I just put this on Facebook:
"Storm-time is no time to pitch the tent!" I bet some of you know that from experience. There's a truth here for our faith as well.
James says ". . . count it all joy when you encounter trials of various kinds . . . " Notice that he didn't say "if" but "when." No one gets through life unscathed by the negative circumstances of living in an imperfect world. Bad things happen to everyone.
Someone has observed that we are all at differing degrees of being beaten up by life. How true. If we are not having interpersonal problems we are having other problems. Financial woes anyone? Health issues?
We can be sure that the storms of life will come to us. Here's the lesson: We need to be sure that our tent of faith has been pitched before the storm hits us. This is of upmost importance. Our great spiritual convictions about God and about life need to be in place before we face the great storms of life. If they are not in place before the storms hit, they can blow us away! Here's some of my great convictions that help me maintain my joy in the Lord in the midst of the storms:
I am convinced that God is sovereign Lord of the universe.
I am convinced that He has an eternal purpose and plan that will come to pass.
I am convinced that I am an integral part of that plan through Jesus Christ my Lord.
I am convinced that everything that happens in life is permitted by God for my ultimate good.
I am convinced that God is more than a side-line spectator in my life and that, according to His promise, He will work all things out for my good-the good, the bad, and the ugly!
I am convinced that life in time is short, no matter how long one lives, and that eternity is real and that death is the doorway to that future, and to a beautiful future for those who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
I am convinced that storm-time is no time to pitch a tent!
"Storm-time is no time to pitch the tent!" I bet some of you know that from experience. There's a truth here for our faith as well.
James says ". . . count it all joy when you encounter trials of various kinds . . . " Notice that he didn't say "if" but "when." No one gets through life unscathed by the negative circumstances of living in an imperfect world. Bad things happen to everyone.
Someone has observed that we are all at differing degrees of being beaten up by life. How true. If we are not having interpersonal problems we are having other problems. Financial woes anyone? Health issues?
We can be sure that the storms of life will come to us. Here's the lesson: We need to be sure that our tent of faith has been pitched before the storm hits us. This is of upmost importance. Our great spiritual convictions about God and about life need to be in place before we face the great storms of life. If they are not in place before the storms hit, they can blow us away! Here's some of my great convictions that help me maintain my joy in the Lord in the midst of the storms:
I am convinced that God is sovereign Lord of the universe.
I am convinced that He has an eternal purpose and plan that will come to pass.
I am convinced that I am an integral part of that plan through Jesus Christ my Lord.
I am convinced that everything that happens in life is permitted by God for my ultimate good.
I am convinced that God is more than a side-line spectator in my life and that, according to His promise, He will work all things out for my good-the good, the bad, and the ugly!
I am convinced that life in time is short, no matter how long one lives, and that eternity is real and that death is the doorway to that future, and to a beautiful future for those who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
I am convinced that storm-time is no time to pitch a tent!
It's a WONDERFUL Day in the Neighborhood!!
