DID YOU EVER STOP AND THINK about what
is in the seed of your trials? No one
knows at the outset … but God knows! We
have been studying in the book of James in our mid-week Bible study, and one of
the first verses of the first chapter starts out this way: “Consider
it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all
sides. You know that under pressure,
your faith-life is forced out into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything
prematurely. Let it do its work so you
become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” Can’t
say it much clearer than that, right?
Considering our tough times as a gift … well, that just doesn’t seem to
match up, does it? Or does it? Let’s stop and think about this – I mean, really think about it. After all, it was just last week that I wrote
about God asking us to do something out of the ordinary and stepping out of the
comfortable places. And “tests and
challenges” definitely fall into the uncomfortable category, don’t they? Well, thinking about “the places” I’ve been
in since then, I now have a vantage point to look back from, and see a little
clearer where God is taking me through these rather rough paths … and what He
is doing along the way. Amazingly, I can
begin to see the reasons He has allowed these tests to come. And as I started to grasp just an iota of God’s
ways in this very uncomfortable, stressful saga … I was reminded of our new
baby great granddaughter, Emma. Before
she was ever born, her mommy experienced the pregnancy test: the nausea, the stretching and growing, the
swelling, the uncomfortable stages, and at long last, the painful birthing
process. But just look what the end
result of that test was: a beautiful,
healthy baby girl! She could not have
been born into our family any other way.
Every stage of the test was necessary to receive the gift at the
end. And what a precious sight she was
to behold when we caught the first glimpse of her a few weeks ago, visiting her
mommy and daddy! What a joy it was to
watch our son, Dana and his wife, Stacey, and our grandson, Dylan, relate to
her in such loving, nurturing ways!
Seeing Whitney and Matt giving such devotion to their first little one
warmed our hearts. Sheer gift. Yes!
That’s a great way to put it, God!
You do want us to get it … so that instead of resenting our tests and
trials, we will be able to face them with an eagerness, speaking into being the
end result. Declaring Your Word back to
You … claiming the tearing down of strongholds.
And then comes the ensuing freedom and deliverance - the sheer gift. Out of lack – the sheer gift of plenty bursts
forth. Out of joblessness – the sheer
gift of employment is offered. Out of
frustration and desperation – change and transformation begin to emerge. I suddenly understand a little more about
just how much our God must love us - that He takes the time and effort to
select the perfect test to sharpen our spiritual skills, to strengthen our
spiritual muscles, to broaden our spiritual knowledge, to deepen our spiritual
wisdom and discernment. Could those
things come to us any other way? How we
wish! Finally grasping what a joy and
sheer gift it is that God gives these growing and birthing opportunities to us
because of the potential He has placed within us … we finally realize that He
is not hurting us, but honing us to become more like Him in every way. We are developing and maturing, just as He
intended! Can we ever get to the point
where we say, “bring it on, Lord” because we know the end results are so
valuable? I don’t know. But what I do know is that, “He who dwells in
the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my
fortress, my God in whom I trust.’”
(Psalm 91:1-2) God’s formula is
that the seed always brings a harvest. Knowing
that, we should never have to look at our tests and challenges in quite the
same way again! May you see them like
God does … gift-wrapped and tied with a bow, just waiting to be opened and
received for our benefit and ultimate enjoyment!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
A SPECIAL WELCOME to Max who has worshipped with us these past
few weeks; may God bless you with His love!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES to James, who celebrated on September 22nd;
to Matthias who celebrates on the 25th, and to our son, Dana, who
will celebrate on the 25th – you are loved and wished God’s very
best!
SUN, SEP 23: 10:00 A.M. –
PRAISE & WORSHIP with the start of a new two-part series called “Victory
Living!”
SUN, SEP 23: 11:15 A.M. –
KINGDOM CONNECTION CLASSES – let’s invite others to join us as we learn!
WED, SEP 26: 7:00 P.M. –
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James/905 El Dorado St SE in Owatonna
SUN, SEP 30: 10:00 A.M. –
PRAISE & WORSHIP / 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION CLASSES for everyone!
PRAYER OPPORTUNITES . . . Praises for answers, prayers for
unspoken needs, for a home, for healing, for relationships, for comfort, for
ministry servants, for a return of our nation to God, for Lundstroms and
Seykoras
REMEMBER . . . “At all times, even in the midst of any type of
suffering, I can realize that God knows, loves, watches, understands, and more
than that, He has a purpose.” ~ Billy
Graham
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
