Deuteronomy 13:3 - ...for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
I have been bombarded this week with devotions that are speaking to what I'm going through these days. Yes, going through! Although it may not show I'm going through stuff!
Monday I read from Oswald Chambers about Vision and Reality in his My Utmost for His Highest: "We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation."
I wrote yesterday about a perfect heart and the day before about failing after having achieved success the week before. The Lord's vision was made real last week. It seemed real, at least. I was determined, but was that determination in my own strength once He had revealed His plan to me? Yes, I felt peace over letting go of something...true peace. But the devil doesn't want us to obtain peace. So he flung the temptation in the form of a fat lie basically claiming the vision was not real. I did not have the strength to do what had been suggested.
Well, in the name of Jesus, I can! And I will. I am a child of God, redeemed from the snares of the devil. Like Job, I can be tested by the enemy, but I still will be a child of God. We can be calling out to the Lord at the moment we sense something is wrong. He is our hope in times of trouble. Focusing on Him during difficulties will lead us out of our tunnels, our tunnel vision, and our circumstances. It may not happen immediately, but we can be guaranteed that we will. And we will come out with greater strength, greater passion for the Lord, when we see how He has redeemed us, saved us, lifted us above the enemy. When we see His strength in action, our faith will be strengthened for the next bout.
After writing about Vision and Reality, Chambers wrote about the difficulty of life of a follower of Christ. To stay on track with Jesus will require rough patches. But our endurance brings our strength. It's not so much about what we live through here in the world but what follows when we leave this world! If we persevere we will be greatly rewarded...forever. We can be rewarded today with words or awards for accomplishments we've achieved. But these things are really quite meaningless. If nothing else, they only boost our pride and egos. Of course, sometimes it's good for our self-esteem to be liked or rewarded in the world. It's best, however, to be done with humility...true humility.
I have been bombarded this week with devotions that are speaking to what I'm going through these days. Yes, going through! Although it may not show I'm going through stuff!
Monday I read from Oswald Chambers about Vision and Reality in his My Utmost for His Highest: "We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation."
I wrote yesterday about a perfect heart and the day before about failing after having achieved success the week before. The Lord's vision was made real last week. It seemed real, at least. I was determined, but was that determination in my own strength once He had revealed His plan to me? Yes, I felt peace over letting go of something...true peace. But the devil doesn't want us to obtain peace. So he flung the temptation in the form of a fat lie basically claiming the vision was not real. I did not have the strength to do what had been suggested.
Well, in the name of Jesus, I can! And I will. I am a child of God, redeemed from the snares of the devil. Like Job, I can be tested by the enemy, but I still will be a child of God. We can be calling out to the Lord at the moment we sense something is wrong. He is our hope in times of trouble. Focusing on Him during difficulties will lead us out of our tunnels, our tunnel vision, and our circumstances. It may not happen immediately, but we can be guaranteed that we will. And we will come out with greater strength, greater passion for the Lord, when we see how He has redeemed us, saved us, lifted us above the enemy. When we see His strength in action, our faith will be strengthened for the next bout.
After writing about Vision and Reality, Chambers wrote about the difficulty of life of a follower of Christ. To stay on track with Jesus will require rough patches. But our endurance brings our strength. It's not so much about what we live through here in the world but what follows when we leave this world! If we persevere we will be greatly rewarded...forever. We can be rewarded today with words or awards for accomplishments we've achieved. But these things are really quite meaningless. If nothing else, they only boost our pride and egos. Of course, sometimes it's good for our self-esteem to be liked or rewarded in the world. It's best, however, to be done with humility...true humility.
So the testing is a measure, to some extent, of our faithfulness to God. Enduring our test is they key.
James 5:11 - If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
James 5:11 - If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
Oh, you go, girl! Yes, you can and yes, you will! Until we go through it, we cannot teach it, so teach it sister!
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