It's All About Remembering, Lately....

....and unfortunately, my memory is a little foggy on the fundamentals.  Don't you find that to be true?  Your hardest-fought lessons are the ones that you have to be reminded of over, and over, and over again?  That's what good friends are for....and husbands...and the Holy Spirit...and of course....the Word of God!  [Not in that order, of course]...

Sunday church has been so good down here in Florida (I say 'Sunday church' because don't you find so many 'worship moments' throughout your week?  Let's talk about that sometime....)  I promise to load some pictures of the beautiful place where we are worshipping these days, but until then, I will share some of the words of Christ that have been shared with us.  We are in James, and if you know your Bible, you know just how humbling and convicting this small little book can be!  I can barely get through the first chapter before I am shaking in my boots, honestly [in a reverent sense, of course] knowing that I need the trials and the wisdom that are spoken of there.

Which brings me to my point....the 'needing of the trials'.  'Can't believe I said that, really!  That's one of those things you hope that Daddy-God is not listening to, because none of us really want trials, now do we?  But should we?  Can we get to a place where we want the trials because they are actually the blessings (Laura Story)....?  In Sunday school yesterday, I was pointed back to Hebrews 12, which is another passage that makes me shudder just typing it.  Read on if you are not familiar with this one....


God Disciplines His Children
 ⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

   “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
   and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
   and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

 ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

 ¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

With each passing trial, I come closer to understanding this passage a little more, but wow, does it still sting!  It is so hard for me to see the LOVE of the Father in his chastening hand.  But that is where I am right now, and if you are too, perhaps this post will encourage you to embrace the suffering, rather than running away from it, just as I was encouraged to do by a dear, and true, friend today.  God is being faithful to you--and me....

Today, I REMEMBER:

~past moves and all God has done to bring me through

~God bringing people to me to encourage, always at the right time

~God always providing for my financial needs

~never having more than I can handle!

~learning to find joy in the struggle

Be blessed by the trial....

Ruth