Comfort

Through our hardships it is hard to see light in anything or to find comfort in anything. Sometimes we just feel like there is no hope or comfort offered to us in our times of gloom. So many things that occur in our lives make us forget that there is always comfort in God; even heartache when a relationship doesn't work. When anything in life causes us pain no matter what it is: health, mental anguish, grief, heartache we aren't able to see the comfort and joy found within God. Sometimes it's as if God isn't there.

I cannot say how many times I cried at night wondering if God was there comforting me through the cancer. There were moments when it felt like he wasn't there at all, though looking back I know that wasn't true. I was in so much pain not just physical from all the shots, but emotionally. Having cancer disrupts everything in your life: mind. It takes away so much including that hope and comfort we find in Jesus. When a relationship doesn't work we are heartbroken, who wouldn't be? We don't feel like we could be comforted even when so many people around are being supportive and comforting.

The Bible tells us "The Lord will comfort Israel again...joy and gladness will be found there. Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air" (Isaiah 51:3). God gives us all the comfort we need even if we don't feel it, we have his comfort there waiting for us. He's ready for us to climb into his arms and cry if need be. His arms are open wide waiting to embrace us and calm our worries, fears, and pains. "Joy and gladness will be found there." Joy and gladness will be found with God, that is one of the promises we have from God, and he doesn't back down from a promise! Why don't we just climb into his arms the way we did with momma when we were little? Why don't we run crying to God for comfort as a child would? Shouldn't we be like children? Sometimes it's hard to think that we can curl up on God's lap when he isn't tangible like mommy is.

Comfort and joy are found in the Lord. We should turn to him always even when it doesn't feel like he's there. We should still call on his name, praise his power and glory. You'd be surprised at how much comfort you find there.

Hardships

Throughout life we go through many different hardships. Some of us fight cancer, heart problems, AIDS, and other health issues, others battle depression, oppression, self-guilt, and many other things. No matter who we are, we deal with some sort of hardship throughout our lives. Many hardships come in twos like health problems and depression. Depression likes to follow a lot of things around and find ways to dig it's grimmy little hands into your mind.

No matter the hardship God is there with us. He's there carrying us, we need to trust that and rely on him for that. Job 12:22 tells us He floods the darkness with light, he brings light to the deepest gloom. When we place all of our focus on God, the depressive thoughts seem less depressive, but I know how hard it is to put all focus on God when your mind is running through so many different things, some things that you know aren't true. Depression can say that asking for prayer is seeking attention, when we know in reality it's not. Prayer is a form of support and a way we all communicate with God. The Bible also says "when two or more are gathered." No matter how we feel prayer is one of the best things we can do. But as stated sometimes asking for prayer can be difficult in a depressive/oppressive state. So what do we do then?

Read our Bibles; confide in our support whether it be friends family, spouse. For me; my biggest confidant are Todd and Donya, though I admit when going through the cancer I didn't tell Donya everything; I didn't know Todd then, but I think I would tell him things I felt and not worry about his thoughts. The people we confide in can be the ones who can see the light through our gloom and remind of God's love and presence. They could read us scripture, talk to us, pray with us, and simply care. I know just knowing someone cared meant the world to me.

God is there for us as much, no more than our friends and family are. God is there to lift us up on wings of eagles, to cast light into our darkness, and take away all the feelings we may have, we just need to ask and have faith. We also need to realize that when we ask, the answer may not come right away, but in time: God's time. In depression though, his time may feel too long, and unfair. But there is always a reason why God allows us to go through something. Always a good to come out of the good. A ministry that could come from health issues, depression/oppression and everything else we deal with. Cling to knowing that God uses every situation for his will; no matter how good or how bad it is.

Love Nevers

Chapter 13 in 1 Corinthians is commonly known as the love chapter. It discusses how love is, and what it isn't. Every has heard of the "love is kind, love is patient." aspect of the chapter. It says "Love is not jealous, or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way" Then further it says "Love does not give up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance." Through 13 verse Chapter 13 talks about the things love is and isn't. But through them all, love also doesn't play the "if you love me game" and many others we tend to do.

Alot of the things described in this chapter not only describe human love, but also the love of God. God doesn't get jealous or boastful, he doesn't keep a record of our sins after we ask for forgiveness. How many couples can honestly say they don't do any of that mainly keep record of wrongs done? Perfect love doesn't do any of that, it is hopeful and supportive as Song of Solomon in the Old Testament discussed. We tend to confuse love and lust all the time. WE think we are in love, but it tends to be lust. When something happens and things get rough we often turn into the fight or flight. Love doesn't do that. Love fights.

Love also doesn't do the if you love me. God doesn't do the if you love me then. How could we say that to not only someone we claim to love, but also God? I dated someone who did the if you love bit. It hurt more than anything. His biggest was if you love me then you'd move to California. Which was something I couldn't do. At the same time having him do that makes me appreciate that God doesn't play that game and neither does Todd. With him it's more of I love you so I'll do this, and vise versa. God does that too. I love you so I forgive you of everything. I love you so I'll send my son to die for your sins. I love you so I will give you everlasting life. What do we say to God? If you love me you would take this cancer away, if you love me you would send more money..etc. We constantly say 'if you love me" to God. We should never do something like that to God or to someone we love.

We need to stop asking God "if you love me" and start saying I love you so..this will happen. How much do you love God? Enough to give your life to him? Enough to stop asking for proof? How about enough to stop doing somethings that we do?

Stop And Smell The Roses

Through our daily lives we get too busy to take time out of the day to really slow down and pay attention to the little things around us. We miss out on some many wonderful things throughout life because we are too concerned with things. Thoreau told us in WALDEN that life in nature is about simplifing things: "Simplify simplify, simplify" are his words. We spend too much time on the internet, watching television, on the phone. We don't look around and enjoy the things that God created just for our enjoyment.

Yesterday afternoon Todd and I had the chance to just sit and watch God's work well..at work. Four baby birds were hopping around his yard learning how to fly. It was amazing. Momma, and daddy bird were flying down to show them how to do it. It was beautiful. Soon only 1 was able to make it back into their tree. The other 3 couldn't get it right. But watching them chirp, flap their wings and climb, made me think. Things like this happen every day, but how often do we notice it? And if we do, do we really take the time and watch and appreciate it? We sat there for over an hour just watching the birds.

The birds hopping around were like new and old Christians. We just hop around learning all the time. God "flies" down to teach us things and show us the way. Sometimes we are too busy with our daily lives that we don't take the time to listen and see how to progress. God's wonder is all around us, teaching us things, but we never stop and smell the roses. We need to take the time and watch baby birds learning to fly, smell the roses, watch the sun set, and learn and listen to the things God is telling us. We need to appreciate and enjoy the things God has created like the birds, nature, and so much more.

Our Giants

We all know the story of David and Goliath. Young shepherd boy defeats giant. The Israelites were being terrorized by Goliath, everyone feared him, but David faced him with a sling, a rock or two and more power than anyone: faith in God. No one wanted to face this giant, but David had such faith in God that he didn't let Goliath's size to intimidate him. He let the power of God overcome the fear. David went face to face against an enemy that the strongest of soldiers cowered away from. That is how we need to face cancer. We need to have the courage to face an enemy that strikes fear into most people's hearts. Throughout all things life deals us, cancer has now become our giant, our Goliath. We need to decide how we want to face him. We can back down and cower like many of the Israelite army, or we can be like David and face it head on with everything we have, even if it seems little. Our greatest weapon is our faith in God. Many people won't think it is all that powerful, but we know different don't we? Faith is the strongest thing we have to fight against everything that is thrown at us.

Sometimes we let the hardships in life overpower our faith and take away the hope we have. Things in life tend to pile up and become more than we can bear, but doesn't God tells us he wouldn't give us more than we can bear? So how can it all be unbearable? I know a woman who recently lost her husband to a car accident. She suffers from depression and other things. Right now it all seems unbearable and hard for her to deal with the lose of someone who she saw as her rock and stronghold...I got to thinking when we need a rock, a stronghold, it should be God. It's ok to have our spouses as a stronghold and supportive that's the point of spending your life with someone to be there for them, but what do you do when you lose that support? What you should do all the time...lean on God. Call out to him.

1 Samuel 17:45 says I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. We need to come to God in his name. We need to face our giants whatever they may be. God is there to help us fight off our giants whether they be cancer, depression, heart issues, lose, illness of any sort, feelings of hopelessness. Whatever your giant is we need to face it head on as David did. We need to cry out the name of Jesus and let the giant know that we're fighting with our faith and our God.

Serving God

Part of being a Christian means we need to serve God. And throughout Malachi, God has stated his disappointment in people basically wanting God to serve them not the other way around. He has stated he was weary and that people have asked for proof of his love instead of the other way around: us proving our love to him. How could we say we believe in God, yet not serve him the way we should be?

Malachi chapter three, verse 13 and 14 says "you have said terrible things about me says the Lord. But you say What do you mean? How have we spoken against you? You have said 'What's the use of serving God. What can be gained by obeying his command or by trying to show the Lord Almighty that we are sorry for our sins." Too often we wonder why serve God? We want to get something come out of our service to God. We don't understand that serving our own selfish needs we are saying the same things.

We need to look at our lives and wonder how are we serving God and how can we serve him better? We are saved only through God's grace. The other night Todd mentioned trying to keep an eye on his speed while driving because he said what kind of example would he be by not obeying the speed limit laws. In a way wanting to be an example of good driving also shows he wants to be a good example of serving God. When we break laws even small ones, we sin against God. Small things mean a lot in the long run even if they don't seem like it.

The way we act to others, do we gossip, we do we glance at naughty images, do we swear from time to time and that includes taking the Lord's name in vain like: God da** it. Do we try to assume what goes on in a person's head and spread rumors about one another, do we indulge in things a Christian should refrain from?

A Waiting Lord

Malachi has a lot of interesting verse that say a lot about the God we serve. God reveals a lot about himself through his conversation with Malachi. In the last post we talked of how we tend to try to make God change to meet our needs. In chapter three verse six says I am the Lord, and I do not change. We cannot try to make God change, the efforts will be futile. We cannot ever change God, he is God. We should be the ones that need to change. Lives could be better if we do.

In verse seven God says Now return to me, and I will return to you. God is always there, waiting for us to return to him. He never goes anywhere. His patience is endless. We fall short of his glory, and do things that make him weary and I believe sad, yet he still waits for us to return to him. God wants us to return to him, he made covenants with us through people like Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. God will never once leave us, so why is it we leave him?


The response to God saying return to me is How can we return when we have never gone away we tend to think we have not sinned, that there is no reason for us to return to God. How could we ask such a question? We always stray away from Christ, we need to admit that we stray and return to him.