Our circumstances are not an accurate reflection of God’s goodness. Whether life is good or bad, God’s goodness, rooted in His character, is the same. – Helen Grace Lescheid
Browsing Tags quote
A Step of Faith
When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen:
Either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly. Edward Teller
Asking The Right Question
The message on this church sign caught our attention when driving through Alabama, so we turned around to see if the – – – part was filled in on the other side. It wasn’t.
We thought the – – – was “and the truth…”, as in:
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 (NKJV)
And it will.
However, if the blanks represented letters, then it would be a three-letter word, as in:
“God will set you free”
And He will.
Maybe the message was a reference to an upcoming sermon that would explain or fill in the blanks.
Or maybe the message was just meant to cause passers-by to ponder how we would fill in the blanks.
“Wisdom is, and starts with, the humility to accept the fact that you don’t have all the right answers,
and the courage to learn to ask the right questions.” – Unknown
How would you fill in the blanks?
A Better Choice
“Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it.” Erwin W. Lutzer
Surprises From God
In the heat of summer this little flower came up through a crack in the asphalt of our church parking lot. It was right in the middle of a parking space that is used daily, yet it survived the hot sun and the heat of car exhaust, with no rain or water, for more than a week. Maybe longer, I didn’t keep track of it after that.
Even in harsh circumstances and adverse conditions this tiny flower continued to bloom, day after day. It was a beautiful reminder of how God blesses us in the most unexpected places and ways. And it came at a time when I desperately needed it.
“God still draws near to us in the ordinary, commonplace, everyday experiences and places.
He comes in surprising ways.” Henry Gariepy
How has God surprised you lately?
The Secret Silent Invisible Forces
Character is not built by battling and excitement alone. The harvest is not ripened by the thunderous forces of nature, but by the secret silent invisible forces.
So the best qualities of our spiritual lives are matured by quietness, silence and commonplace. A. P. Gouthey
The sight of the bright yellow of these pretty daffodils against the drab brown of our hillside was a welcome sign that Spring is near. Even though they were buried under leaves and weeds, the “secret silent invisible forces” not only allowed them to survive the cold and harsh conditions, but also to quietly push through and rise above it all. Just after the first few flowers bloomed there were several days of hard rain and gusty winds, causing the blooms to droop almost to the ground. But as soon as the sun came out they not only perked back up, but even more daffodils began to grow and bloom.
Have you struggled under the weight of problems, battled harsh circumstances, or been battered by the storms of life?
I have. I do. And I could not survive without knowing that the Lord is my strength and my shield, and that I can always trust Him.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7
God created the flowers to withstand harsh conditions, and even to keep blooming in the storms. How much more willing He is to help us not only survive our life storms, but also to grow spiritually because of them, or in spite of them.
As He says in Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
If you are also battling some illness or circumstance in your life, or being battered by a storm sweeping through your life, I pray you will find comfort and strength in God and His promises, and declare with confidence,
Follow @learning2hear“my help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2
The Work of Christmas Begins
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
If each of us would just do a little, much could be accomplished. One word of encouragement, one visit, one meal, one act of kindness, or one prayer can make a difference in someone’s life.
What is one thing you can do for the work of Christmas this year?
Giving Thanks
For the power Thou hast given me to lay hold of things unseen:
For the strong sense I have that this is not my home:
For my restless heart which nothing finite can satisfy:
I give Thee thanks, O God.
For the invasion of my soul by Thy Holy Spirit:
For all human love and goodness that speak to me of Thee:
For the fullness of Thy glory outpoured in Jesus Christ:
I give Thee thanks, O God.
~ John Baillie
Follow @learning2hearRepurposing The Broken
Being broken is painful. It may happen suddenly, or it may happen over a period of time from ongoing circumstances, or a series of situations. Regardless of how we become broken, it’s encouraging to remember that with God broken doesn’t mean useless.
A commonly used word now, especially on home decorating and design shows, is ‘repurposed’. Something that was broken and destined for the trash pile is painted, decorated, or otherwise redesigned to use for another purpose.
It’s interesting to see the difference a little creativity and time can make with items that appeared to have little or no value left in them because they were chipped, dented, missing pieces, or otherwise considered useless.
The word ‘repurposed’ may be popular, but it hasn’t made it into the dictionary yet. The word ‘recycled’ is in the dictionary though, and it basically means the same thing.
The word ‘recycle’ means: as a verb (used with object) – to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse, or to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of.
‘Recycle‘ as a verb (used without object) – to undergo reuse or renewal; be subject to or suitable for further use, activity, etc.
The word ‘broken‘ is defined as a verb:past participle of break – defined as ‘to shatter, burst, or become broken; separate into parts or fragments, especially suddenly and violently’.
‘Broken‘ as an adjective: reduced to fragments; fragmented, or ruptured; torn; fractured.
God has a purpose and a plan for your life, even if you’ve been shattered, fractured, or broken by life. Just as the sun is bright and beautiful breaking through the dark clouds in my picture, God can make your life bright and beautiful when you give Him the broken pieces.
May the following quote encourage you to let God, the Creator of the Universe, use His creative power to repurpose what’s broken in your life:
“God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. Stay broken, my friends.” ~John Arthur Thomas
Follow @learning2hear
Hearing His Voice 