John 8:36

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Friday, December 19, 2014

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me



Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

All things is actually refering to the economic fluctuations of life, as during this passage Paul is talking about how he has found contentment with both nothing and abundance. Paul encourages us with this verse that we can make it through both good times and really hard times, because it is Christ who strengthens us, not earthly wealth and possessions. 

In the verses beforehand, Paul talks about his times of need, and how he has found the secret of being content in even in these times. In these times Paul was weak, he was dependant on others to provide for his needs, but this verse encourages us that it is Christ who strengthens us. So God uses times of physical weakness to make us spiritually stronger, in Christ.

Paul encourages us that the seemingly impossible, are only possible through Christ. Recently, my dad lost his job and could no longer pay child support or alimony. My mom is a single mother raising three kids and she didn't have a job at the time. It would seem impossible for us to make it through the year on that little amount of income, but we made it an entire year on next to no income, without accumulating any debt. God provided what seemed would be impossible. Sometimes that can be a little uncomfortable, but God has never failed, and won't start failing you now. Trust in Him, and He will strengthen you. 

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Isaiah 28:23-29

23  Listen and hear my voice.Pay attention and hear what I say.24 Does the plowman plow every  day to plant seed?Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?


25  When he has leveled its surface,does he not then scatter black cumin and sow  cumin?He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,with spelt as their border.26 His God teaches him order;He instructs him.27  Certainly black cumin is not  threshedwith a threshing board,and a cart wheel is not rolled over  the cumin.But black cumin is beaten out with a stick,and cumin with a rod.28 Bread grain is crushed,but is not threshed  endlessly.Though the wheel of the farmer’s cart  rumbles,his horses do not crush it.29  This also comes from the  Lord of Hosts.He gives wonderful advice;He gives great wisdom.e
          God starts out this passage giving us a reminder to "listen" and "pay attention." We won't hear His voice if we are not in the word, praying, and spending time in His presence. Then He continues and gives us a parable of a farmer's (the plowman) task and God's treatment of Judah. In this time, God has announced His judgement on His people because they did not follow after Him. After announcing His judgement, He also reminds us that His judgement does not last forever, and that He has a method and plan for it. The plowman plows to break up the soil, like sometimes God allows trials to come into our lives, and it breaks us up. But then when the soil is broken, the farmer scatters seeds (black cumin) into the soil, just as God uses the trials in our lives to open up room to come into our hearts more deeply than He can when we are hardened and dependent on ourselves. Then, in verse 26, God teaches His people order. After bringing in the seed, He fills us with His instruction.              In verse 28, He compares Israel to bread grain being crushed. He says, "bread grain is crushed, but it is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmers cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it." You may feel like you are being crushed right now, but take heart in this reassurance that the crushing will not last forever. God is simply preparing you and making you into a new creation. To make a delicious loaf of bread requires crushing the grains to make flour so that it may then be made into something delicious and enjoyable. Just as God is letting you be crushed right now, it's just part of a process teaching you to trust in Him and to follow after Him even when it's hard. He's letting the trials come so that He can make you into something new that you cannot even imagine.                When you feel like you're being crushed under the weights and pressures of this life, you can find your refuge in Christ. Trust in Him during those times where he is transforming you from the grain, chaff and all, that you were, into a perfect and new loaf of bread. The process is long and hard, but it is your choice to trust in His perfect will for your life, and it will be better than any life you could design for yourself. The process of taking something flawed and imperfect, and making it something new can be painful, but always rewarding in the end.