It’s Halloween! Naturally, I started thinking about all of the spooky Halloween related youth group lessons I’ve created in the past 9 years for my various youth groups. There’s been some good ones … Graveyard Scavenger Hunts; Pumpkin Smashing Sins; Christian Pumpkin Carving Contests; Life is Like a Pumpkin Pie; The Valley of the Dry Bones; and many more!
It got me to thinking … there really are lots of spooky stories in the Bible! I mean, what could be more spooky than bloody tent pegs (see Judges 4 and the story of Jael); or severed ears (see Luke 22:39-51 when Jesus reattaches the ear); or the suicidal Pigs from Mark 5:1-20 when Jesus sends the evil spirits in a man into the pigs and they run off the cliff! And who could forget Balaam’s donkey? Check out Numbers 22:1-41 where the donkey speaks after Balaam beats it. And, of course, there are the more familiar horrifying stories most of us have probably heard of …. Lot’s wife who turns to a pillar of salt (See Genesis 18); The Plagues in Egypt (see Exodus 7); and even Jonah being swallowed by a HUGE fish (see Jonah 1).
But nothing is quite as terrifying, to me, as yesterday’s lectionary reading. Oh, the hypocrisy! In Matthew 23, Christ did call the Pharisees hypocrites, and that is a little scary! Jesus vividly paints this picture of hypocrisy by comparing the Pharisees to rotting graves with white-washed tombstones. Think about it … cemeteries can be quite beautiful with all the flowers and statues on the surface. But beneath the surface are decomposing bodies (a not so pleasant thought).
These men, the Pharisees, were supposed to be the teachers, the ones the “common” person could look up to, and experts in religious laws who could offer guidance and clarification! But instead, Jesus was saying that they had begun to treat traditions as having equal authority as Scriptures. Jesus called them hypocrites because they had allowed their relationship with God to be reduced to talking about a legalistic list of rules and rituals (but not necessarily doing them). In fact, they were so focused on the law that they couldn’t have mercy on those who needed it or even see that people were in need. On top of this, the Pharisees were not being very humble and frequently bragged that they were better than others.
Generally, I think, the problem was that the Pharisees were teaching (mostly) very good things, they just weren’t implementing them into their own lives. In other words, they were not practicing what they were preaching. For Jesus, I don’t think he generally hated the Pharisees, but it was this hypocrisy they practiced that was a problem worthy of pointing out.
It is a great coincidence that the Greek word for hypocrite actually refers to someone who is wearing a mask, who is an actor, so this excerpt from Scripture is perfectly suited for Halloween! From a young age, many of us have engaged in the ritual of dressing up and wearing masks! And, we do look forward to this holiday and all of the traditions that go along with it (i.e. collecting candy, parties, decorations, getting costumes ready). But what I think Jesus would say today (if he were right here, right now) is that Halloween isn’t the only time that people wear masks! While this is true of adults, it is especially true for today’s teens who are seeking and struggling to find their own identity!
How many of us are showing a personality on the outside that is so different from who we are in reality? How many of us act one way because of peer pressure or the need to be accepted but feel completely different on the inside. It’s a very normal struggle with being authentic (especially for teenagers in a largely social media infused world)!
For us today, hypocrisy is a serious obstacle to being a Christian. And, isn’t it interesting that one of the number one complaints of the post-modern generation with concern about the church today is that Christians / those affiliated with the church are hypocritical?!
So in the spirit of Halloween and from one hypocrite to another, here are my top 10 tips for how NOT to be a hypocrite …
1.Live for pleasing God, not others. Don’t worry so much about what others think.
2.Make sure your heart is in it. If it isn’t DO NOT do, say, act, or try to be it.
3.Don’t be selective in obeying God; it doesn’t work that way! Loving God is an action. Loving neighbor – well, that includes everyone, not just some.
4.Take time to learn the full truth about others … don’t jump to criticize or condemn someone just because someone else’s opinion sounds true.
5.Recognize, claim, and own your failures; don’t try to hide them. (YOUCH!!!)
6.Never tear down someone else to make yourself look good.
7.Going to church doesn’t automatically change one’s behavior. Being a Christian takes work, commitment, and is a lifestyle.
8.As you seek and ask questions, don’t get all caught up in what you should do, or shouldn’t do. Once you surrender your life to Christ, He’ll begin changing you from the inside out.
9.Forgive everyone and everything always.
10.Explore and figure out who YOU want to be (your identity) and be it. God loves you no matter who you are.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
HOW do you LOVE God?
In Jesus day there were rules. In fact, there were 613 rules to follow that were laid out in The Torah (first 5 books of the Bible). And the way that the religious leaders of Jesus’ days were interpreting them and teaching them kind of became more important than, well, God.
In fact, the religious leaders kind of didn’t like Jesus so much because He would challenge some of their interpretations of the rules. You see, Jesus didn’t like what they were teaching and he was trying to show them how blind or getting caught up in details they were being, and how they were ending up teaching people the wrong stuff. And Jesus attracted these huge crowds when he would teach and word was spreading like crazy about all the things he was saying! I think that these Pharisees probably didn’t like that he was becoming more “popular” than they were.
And so at the point in Scripture in yesterday’s lectionary (Matthew 22:34-46), these religious leaders tried to use the situation to their advantage. I think they were secretly hoping to discredit Jesus to the crowds. And so they asked Jesus what they thought was a very hard question. They wanted to know which of the 613 was the most important.
Jesus didn’t even hesitate; he simply replied that there are two that are equally important.
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength. (of course, a commandment)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (from Deuteronomy)
So this got me thinking.
Most of us would say that we love God. And saying we love God is one thing but defining and putting feet and hands on exactly HOW we love God is a little more difficult. Think about it … how do you love God?
Is loving God simply an action? Is it a feeling? Exactly how is it that we love God? How do we love this being we can’t see or touch or get a verbal response from (like we can each other).
I think a lot of people would say that you love God by following the commandments / the rules. But I’m not sure I believe loving God is just doing the right thing. Yes, I just said that! Now, don’t get me wrong, following the rules is really, really important.
And, I don’t believe that love is just patient and kind and things like that, because I LOVE my husband but it’s not always easy to be patient when he doesn’t do things how I want them and I LOVE my sister but I am certainly not always kind to her just because I love her. Following the commandments, being patient and kind … that’s what love looks like when it walks and talks but it’s not L-O-V-E.
Here’s what I do think … loving God is about passion.
Passion is how much you LOVE that thing you can just get so caught up in that you lose track of everything else. For me it’s singing at the top of my lungs when I am alone in the car! Or, Mexican food!
Here’s what else I think … loving God is action!
You could say, it is a way of life. In other words, if someone generally were to look at your life would they be able to recognize that you have that passion for God? I think that is what it means to be truly in love with God! And these actions easily include that second part of Jesus’ greatest commandment. Our love for God is what empowers us to love other people. Think about this … if you are making a fist or pointing fingers, can you hold someone’s hand?
And one more thought …. being in love with God is an art, the result of practice and commitment.
Jesus / our faith is not some little accessory that we take on and off each day, on the top of our lives as though it were a cherry on ice-cream or a piece of jewelry. Jesus isn’t just some thing we turn to when times get rough. This quote from my devotion this morning sums it up perfectly: “God doesn’t merely want our Sunday morning love, he wants our Friday night love. He doesn’t want our Sunday School love, he wants our love in math class. Sure, we love God when we read the Bible, but how about when we read our textbooks … we’re afraid of what it would cost us to love God with the ‘all’ Jesus commands.” Loving God this way is costly and it does require a great deal of effort.
The rewards of living our lives in love with God are immeasurable. So, remember, loving God is about passion, involves action, and is an art that requires practice and commitment.
How do you love God?
In fact, the religious leaders kind of didn’t like Jesus so much because He would challenge some of their interpretations of the rules. You see, Jesus didn’t like what they were teaching and he was trying to show them how blind or getting caught up in details they were being, and how they were ending up teaching people the wrong stuff. And Jesus attracted these huge crowds when he would teach and word was spreading like crazy about all the things he was saying! I think that these Pharisees probably didn’t like that he was becoming more “popular” than they were.
And so at the point in Scripture in yesterday’s lectionary (Matthew 22:34-46), these religious leaders tried to use the situation to their advantage. I think they were secretly hoping to discredit Jesus to the crowds. And so they asked Jesus what they thought was a very hard question. They wanted to know which of the 613 was the most important.
Jesus didn’t even hesitate; he simply replied that there are two that are equally important.
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength. (of course, a commandment)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (from Deuteronomy)
So this got me thinking.
Most of us would say that we love God. And saying we love God is one thing but defining and putting feet and hands on exactly HOW we love God is a little more difficult. Think about it … how do you love God?
Is loving God simply an action? Is it a feeling? Exactly how is it that we love God? How do we love this being we can’t see or touch or get a verbal response from (like we can each other).
I think a lot of people would say that you love God by following the commandments / the rules. But I’m not sure I believe loving God is just doing the right thing. Yes, I just said that! Now, don’t get me wrong, following the rules is really, really important.
And, I don’t believe that love is just patient and kind and things like that, because I LOVE my husband but it’s not always easy to be patient when he doesn’t do things how I want them and I LOVE my sister but I am certainly not always kind to her just because I love her. Following the commandments, being patient and kind … that’s what love looks like when it walks and talks but it’s not L-O-V-E.
Here’s what I do think … loving God is about passion.
Passion is how much you LOVE that thing you can just get so caught up in that you lose track of everything else. For me it’s singing at the top of my lungs when I am alone in the car! Or, Mexican food!
Here’s what else I think … loving God is action!
You could say, it is a way of life. In other words, if someone generally were to look at your life would they be able to recognize that you have that passion for God? I think that is what it means to be truly in love with God! And these actions easily include that second part of Jesus’ greatest commandment. Our love for God is what empowers us to love other people. Think about this … if you are making a fist or pointing fingers, can you hold someone’s hand?
And one more thought …. being in love with God is an art, the result of practice and commitment.
Jesus / our faith is not some little accessory that we take on and off each day, on the top of our lives as though it were a cherry on ice-cream or a piece of jewelry. Jesus isn’t just some thing we turn to when times get rough. This quote from my devotion this morning sums it up perfectly: “God doesn’t merely want our Sunday morning love, he wants our Friday night love. He doesn’t want our Sunday School love, he wants our love in math class. Sure, we love God when we read the Bible, but how about when we read our textbooks … we’re afraid of what it would cost us to love God with the ‘all’ Jesus commands.” Loving God this way is costly and it does require a great deal of effort.
The rewards of living our lives in love with God are immeasurable. So, remember, loving God is about passion, involves action, and is an art that requires practice and commitment.
How do you love God?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Seagulls and A Leaf
Several weeks ago our senior high youth journeyed to Edisto Island, SC for a retreat! My husband and I went down a day early to get things set up, grocery shop / cook some food for the retreat, and open up the rental houses for our youth! After everything was all set up and ready, we had a few hours to kill before the youth arrived. Naturally, being at the beach, my hubby and I decided to spend that time with our toes in the sand. It was the last day of September but in true South Carolina form, it was warm enough for swimsuits (and a sunburn).
Steve and I love Edisto for many reasons. But, one of the most phenomenal aspects of Edisto are the mostly unspoiled beaches and the rich wildlife. In all the times we have been to Edisto, we have never been disappointed by a lack of dolphins, egrets, conch shells, and beautiful sunsets! But that day as we explored, Steve and I were treated to views of butterflies (hundreds) and dragonflies swarming. When we were sitting on the beach talking, we were near a little “stream” leading from a tidal pool to the ocean. The tide was going out. All of a sudden down the little stream floated a baby stingray. I’d never seen a baby stingray before so it was quite impressive and terribly cute (though I hear the babies can hurt you very badly).
We spent the next hour or so watching two baby seagulls and their mom. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the two young birds. It was spell-binding. They would scurry from place to place, looking for food, drinking water, and playing. Their mom walked the shoreline at a great distance from them. While she gave them freedom to play and do as they wished, she was never too far away and seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on them. If the bigger birds tried to pick on the baby ones, the mom would fly over and remedy the situation and then she let the babies go about their leisure again.
I am guessing these seagulls are accustomed to being tossed food by beachgoers because they were VERY territorial. From time to time the mother bird would be edging along the shoreline, minding her own business, but if she got too close to another birds "area," that bird would come at her squawking. She didn’t squawk back, she would simply do a few flutters of her wings and fly away in the direction of her babies. The babies went up and down the shore line, back and forth but the mom was never too far away.
I remember talking to Steve about how much this showed God's nature and I couldn't wait to blog about it. And then, I was reminded of the event last night at EYC. The junior EYC was outside playing a game that created mass confusion. The game was like flag football, without a football … the object was to run from one side of the field to the other and not have your “flags” taken by another player. When 50+ middle schoolers play this game, you can imagine it’s kind of crazy!
I was standing on the sidelines watching and in the midst of the craziness, laughter, and chaos, this one little yellow leaf was floating downward from the sky. It was very peaceful. I doubt if many even noticed it but to me it was peace it the midst of chaos. Another reminder ....
The two moments speak to the character of God in our lives (young and old).
Just like the mother seagull, God is constantly and faithfully watching over us and protecting us, allowing and not allowing things to happen in our lives, and never too far away to rescue us should we need it. God allows us the freedom to search and play.
And, just like the slowly downward drifting leaf, God is peace in the midst of the chaos and business of our lives. A beautiful reminder that the peace of God surpasses all of our understanding and an excellent example of what I think the glory of God looks like.
Finding God in extraordinary places (like Edisto) is usually a fairly easy task. But, if we look for God in the ordinary, everyday (like game time), too, God is likely to remind us of God’s presence and perfect love in most surprising ways.
My challenge to you ... where will you see God this week?
Steve and I love Edisto for many reasons. But, one of the most phenomenal aspects of Edisto are the mostly unspoiled beaches and the rich wildlife. In all the times we have been to Edisto, we have never been disappointed by a lack of dolphins, egrets, conch shells, and beautiful sunsets! But that day as we explored, Steve and I were treated to views of butterflies (hundreds) and dragonflies swarming. When we were sitting on the beach talking, we were near a little “stream” leading from a tidal pool to the ocean. The tide was going out. All of a sudden down the little stream floated a baby stingray. I’d never seen a baby stingray before so it was quite impressive and terribly cute (though I hear the babies can hurt you very badly).
We spent the next hour or so watching two baby seagulls and their mom. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the two young birds. It was spell-binding. They would scurry from place to place, looking for food, drinking water, and playing. Their mom walked the shoreline at a great distance from them. While she gave them freedom to play and do as they wished, she was never too far away and seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on them. If the bigger birds tried to pick on the baby ones, the mom would fly over and remedy the situation and then she let the babies go about their leisure again.
I am guessing these seagulls are accustomed to being tossed food by beachgoers because they were VERY territorial. From time to time the mother bird would be edging along the shoreline, minding her own business, but if she got too close to another birds "area," that bird would come at her squawking. She didn’t squawk back, she would simply do a few flutters of her wings and fly away in the direction of her babies. The babies went up and down the shore line, back and forth but the mom was never too far away.
I remember talking to Steve about how much this showed God's nature and I couldn't wait to blog about it. And then, I was reminded of the event last night at EYC. The junior EYC was outside playing a game that created mass confusion. The game was like flag football, without a football … the object was to run from one side of the field to the other and not have your “flags” taken by another player. When 50+ middle schoolers play this game, you can imagine it’s kind of crazy!
I was standing on the sidelines watching and in the midst of the craziness, laughter, and chaos, this one little yellow leaf was floating downward from the sky. It was very peaceful. I doubt if many even noticed it but to me it was peace it the midst of chaos. Another reminder ....
The two moments speak to the character of God in our lives (young and old).
Just like the mother seagull, God is constantly and faithfully watching over us and protecting us, allowing and not allowing things to happen in our lives, and never too far away to rescue us should we need it. God allows us the freedom to search and play.
And, just like the slowly downward drifting leaf, God is peace in the midst of the chaos and business of our lives. A beautiful reminder that the peace of God surpasses all of our understanding and an excellent example of what I think the glory of God looks like.
Finding God in extraordinary places (like Edisto) is usually a fairly easy task. But, if we look for God in the ordinary, everyday (like game time), too, God is likely to remind us of God’s presence and perfect love in most surprising ways.
My challenge to you ... where will you see God this week?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tell Me God Doesn't Answer Prayer ...
Tell me God doesn’t answer prayer!
I wish you could “hear” my attitude and inflection as I say that (one disadvantage of technology). Just imagine my typical passionate attitude and know there’s great emphasis on “tell” and “me.”
I’ve thought about posting that as my facebook status for the last week because several BIG things I’ve (and many others) been praying for some friends have been happening, exactly, or nearly, just as we were praying.
First, several weeks ago, one of my co-workers was diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis was very, very grim … in fact, it seemed it was just a matter of time for Jo and that surgery or chemo were not possible or would not do much more than bring some temporary comfort. So many of us were praying for healing and less pain for Jo. If you know Jo, you know what a loving, giving, hospitable, strong woman she is and how generous she is with her time and talents! This just didn’t seem fair and many hearts were breaking for Jo, her family, and our church.
Late last week, Jo found out she had received a “mis-diagnosis” and while she does have cancer (left over from her first battle with it), it is very treatable and the prognosis is much more positive now.
Another rather, in your face, example of an answered prayer came to my friends Erin and Josh. Erin and Josh have been trying to have a baby for a while now and despite seeing fertility specialists and trying many techniques, they were unable to become pregnant. So, they decided to adopt a child. We were so thrilled for them and the past about 6 months or so have been quite a journey for them with paperwork, home visits, and preparations. I could sense they remained hopeful but were a tad disheartened with the amount of time they were told it might take to find a suitable match or be picked by a birth mother. If you know them, Erin and Josh make it easy to love them! They are so warm and welcoming and family and friends mean everything to them. I can think of no one who would be a better parent than they would be! Their struggle was just plain not fair.
This past Friday, they brought their sweet Thomas home from the hospital after getting a call on Thursday that they had been chosen by a birthmother. It has been a rather unexpected whirlwind of events for the family the past several days! But how baby Thomas is the answer to the cries of Erin and Josh and those who love them!
I am so happy for these three dear friends. And it is in times like these that we say God is good. And God is good! But sadly, our prayers don’t always get answered exactly (or nearly exact) the way we want them answered as in these two cases.
Does this mean that God doesn’t answer our prayers? I’m not going to lie … sometimes I want to wonder if God even hears some of my prayers. Sometimes I wonder why God doesn’t hurry up and make something happen. Sometimes I wonder why God lets bad things happen to good people. Sometimes I can’t understand why things happen the way they do or why people have to struggle and suffer.
But through all of this I firmly believe that God DOES hear our prayers and that God DOES answer EVERY SINGLE prayer we pray. The problem comes in that the answer isn’t always what I want or think it should be. The answer isn’t always good for my timeline. Sometimes I get so busy or bogged down in what I think the answer should be that I can’t notice how God is actually answering or I forget to look altogether.
Scripture tells us that God does answer prayer:
James 5:16 .… The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with …
Job 22:27 …. "You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you..."
Jer 29:12 …. "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."
Jer 33:3 …. "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things..."
But what I notice about these verses is that they don’t say you get what you want, every time you pray …they simply states that God listens and God is present. I know that God does answer our prayers as “yes” sometimes. But I also am 100% confident that God also answers from time to time with “no,” “not right now,” or “yes, but ….”
Based on past experiences in my life and things I have seen in the lives of others, I am convinced that God does know what is best for us and that is why we don’t always have our prayers answered on our timeline or in the ways we always want. Especially, I remember, as a teenager struggling with why God wasn’t answering my prayers or hearing what I needed. I was downright convinced God was not listening to me. But now I can see things differently. I wasn’t listening to God. And, I think about a child who wants to eat ice-cream right before dinner. It might ruin their dinner or spoil their appetite, right? But they can’t see that at the time. This is much like our prayer and faith life!
Going against our human nature, I am convicted that we should probably be using those moments of “no” or “not now” for good, rejoicing in them, and praising God for them just as much as we do in the “yes” moments. In fact, according to Romans 5:3-4 (The Message), we should “ … continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” Understanding that “no” or “not now” is best for us is quite challenging.
God is good. God is present. God listens. God answers. Always.
I wish you could “hear” my attitude and inflection as I say that (one disadvantage of technology). Just imagine my typical passionate attitude and know there’s great emphasis on “tell” and “me.”
I’ve thought about posting that as my facebook status for the last week because several BIG things I’ve (and many others) been praying for some friends have been happening, exactly, or nearly, just as we were praying.
First, several weeks ago, one of my co-workers was diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis was very, very grim … in fact, it seemed it was just a matter of time for Jo and that surgery or chemo were not possible or would not do much more than bring some temporary comfort. So many of us were praying for healing and less pain for Jo. If you know Jo, you know what a loving, giving, hospitable, strong woman she is and how generous she is with her time and talents! This just didn’t seem fair and many hearts were breaking for Jo, her family, and our church.
Late last week, Jo found out she had received a “mis-diagnosis” and while she does have cancer (left over from her first battle with it), it is very treatable and the prognosis is much more positive now.
Another rather, in your face, example of an answered prayer came to my friends Erin and Josh. Erin and Josh have been trying to have a baby for a while now and despite seeing fertility specialists and trying many techniques, they were unable to become pregnant. So, they decided to adopt a child. We were so thrilled for them and the past about 6 months or so have been quite a journey for them with paperwork, home visits, and preparations. I could sense they remained hopeful but were a tad disheartened with the amount of time they were told it might take to find a suitable match or be picked by a birth mother. If you know them, Erin and Josh make it easy to love them! They are so warm and welcoming and family and friends mean everything to them. I can think of no one who would be a better parent than they would be! Their struggle was just plain not fair.
This past Friday, they brought their sweet Thomas home from the hospital after getting a call on Thursday that they had been chosen by a birthmother. It has been a rather unexpected whirlwind of events for the family the past several days! But how baby Thomas is the answer to the cries of Erin and Josh and those who love them!
I am so happy for these three dear friends. And it is in times like these that we say God is good. And God is good! But sadly, our prayers don’t always get answered exactly (or nearly exact) the way we want them answered as in these two cases.
Does this mean that God doesn’t answer our prayers? I’m not going to lie … sometimes I want to wonder if God even hears some of my prayers. Sometimes I wonder why God doesn’t hurry up and make something happen. Sometimes I wonder why God lets bad things happen to good people. Sometimes I can’t understand why things happen the way they do or why people have to struggle and suffer.
But through all of this I firmly believe that God DOES hear our prayers and that God DOES answer EVERY SINGLE prayer we pray. The problem comes in that the answer isn’t always what I want or think it should be. The answer isn’t always good for my timeline. Sometimes I get so busy or bogged down in what I think the answer should be that I can’t notice how God is actually answering or I forget to look altogether.
Scripture tells us that God does answer prayer:
James 5:16 .… The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with …
Job 22:27 …. "You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you..."
Jer 29:12 …. "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."
Jer 33:3 …. "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things..."
But what I notice about these verses is that they don’t say you get what you want, every time you pray …they simply states that God listens and God is present. I know that God does answer our prayers as “yes” sometimes. But I also am 100% confident that God also answers from time to time with “no,” “not right now,” or “yes, but ….”
Based on past experiences in my life and things I have seen in the lives of others, I am convinced that God does know what is best for us and that is why we don’t always have our prayers answered on our timeline or in the ways we always want. Especially, I remember, as a teenager struggling with why God wasn’t answering my prayers or hearing what I needed. I was downright convinced God was not listening to me. But now I can see things differently. I wasn’t listening to God. And, I think about a child who wants to eat ice-cream right before dinner. It might ruin their dinner or spoil their appetite, right? But they can’t see that at the time. This is much like our prayer and faith life!
Going against our human nature, I am convicted that we should probably be using those moments of “no” or “not now” for good, rejoicing in them, and praising God for them just as much as we do in the “yes” moments. In fact, according to Romans 5:3-4 (The Message), we should “ … continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” Understanding that “no” or “not now” is best for us is quite challenging.
God is good. God is present. God listens. God answers. Always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)