I've had lots of time to think about "our home." I've thought about our literal home, moving, and selling our home. I've also thought about the "homes" destroyed in Haiti by this horrible earthquake. I've thought about all the pain, disappointment, and sorrow in this life. In my life. In your life. As my school family lost a dear friend and coworker suddenly Monday morning, I think about "our home." Our life here on this earth. And, I'm reminded that this is so temporary. We are never promised tomorrow. God has numbered the days of our life. But, he never told us that number. This life that we are in is temporary. This house that I live in...just temporary. Windows and rooms that I'm passing through on the way to where I'm going. And, I know where I'm going! Do you?
Our pastor spoke about hope last week. He read from 1 Peter 1:3-9. With all that's going on in our lives. All our anxieties, sorrows, disappointments, unknowns, etc. The beautiful thing is that God is bigger than any trauma or drama we could have. We have a hope! That hope is Him. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to Me and I will give you rest." God is our hope. How can we hang on to that hope?
1. Believe you have a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
2. Claim that you are protected by God's power. Verse 5 in 1 Peter 1 says, "...who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be reveale in the last time." You cannot be touched. God has built a hedge of protection around those who trust him. Job 1:10 speaks to this. Please note that the power of God does not necessarily take you out of danger, but He will walk with you through it. God did not take Daniel out of the lion's den. He walked with him through it. He did close the lion's mouth so that Daniel could have rest.
3. Be open because God will build your faith through this. "In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 There are some things we should remember about trials: Trials are a part of life. Trials are temporary. Trials are sometimes necessary. These trials are sometimes necessary to prove your faith. To yourself, not to God. God already knows how strong your faith is. Trials can be a telling time for us. We often find that our faith may not be as strong as we thought it was when things were good. God uses these trials to build our faith. We must depend on Him. I certainly found this to be true with our journey through infertility. I was able to see just how strong my faith was. I also grew more and more faithful as I continued to study, long for, and pray for an answered prayer. I finally realized that God is using this to show me something or to use me in some way. I must be open to His plan. Proverbs 17:3 tells us that He tests hearts. Not only are trials a part of life, temporary, and sometimes necessary. They are also profitable. James 1:2 tells us that God makes us strong through trials. God never wastes a hurt!
4. Results in praise and glory (verse 7). This does not mean we say, "Oh, thank you Lord for this pain! I'm so glad you brought this into my life!" Of course, we don't feel this way. I never once said, "Thank you Lord that I don't have children." What I have said and other people of the Bible (including Daniel) is "Lord, take this away from me! I can't handle this!" We can be honest with God. Why not? He already knows our hearts. He knows how we feel. But, the results of our trials, the growth, the change, the difference made in others. These are reasons to rejoice! God uses our trials for good! And, He never leaves us to handle a trial alone. As long as we trust Him through FAITH, He will walk with us through these trials and get us through.
The rewards we have by having faith and persevering though these trials. All of these are added gifts we can lay at His feet when we reach His throne.
5. We have a guaranteed victory! Verse 9, "for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
God guarantees a victory to those who believe and trust in Him. This is our temporary home - windows and rooms that we're passing through on the way to where we're going. Things will get better. We will be victorious because He is victorious. He has paid the absolute price for our victory - His victory. Thank you Lord for this temporary home and what it teaches us!
Our pastor spoke about hope last week. He read from 1 Peter 1:3-9. With all that's going on in our lives. All our anxieties, sorrows, disappointments, unknowns, etc. The beautiful thing is that God is bigger than any trauma or drama we could have. We have a hope! That hope is Him. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to Me and I will give you rest." God is our hope. How can we hang on to that hope?
1. Believe you have a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
2. Claim that you are protected by God's power. Verse 5 in 1 Peter 1 says, "...who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be reveale in the last time." You cannot be touched. God has built a hedge of protection around those who trust him. Job 1:10 speaks to this. Please note that the power of God does not necessarily take you out of danger, but He will walk with you through it. God did not take Daniel out of the lion's den. He walked with him through it. He did close the lion's mouth so that Daniel could have rest.
3. Be open because God will build your faith through this. "In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 There are some things we should remember about trials: Trials are a part of life. Trials are temporary. Trials are sometimes necessary. These trials are sometimes necessary to prove your faith. To yourself, not to God. God already knows how strong your faith is. Trials can be a telling time for us. We often find that our faith may not be as strong as we thought it was when things were good. God uses these trials to build our faith. We must depend on Him. I certainly found this to be true with our journey through infertility. I was able to see just how strong my faith was. I also grew more and more faithful as I continued to study, long for, and pray for an answered prayer. I finally realized that God is using this to show me something or to use me in some way. I must be open to His plan. Proverbs 17:3 tells us that He tests hearts. Not only are trials a part of life, temporary, and sometimes necessary. They are also profitable. James 1:2 tells us that God makes us strong through trials. God never wastes a hurt!
4. Results in praise and glory (verse 7). This does not mean we say, "Oh, thank you Lord for this pain! I'm so glad you brought this into my life!" Of course, we don't feel this way. I never once said, "Thank you Lord that I don't have children." What I have said and other people of the Bible (including Daniel) is "Lord, take this away from me! I can't handle this!" We can be honest with God. Why not? He already knows our hearts. He knows how we feel. But, the results of our trials, the growth, the change, the difference made in others. These are reasons to rejoice! God uses our trials for good! And, He never leaves us to handle a trial alone. As long as we trust Him through FAITH, He will walk with us through these trials and get us through.
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
2 Corinthians 4:17
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
The rewards we have by having faith and persevering though these trials. All of these are added gifts we can lay at His feet when we reach His throne.
Revelations 4:9-11
"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twent-four elders fall down before him how sints on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'"
"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twent-four elders fall down before him how sints on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'"
5. We have a guaranteed victory! Verse 9, "for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
God guarantees a victory to those who believe and trust in Him. This is our temporary home - windows and rooms that we're passing through on the way to where we're going. Things will get better. We will be victorious because He is victorious. He has paid the absolute price for our victory - His victory. Thank you Lord for this temporary home and what it teaches us!
Love God!
Verse 8, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are felled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
God is the giver of hope!
As I think about Mrs. Thorns and her family during this time of sorrow, I am reminded that this was simply her temporary home. This earth was just windows and rooms that she passed through on the way to her "forever home." I can only imagine the laughs, joys, praises, and cutting up Mrs. Thorns is enjoying now as she watches over us pass through these rooms that she once passed through on the way to see our Maker! I am not filled with sadness now. I am filled with joy for her. She is home. Really home! Home for good! And, oh, the scene when we are all reunited again. These trials will seem so temporary. Because they are! They are nothing compared to the victory we have in Jesus! Take a second to turn my playlist down and listen through the song.
1 comment:
this post is beautiful and so true.
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