"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"
1 Peter 5:8
While it is true that sometimes circumstances or even self can bring suffering and pain in our lives, there is also a chance that Satan will be allowed by the Lord to cause us affliction. In the book of Job, we learn that in order to show a great example of faithfulness in all things, God allowed the devil to cause affliction on Job.
In contemporary Christianity, many have focused on the gifts of God that make us feel good; be they riches, comfort of life, great employment, or good health – who ever heard of suffering being a good thing? Even more, could suffering actually be a type of grace that God uses in our life? Yes, suffering can both lead and protect us. Today, grace (God’s unmerited favor) is whispering your name, calling you back to God, and reminding you of the gentleness and goodness of the Lord Jesus. While God has called out many names in the past, one of the notable ones is Mark 16:7 where the angel asks the women to specifically tell the disciples and “Peter” that Jesus was risen and that He would appear to them in Galilee. God’s grace will accompany us through our mental, physical, and spiritual lives. If we have filled our minds with junk, He can clean it out and fill it with the life giving power of His Word. If we find ourselves caught up in disobedience, He can help us to live in such a way that we always do the right thing with our only motive being His honor. And if we are having trouble walking in the path of purity, He can keep us aware that He is walking with us wherever we go. While we don’t take a jar full of cookies, place them on the roof, and then tell our two year old they can have some if they can get one – apparently we live our lives as if God has taken His most precious riches, hidden them out of reach, and then asked us to get them so we can be free! While our faith is not necessarily effortless, it is neither tortuously difficult (1 John 5:3) Everyday, grace can teach Christians how to act, what to believe, and how to serve. Required on our part is being teachable every day and always listening to God’s word so we can become more like Christ. Consider who our faithful, true Friend is so we do not become the spiritual adulterers James speaks of in James 4:4.When Jesus walked among the earth before His resurrection, He compared His love for us to a Jewish wedding, often When Mom asked her son why he was covered with so much dirt so early in the morning, the son replied, “I went to bed that way!” |
AuthorPastor Doug Mann Archives
October 2014
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"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18 Copyrights: All photographs used in individual blog posts have the proper credits given at the bottom of each posting as per the terms and conditions of Weebly. Web Administrator.
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