trials

Persevere

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Persevere (written for a friend the Lord and I hold dear… well many, far and near…)

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Sometimes there are sorrows no one borrows.

Issues beyond tissues.

Hurt with lots of dirt.

Sometimes there are moments fraught with haunting haught

and bad hunches in bunches.

Sometimes just not enough time to put down rhyme.

But persevere.

PERSEVERE.

To God, draw near.

In Jesus, let Him steer.

Get that the Holy Spirit wants to put you in gear.

And never look in your rear view mirror.

PERSEVERE.

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Amen

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James 1 NKJV

Greeting to the Twelve Tribes

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Profiting from Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The Perspective of Rich and Poor

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Loving God Under Trials

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Qualities Needed in Trials

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Jesus Headlights

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Easter morning was a blessing of being able to stroll into the cemetery with the lack of fearing death. Jesus VICTORIOUS, celebrated on Easter morning… Us knowing He overcame and we won’t have the eternal sting of death either one day, in rising one day WITH His command. 

Yes, we do have such sorrow for our lost loved ones – as my daughter was able to express in the cemetery when we went later that afternoon. Yet even then as I comforted her, I could think of the peace these folks had now – whether they feared death or not, they were now at peace.

The fear of death, however, came back for me surely quickly as I rode the roads home, with a good but NEW driver at the wheel. Whew, Jesus take the wheel, the whoa, the woe, and the whew… I gripped that “Oh God bar” in the view of a few semi-trucks swerving and us going into construction cattle corral-like chutes with no breathing room… Whew, we are fine, and I took over in the last 45 minutes as it got dark… Whew, Whew, thank you Lord for the safe arrival home. Praise that is due!!! And THANK YOU LORD for an extra and safe driver as she journeys now through life.

Life moves fast and the road bumpy bumps as the Day grows long…

Remember however that we have ULTIMATE PEACE ahead of us, even if we have a bumpy ride getting there. Like our roads, life it seems is always “under construction”… We are to know the narrow gate is Jesus Himself getting us through to heaven. Sometimes it feels like someone “picked up” the life we have and is shaking us, like a game, into a slot labeled home. But we are the know that as Jesus holds our hand, we are going to need Him for this bumpy road challenge course called life. Our challenge to keep looking to Him.

We need to hold onto this fixation upon Him, especially when we travel into the rest of this year. After that early morning celebration, we need the Holy Spirit hope and movement going forward, staying on track, lighting the way.

Back up home, I took a moment to see the natural gorgeous waterfalls. We all do love waterfalls, the sight and loud sound, but probably not being in a barrel tumbling down them. We appreciate simply sitting or walking around the waterfalls and hearing that crashing water sound helps drown out noise of our heads overthinking, help us remember that the Lord moves mountains and is IN CONTROL. With a rumble of a waterfall crash or with the calmness of still water, He hold it all in His Power. 

In driving, my new driver did well, my new “passenger position” is what stressed me out. In life you also have to let Jesus drive, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus more than the earthly road. And ask for that fresh filling of Spirit – fresh air in the tires that we need to keep rolling…

Follow the Light, the Jesus Headlights, He knows the Way…

Amen to today!

“God is Light, in Him there is no darkness at all”, 1st John 1:5

Lord! Are You Pulling My Leg?

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I felt the gumption to do some necessary cleaning before work. Wow, it needed it, all that cluttering stuff which blocks me from a clear floor and easy movement. Dangerous!

Importantly I picked up a loose scripture card. It must have fell out for me along the way – Oh, on The Way… Funny pun, Lord. In cleaning, I noticed that my hip didn’t hurt so much, my many sessions of physical therapy are paying off (yes, $ per session equates for more lifetime of strength – it is worth it), plus the people are wonderful, REALLY WONDERFUL. I’ve been feeling the strength and strengthening of my legs and hips AND faith. THANK GOD!! If I say that an injury could be turned into a blessing, it’s like saying (not jokingly): “Lord, Are You Pulling My Leg!?!” – like I can’t believe You have me going through this, yet, Lord, You say: “Find the silver lining, find the blessings of perseverance in the storm.”(yeah see scripture of James, counting blessings from trials). Well, the Lord IS NOT pulling my leg in joking but I CAN say that actually the physical therapists ARE PULLING my left leg, yes pun intended here, they found with my “minor” tear in the hamstring during a twisting motion injury, that one leg slips up SHORTER with a hip rotation (posterior I think), and they rotate and PULL me back to alignment. Mind you, this is not major pain but of that slightly annoying nature. So no joking, pulling the leg is a good thing!

And what was that scripture card? That I picked up with minimal effort and less pain just now? Well, of course the Word is here to STRENGTHEN us. We need to pick up the clues. Well amazingly, the card REALLY read: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Paul encourages the Philippians and encourages us.

If we have a tough time in anything, let us hold onto the hope of not seeing but knowing internal faith that we will make it through, even STRONGER on the flip side. And let us remember this advice from Paul: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.“

Yes…

Yes… Jesus Overcame Sin and Death and Will Overcome the rest of our situations too… Let the Lord pull your leg or prod you or push you. Most of all, Let the Lord STRENGTHEN you.

Amen