When God gets ready to open a door no one can stand in His way, not even the most powerful potentate in the world. God walked right into the most private and intimate place of this Pharoah’s life and accomplished His will. You and I may be locked away in a prison somewhere, but God knows no boundaries. In His perfect timing, He performs His work on our behalf.
James presented to his readers an essay on how God works in a believer’s life when facing the onslaught of hardships, difficulties, persecutions, weaknesses and insults. Yet – what about us? Do we have any responsibility when hardships and difficulties, come upon us? Of course, we do – but what are those responsibilities? What does God expect from us in times of great adversity? Stick around to discover precisely what is under our column. You just may find mental and emotional healing for your psyche.
Griffith Thomas wrote: Even the smallest circumstance in life has its meaning, and it may be said, literally, that we do not know the profound significance of many of the simplest details of daily life. Happy is the person whose eyes are open to see the hand of God in everyday events. To that person, life always possesses a marvelous joy and glory. Though a circumstantial case could be made that God had deserted him, Joseph kept himself free from fret, strain, hardness, and despair. Consciousness of God made all the difference.
Could you summarize Christianity in one simple sentence, 15 words or less? Here’s my simple sentence: The heart and life of Christianity is confessing Jesus as Lord. Romans 10:9a is usually discussed in an evangelistic context due to the second part of the verse. However, Romans 10:9a impacts, not just the moment of conversion, but all of life. Confessing Jesus as Lord is a daily exercise for the believer, an exercise that keeps us perennially connected to the presence and power of God.
Paul had a problem. His tendency toward arrogance could easily get in the way of his kingdom usefulness. So, what did God do? God gave Paul a gift, actually, several gifts. What were those gifts? Here’s the answer: weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties. If that seems unacceptable, stop here and go no farther. The weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties will not go away. However, if you proceed, what has been a gut-wrenching grind just may be transformed into a life-changing, energy-charged gift.
According to the Weather Channel, Hurricane Ian was headed straight for Tampa Bay, but then turned more eastward and moved through Florida to the south Clearwater and the surrounding area. Why? Why not here instead of there? Why were we spared and others weren’t? Does the Bible have anything to say about such catastrophes? The answer is a resounding, Yes!