Monday, November 15, 2010

Admitting our weaknesses to God is faith

Mark 9:17-27
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 

Lord I believe, help my unbelief!  At times when I feel that my world is collapsing on me, where circumstances do not seem to be improving, I know I can turn to God and just be honest with my feelings and frustration. Lord, though I do not see Your hand, I trust Your heart.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Bad things happen to good people too. Learn to accept adversity too

Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God allows trials and tribulation in our lives to make us better people. Do not look at it as punishment for what you did or failed to do. Rain (Bad things) falls on the faithful and unfaithful too.  

Job 2:9-10
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 

Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

He whom the Lord loves He chastens

Hebrews 12:5-11
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord ,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 

Often at times, trials and tributations can get us feeling down. But remember:  For whom the Lord loves He chastens!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Count it all Joy

James 1:2
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Count it all joy when we fall into various trials, for once we learn to abase, then we know how to abound. Come rain or shine the Lord's Name be praised.