Courage For Today

verse

When You Sometimes Wonder if God Cares

Strength

I’ve been burdened lately for so many of my friends and loved ones that are going through tough times in their life.  I so appreciate that others share their pain and hurt and, honestly, I hurt with them.  Their burdens are real.  Their hurt is deep.  Their pain is relentless.  At the center of their pain and hurt is an underlying feeling that no one cares.  The world has shut them out in many cases.  Their family and friends seemingly turn their backs.  And, through the heartache, they sometimes give up on God and wonder if HE really cares about them.

After all, God is busy running the universe.  He doesn’t have time for little old me.  I know He may care about me in the “big picture,” but does He really care about my problems and my situations?  The answer is an emphatic YES!  As you sit there reading this post, I pray that you stop whatever you’re doing for a brief moment and just relish in the fact that God does care about you.  Stop and realize that God is wrapping His heavenly arms around you even at this moment.

If you don’t believe me, here are some verses from God’s word to simply remind you of how truly special you are:

  • You are an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.  Romans 8:17
  • You are eternal, like an angel.  Luke 20:36
  • You have a crown that will last forever.  1 Corinthians 9:25
  • You are a treasured possession.  Exodus 19:5
  • You were chosen before the creation of the world.  Ephesians 1:4
  • You will be a holy people to the Lord your God.  Deuteronomy 26:19

You are God’s child.  Your place in life, your title in life, or your position in life don’t mean anything in relation to God.  What matters is that you are in the palm of God’s hand.

I wanted to give you one additional verse from the Bible to hang on to; one of my favorite versus in all the Bible.  I love the verse because it is written in a way for those of  us that are sometimes skeptical of God’s Love.  The verse is 1 John 3:1  and it reads:  ” See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called Children of God; and such we are.”  The last part of the verse is what I really want you to grasp.  When He says “and such we are” what He is saying is that “you really are.”  He knew that we would be skeptical.  God, in His infinite wisdom, is basically saying, “remember, you’re a child of God—really you are, I’m not kidding.”

He does care for you.  If it matters to you, it matters to Him. Nothing is too significant or insignificant to bring forth to God.

Always remember, you are a child of God—really, He’s not kidding.

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The Power of Enlarging Your Steps

Strength

Sometimes, as a grandparent, I find myself doing things that I probably shouldn’t do.  I suppose it all boils down to love for the kids, but I think back on some of my adventures and suddenly realize that there is no way I would ever do some of the things I’ve done, if not for wanting to spend time with the grand-kids.

One of those questionable adventures occurred a couple of years ago at a local theme park.  The kids wanted to play on a rope course designed for children.  It was an exciting looking course filled with ropes, rope ladders, wooden beams and all sorts of things that would thrill a kid.  Like any good grandparent, I gave them permission to participate and off we went.  Only after getting to the entrance was I told the thrilling news that one of my grandchildren was too short to walk on the course without an adult.  I certainly couldn’t tell him “no” and allow him to sit and watch his big brother have a blast, so I agreed to walk the course with him.

The course started off fairly easy with simple and easy to navigate paths.  As the course progressed, the challenges got harder until eventually I found myself on a single strand of rope several feet above the ground with very little to hold on to.  Of course, the kids were far ahead of me.  They weren’t waiting for grandpa.  After some careful, step-by-step circus work, I was able to cross the more difficult single strand of rope and finish on a wooden platform where I could re-gain my composure.  After a few moments of resting, I managed to continue on to the next section of the course which involved much wider, wooden planks; much like a scaffolding or a ramp.  This was a piece of cake compared to the single wire I had earlier climbed.

God’s word says in Psalms 18, verse 36 says that HE has enlarged (or made wide) my steps so that I won’t slip.  How true this verse is in our everyday Christian lives.  God has a way of making things easy when the world views those same things as difficult.  God has a way of clearing a path for us when we see no way out.  You may be going through one of those times in your life when you feel like you’re walking a single tightrope.  Just remember, His Word promises that wider steps and a firm foundation are ahead of you.

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Never Doubt That The Loser Takes All

Faith

I am a very competitive person.  It doesn’t matter what game I’m playing or what contest I’ve entered, I want to win.  I want to win badly.  If it was a game of Tiddly Winks, I want to stomp you decisively.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a sore loser if I happen to be on the losing side of things, but I’ll do everything I can to win in any situation.

I suppose most people are competitive to some degree.  Our Society and way of life forces us to be this way.  We’re competing against others for employment opportunities.  We’re competing in our businesses against other businesses. We’re competing against other students for the best grades in our schools and universities.  We’re competing against each other on the roads and highways to get to our destination faster and faster.  Our Sports World is driven by the desire to win the next Super Bowl, World Series, or Stanley Cup.  I could go on and on, but you get the drift.  We’re taught and conditioned that second place is for losers.

In Luke 9:23, the Lord says “….if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (NAS).  In another translation of the Bible, “The Message,” the same verse reads “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.  You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am.”  I have to confess that I’ve always struggled to follow this verse.  Not because I didn’t believe it or because I didn’t want to.  My competitive nature to win left no room for anyone else, least of all God.  There were times when I just didn’t want God to lead.  Quite honestly, I was afraid where God might lead. I felt like I knew what was best for me and I would just let God catch up with me at some point.  Afterall, HE had more important things to worry about.  I was always confident that God would ultimately approve of my direction.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

God always wants me to be second to HIM.  HE wants me to allow him to lead, even when it makes no sense to me.  Obviously, this is where trust comes into play.  I can’t let anyone, God included, lead me if I don’t have confidence in where they’re leading.  Without question or hesitation, I can honestly say that God has always shown me the right path and led me in the direction I should go, even when I’m being dragged kicking and screaming and not understanding why, where, or when.  It’s at those times when I’m truly allowing God to lead that I’m at that perfect place God wants me to be.

I’m still competitive in sports and activities, but as for my Christian Walk, I’ve learned that losing isn’t so bad afterall.  It’s at those times of letting God lead, that I’m actually a winner because only then can I tap into the everlasting resources of our Heavenly Father.

Where are you today in your Walk?  Are you allowing God to lead in all you do, or are you wanting to lead God instead?  Remember, losing is actually winning when you recognize God is in the driver’s seat, not you.

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