their homes, there is going to be a major outbreak of anger, stress and fear. People have depended on technology for their safety and security for so long that it will be a time of great desolation for many. Why must I remind myself and you about this possibility? Why not just write devotions about thoughts of peace, love and harmony and happiness today?

Because it is the prepared heart of the believer that there will be peace, love and harmony with the dispensation of the providence of God as He  wills for their individual life and situations. Yes, we can and we will find this when we realize that it is through those times that man will either rebel or turn to His maker and Savior.

When I thought about this, it reminded me of the suffering that has already taken place in the lives of so many as a result of attacks especially in the past 15 years in America through bombings, airplane hi-jacks, shootings, abductions, murders and the loss of life and property through what we call natural disasters. I don't believe they are very natural, but we have been through unheard of flooding, hurricanes, tidal waves, oil spills, earthquakes, wild fires, record tornado hits and devastation. On top of all this, we have experienced sickness like never before and the concern that antibiotics are not working. Who really knows of the effect that the nuclear waste released by Japan over a year ago will have on the entire world through food and air qualities.

Are we really that advanced to say that the writings of Paul wouldn't apply to our day? I think not and as the day of our Lord's return approaches, we can rest assured that God will use the troubles of this world to bring men, women and young people to His throne, not to punish them, but to draw them near so that they too can say in our time of trouble, as the apostle Paul said,

"know that tribulation works patience and patience, experience

and experience, hope: and hope does not make us ashamed;

because the love of God is shed abroad (put into circulation) in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost which is given to us" ~Romans5:3

He brings the world into a state of grace where troubles are not only endured,

but where we can find under that tribulation a spirit of rejoicing.

These are the gracious benefits of justification!

What rich fruit can result from even painful tribulations!

Shalom.

WANT IT HOT OR COLD?

Who likes their drink at room temperature? Blah!

Most of us order drinks hot or cold, but not room temperature, right?

Before I started my morning study, I followed the aroma into the kitchen to get my first cup of java, but the kitchen was quite cool. As I took my cup out of the cabinet I realized that my nice hot coffee might not even be warm if I placed it in this very cold cup, so I decided to fill the cup with hot water from the sink first. Within just a minute the outside of the cup felt warm and was ready to be used. Now I knew that my drink would stay warm and enjoyable.


It's kind of funny because this brought me right back to the verse that was waiting for me on my phone this morning on Daily Bible app.

"Do not labor for the food which perishes but for food that endures" in John 6:27

I thought it was quite a coincidence that my coffee could have so quickly been ruined had I not conditioned the cup first. My concern was that the vessel be properly prepared so as not to ruin the  very thing that I so desired at this moment. As a believer I have a desire to do what is right, but even greater than this, God has a desire to flow through me as a conditioned vessel for His use each day. How would that conditioning take place, I wonder? If we asked a child this question, they may have a wide variety of answers, but most adults would say that we have to ask Jesus into our hearts.

That is, as a matter of fact, what we see when I read the rest of John 6:27...

"but for the food that endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Jesus, the Son of Man gives us food that endures to everlasting life and it is through the reading of His Word that this is made possible. How else would we receive this from Him?
"Labor for the food that endures to everlasting life" is what John was telling me in this passage.

Labor could also mean "Live", right?

Starting my day out by getting up a little earlier and spending time meditating on the Word of God makes all the difference in how my vessel (mind, body, spirit) gets used each day. So I'm always wanting more of that food that lasts forever; food that conditions my body for God's use. Want to be used by God? Looking for His purpose? Get in the Word and He will use you to do just that!

Live for the everlasting food....in the Word. Selah.

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

First of all, I want to assure you, "You're not alone!" 

Is it possible that you are going through something right now that leaves you feeling helpless, afraid or...maybe even that recurring feeling of being alone. I understand because I have been there and know how it feels to like a sheep stuck in the briers just waiting to be freed or like a one of those horses that ends up on youtube or TV that had to be rescued from some hole or waterway. Yes, it can be embarrassing and it it's against our pride to ask for help sometimes. The one thing I can assure you of is that the Lord is waiting for our cry for help. It's not that He doesn't know what is going on so we have to tell Him, but instead it is more like a learning process where we are growing more dependent on Him and believe me, that is exactly what He wants. Even the fearless David, who slew the bear, wrote, "Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings" in Psalm 17:8. He knew where his comfort and protection originated. David knew to pray in his time of crisis and he did in the form of song.

My daughter has a horse and she picked this one out of all the horses we looked at because he has a spirit that matched hers and she really got excited when she rode him for the first time. I'll never forget as he tried her by attempting to go where he wanted and swinging his head up and down as he moved in an attempt to make her uncomfortable. Why would he do all of this to such an experienced rider, I thought as I watched. The truth was that he hadn't been ridden much and the people who had him were afraid to ride him. I was quite proud of my daughter as she stayed on and he began to calm down, but she found out that all she had to do was give him a little bump in the ribs and he would fly! That's when I saw that she had met her match.

About a month later, as she was getting into the saddle to ride, he began bucking and threw her about 7 feet through the air and onto the ground. She called me so upset that I couldn't understand a word. All I knew was something really bad had happened and I was almost 30 minutes away. Well, I sped back to the pasture in about 15 minutes and found her limping and bruised. I felt so bad for leaving her their with another girl to ride. It was the first time I had allowed her to ride without my presence and then this happened. I felt so bad for not recognizing in advance the danger that my precious child had encountered. She told me later that she agreed to ride with the other girl because I had told her it would be alright. It was then that I realized just how much she depended on my word and my protection from dangers and potential harm.

Since that day I have always been there with her when she rode. As a matter of fact, I made arrangements to put up a fence around the field beside our house. Thanking God for this each day as we look out the window in the morning to see our spirited horse standing there waiting for some attention.
As my daughter has become more familiar with his ways and comfortable riding him, I have begun to go into the house to make dinner while she rides him around the field in the evenings. There is something that I thought she knew, but she said that she had not noticed. I told her recently, "You know when I go inside that I am constantly looking out the window to see that you are still riding and you are alright, don't you?" and she said, "No". I assumed that she could see me stopping in the window to check on her because I saw her look at the house as she passed the opening between the barns. I believe she was looking for me to come back out, but she couldn't see me standing in the window while getting something ready for us to eat.

As I thought about that, I realized that we often see our needs and our troubles as our own and until we tell God all about them, He is not aware of the things we are experiencing. I can assure you that God will never mistakenly leave you in harms way as I did that awful day that my daughter was thrown. David even says that the horses great strength doesn't compare to that of his God in Psalms 33:17-18.

An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither will he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Let's hold firmly to the assurance that David had when he declares,

"BEHOLD! The EYE of the LORD is upon those that fear (revere) Him!"

We may not be able to see Him now as He watches over us, just as my daughter who couldn't see that I was closely watching out for her through the kitchen window.
But....we are ALL assured that one day He will appear before us ALL and I believe that day is drawing near my friends. Take time now to Pray. Find hope in His mercy today!

Behold, he comes with clouds;

and every eye will see him,

and they also which pierced him:

and all kindred of the earth will wail because of him.

Even so, Amen. 

I am Alpha and Omega,

the beginning and the ending,

saith the Lord, which is, and which was,

and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelations 1:7-8