In our day to day lives, sometimes it seems as though every thing that we are taught to believe about the God of heaven, His goodness, His care for us, and His love for us is challenged. The circumstances, the things happening around us and to us are too overpowering.
Still God tells us to trust Him. Easier said than done. There has to be a starting point to trust. It is a concious choice that must be made by every individual .Trusting is not easy. There are times when we choose to put our trust in a person, and we are disappointed. With many people, they give up on trusting anyone because one person disappointed or misused their trust. God will not disappoint. You can trust God to always love you unconditionally. Even if you choose to ignore him, his love for you is there.
You can trust God to provide for you. You have air to breath, without it you could not live. He sends the rain, He orders the seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. He provides the resources for you to be able to live. All of these things the Lord provides to everyone because of His love for all mankind. Because He is the Creator, the One who created all things and all people and created them to live forever, God also has provided for your eternal home. He would like for you to choose to live with Him for eternity in the place that He built for you.
When you choose to trust Him as your Saviour, the Lord is faithful to provide food, clothing, and shelter for you. He cares for all people, but those who trust him as their personal Lord and Saviour He cares for as his own children.
Once part of His family,you will learn that He can be trusted to meet every need in your life.
if you choose to ignore God then He will still provide the air, the seasons, the resources you need to make a living, because He still loves His creation no matter how the creation treats Him. But you will have a life that is missing the greater fulfillment that it could have. When you die from this earth you will still live eternally, but not in the place God built for you with Him. You will live in a place that he had to create later for those who chose not to be with Him.
This place was originally created for an angel named Satan who chose not to live with God. Since Satan did not have the power of God, and would never be able to do the things that God could do, he wanted God to give him His home, His place as God, and His rights as the Creator of all things. Satan talked other angels into coming together with him to fight against God in His home. God had no choice but to make them leave His home. So He created them a place that they one day would have to live in. Separate from God and His home. Since only God is good, there is no good thing in Satan's home. Since God is light, there is no light in Satan's home. Since Satan chooses to ruin the lives of the people God created and loves, God has no choice but to punish him when the time comes. This place that has been created for Satan and his angels is where he will be punished for all eternity.
These are the only two places for the eternal souls of people to live once they leave this earth. The choice is up to each individual today. Where would you rather live? If you want God to care for you as one of His children and then take you to His home once you leave this earth, then ask Him. He is listening.
God Bless,
Carrie
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Gift of Trust
Have you ever met a person who is suspicious of the motives of everyone? No matter what is said, or done, they are always looking for ulterior motives. -"The reason behind the reason that someone is doing something for them". It is a terrible way to have to live. I have known a few people in my life that are like that. They are never happy. They are haunted by the idea that somewhere they will be ambushed to 'pay back' that kindness that was done to them. Or that they are being 'set up' somehow. These people are the ones who wind up with physical illnesses like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, problems with the digestive system. All having to do with 'stress'. And stress is just the result of worry.
Now I do admit that in today's world you do have to watch those around you, not everyone is your friend or wanting to be your friend. But, there is a point when watchfulness turns to constant worry, and that is where the Christian falls into sin. Jesus said for us to cast all our cares(worries) on him, why? because he is the one who is caring for us. He wants us to take all our worries and suspicions to him so that he can first of all, give us direction on whether or not those suspicions and worries are real, and then if we will turn loose of them, he will show us how to handle them. If the problem isn't something we can handle ourselves, then he steps in and does it for us. Whether it is to give us knowledge and strength to do it ourselves, or find another way to remove the problem or worry, Christ is always there to care for us. If as a Christian , you could just grasp that one truth of scripture your life would change dramatically.
You can trust the Lord! Even when you have no one else to go to: Jesus is there for you. Remember today to take that problem first to Jesus. don't let Satan blind you to where your help comes from.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil."Proverbs 3:5,6,7
Have a blessed(not stressed) day,
Carrie
Now I do admit that in today's world you do have to watch those around you, not everyone is your friend or wanting to be your friend. But, there is a point when watchfulness turns to constant worry, and that is where the Christian falls into sin. Jesus said for us to cast all our cares(worries) on him, why? because he is the one who is caring for us. He wants us to take all our worries and suspicions to him so that he can first of all, give us direction on whether or not those suspicions and worries are real, and then if we will turn loose of them, he will show us how to handle them. If the problem isn't something we can handle ourselves, then he steps in and does it for us. Whether it is to give us knowledge and strength to do it ourselves, or find another way to remove the problem or worry, Christ is always there to care for us. If as a Christian , you could just grasp that one truth of scripture your life would change dramatically.
You can trust the Lord! Even when you have no one else to go to: Jesus is there for you. Remember today to take that problem first to Jesus. don't let Satan blind you to where your help comes from.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil."Proverbs 3:5,6,7
Have a blessed(not stressed) day,
Carrie
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Highways and By ways
Traveling back and forth to a ministry opportunity one summer the Lord showed me some things about my spiritual journey through this life. The commute I made was about 100 miles round trip to a little church out in the country. I had my directions and was constantly checking to make sure I was staying on the right road. As I became used to the way, I stop using the directions feeling confident that I could find my own way.
One morning I was listening to the radio, thinking about other things, when I realized that nothing seemed familiar. Had I made a wrong turn? Was I going the wrong way? You can imagine my relief when just ahead I saw a familiar landmark. Getting my bearings on where I was, I calmed down immediately and arrived safely to my destination.
I find many times I do the same thing in my spiritual journey. The Bible says that I as a Christian, am not a part of this world. I’m just sojourning (traveling) through it. Although the comparison isn’t used much any more, the Bible has been compared to a roadmap that can keep me headed in the right direction in life.
There are times when I take my mind off where I am going that I get confused, and just as in my driving-- my spiritual life has a panic attack! I can’t see anything that seems familiar to me! It’s then that God will send a piece of a scripture verse to me, or the verse of a song, that I have heard, or a brother in Christ to encourage me. My spiritual nerves calm down and I know that I am headed right.
Traveling that summer I began to think about the roadmap comparison more and more. There is one area that has a series of 4-way stops that you come upon suddenly after driving for miles without even a house to break the monotony. The highway department has gone in at one crossing and set up warnings. You will see the warnings painted in large letters that even glow in the dark. As I came up on the huge “STOP AHEAD” lettering stretched all the way across my lane I wondered how many times God had painted those same letters for me in my life and in my day dreaming way I went straight through them and into some major spiritual wreck! If I would only heed his warnings and listen to his assurances, how much better my life would be.
One afternoon coming home, I was praying for our church and the pastor that would be chosen to lead it, when I realized I had driven past my road. I had to find a bridge that I could turn around on and go back to my road. I had wasted my time and my gas by not paying attention.
In that incident the Lord showed me that as a Christian, I can be guilty of the same thing spiritually. I can get so involved with the ‘ministry’ that I can totally miss an opportunity to “minister”. That person I pass going into church who always sits alone or the girl at lunch that looks so tired, and sad as I take out my Christian book to read. How many times have I wasted my time and my energy being busy in the ministry, and yet missed the opportunity to minister?
Lord help me to be aware of those around me everyday as I travel this road for you!
One morning I was listening to the radio, thinking about other things, when I realized that nothing seemed familiar. Had I made a wrong turn? Was I going the wrong way? You can imagine my relief when just ahead I saw a familiar landmark. Getting my bearings on where I was, I calmed down immediately and arrived safely to my destination.
I find many times I do the same thing in my spiritual journey. The Bible says that I as a Christian, am not a part of this world. I’m just sojourning (traveling) through it. Although the comparison isn’t used much any more, the Bible has been compared to a roadmap that can keep me headed in the right direction in life.
There are times when I take my mind off where I am going that I get confused, and just as in my driving-- my spiritual life has a panic attack! I can’t see anything that seems familiar to me! It’s then that God will send a piece of a scripture verse to me, or the verse of a song, that I have heard, or a brother in Christ to encourage me. My spiritual nerves calm down and I know that I am headed right.
Traveling that summer I began to think about the roadmap comparison more and more. There is one area that has a series of 4-way stops that you come upon suddenly after driving for miles without even a house to break the monotony. The highway department has gone in at one crossing and set up warnings. You will see the warnings painted in large letters that even glow in the dark. As I came up on the huge “STOP AHEAD” lettering stretched all the way across my lane I wondered how many times God had painted those same letters for me in my life and in my day dreaming way I went straight through them and into some major spiritual wreck! If I would only heed his warnings and listen to his assurances, how much better my life would be.
One afternoon coming home, I was praying for our church and the pastor that would be chosen to lead it, when I realized I had driven past my road. I had to find a bridge that I could turn around on and go back to my road. I had wasted my time and my gas by not paying attention.
In that incident the Lord showed me that as a Christian, I can be guilty of the same thing spiritually. I can get so involved with the ‘ministry’ that I can totally miss an opportunity to “minister”. That person I pass going into church who always sits alone or the girl at lunch that looks so tired, and sad as I take out my Christian book to read. How many times have I wasted my time and my energy being busy in the ministry, and yet missed the opportunity to minister?
Lord help me to be aware of those around me everyday as I travel this road for you!
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