“to every thing there is a season….
A time for EVERY PURPOSE under the heavens” (Eccl. 1:1)
A purpose. There is a purpose for this! What encouragement to believe there is real purpose for the pain, the difficult task. God is good all the time. No matter how difficult this is – I believe, there is a purpose for what I am walking through. God IS HERE. God IS working. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. Immanuel, God with us. No pain, no gain. Spiritual exercise necessary. Hard. Grueling. Beneficial. Persevering faith. Strengthened in the faith. It is good.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
1 Cor. 9:24-27
Run…
to the Father. His arms are wide open.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
God of peace. God of hope. God of strength. God of love.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalms 73:26
Run… through the rain. In the turbulence of the storm. Run… to God. In prayer. Petitions. Let the tears fall along with the rain, in the pain. Sing while the rain is still falling.
You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising up again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Believe in His strength. Seek Him. Earnestly as THE TREASURE HE IS and find more of Him.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
Believe in Him. His promises. His enduring faithful love.
Seek the way in which to live. Seeking is ACTION.
Take action.
(notice actions words below: accept, turn, apply, call out, cry aloud, look, search)
“IF” you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
THEN…
you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then… you will understand what is right and just
and fair—
EVERY GOOD PATH”
Proverbs 2:1-9
Take action and receive more knowledge, more wisdom, SUCCESS!! Success in the Christian faith. In personal character, growth, Godliness. Success as we cross the finish line to the kingdom that awaits.
BY HIS AMAZING GRACE. His POWER at work within, willing vessels, not resisting, submitting to Him.
Receive understanding for direction for the path to walk out in this daily life God has called you to.
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus..”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Success means accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Spiritual goals? Desiring to grow more Godly in Christ Jesus? (I AM!! DESPERATE for more of Him and less of me) The flesh feel weak? It is! God promises His grace is sufficient, His power made perfect in weakness. Not by might, but by MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD.
KEEP RUNNING… SEEKING… BELIEVING…
He who has begun a good work will be faithful to complete it.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And perseverance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Romans 5:3-5
“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually
served to advance the gospel.”
Phil 1:12
THE GOSPEL is POWER that SAVES. Once the GOSPEL is RECEIVED AND BELIEVED – IT’s POWER CONTINUES TO WORK in us, and work out our cleansing/sanctifying process of SALVATION, until we see Jesus. As we share the testimony of the GOSPEL and His continued work in our lives, GOD uses it all to ADVANCE His kingdom purposes in us as well as reach others in the world out “there”.