Finding The Joy
"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of
your faith
produces patience." (James 1:2-3
NIV)
Sometimes
when you are actually in the valley it is hard to see the joy of a situation isn't it? How do we experience joy
when we are so low?? I think that is when the rest of us come in ... each one person should have one person they can rely
on to encourage them and lift them up.
Haven't you seen that most of the hard times ~ the valley, you experience in your life that
although your faith has been tested, your patience has been tried and tried again that you have been taught great
lessons in God's truths. Most of the time we reflect on the circumstance instead of reflecting on God and what God
is trying to tell us through that situation.
The Lord shows us in that verse. That He knows we will face trials and that the trails
test our faith. The answers are right there in scripture. Sometimes we can't see it. We can't because
our eyes are still focused on our circumstances. God knows the roads we are going to go down and only He has the
answers. We want things now, but Jesus says, "I am the way." If we go another way, when we finally figure
it out can't you just see Him waving His arms pointing you back to Him - "Hel-lo, over here!" Life
is such a full circle. We look at our kids (whether small or adults) and see mistakes we've made with them and mistake
that they are making themselves. Sometimes we may think, "well they have to learn for themselves. They have to
make mistakes." For most of us, that is exactly what it takes for us to come to the foot of the cross!
Trust in Christ today to be your provider.
Trust that Jesus will bring you out of the valley. Don't give up. Meditate on His Word. The answers
are there. Each one of us will face hard times in our lives. It is just a fact. But we have a promise from Jesus
that He will never leave us. He will always be on that journey with us. Don't leave Him. Go to
Him today and praise His name. Thank Him for that hardship and ask Him to show you how you can grow through it!
I pray the Lord
has touched your heart through His Word. I pray that you are not giving up. I am praying even if you are at the
end of your rope that you are holding on to the knot until Jesus comes to rescue you! Jesus is all you need! I
hope you have a great weekend, invite someone to church with you this Sunday. If you are not going to Church, pray that
the Lord leads you to a church that stands on His Word. Where you need to be. God Bless You. Love, Tracy
Why Not Me
"Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the
LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy
righteousness as the waves of the sea:" (Isaiah 48:17-18 NIV)
I like how the Message puts it ...
Isaiah 48-17-18 "with
this Message from GOD, your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel:
"I am GOD, your God, who
teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go.
If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full
like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea."
How much do we miss when we don't follow the Will of God for our lives. The blessings he has for
us and those that He has for others through us. God says, "if only you had paid attention!" Hmmm, I
wonder what I've missed out on because I've put myself first instead of the Lord?
In verse 6 in chapter 53 it says ... "We're
all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And
GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him." (the Message)
Jesus paid it all. All to Him I
owe ... We are like sheep, we try to wander off on our own, but when we stay grounded in God's Word, He draws us back
. Psalm 62:7-8 says this ... "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in
God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." No matter what
you are facing today, turn to Jesus. He is your ROCK, He is your REFUGE ... HE IS YOUR SALVATION! He loves you.
Even if it was only you in this world Jesus would have still taken the cross to pay for your sin. Our mission is to
go and to tell others. What is your mission field?
Most
of us have many ... your home, your job, your neighborhood. I hope you all
have a great day. Pray that the Lord will give you the boldness to share a word of testimony today. One of my
favorite verses ... Isaiah 6:8 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, Here am I; send me."
Do we ever pray that? Sometimes we may offer to do or go, but sometimes that is just because
no one else has stepped up to the plate. Are we sincere in our devotion time when we say, whatever it takes Lord, I
am willing to do it? I pray that we will all apply this to our lives and when it comes to serving the Lord we do it
with a thankful cheerful heart. Have a great Thursday. Are you counting those blessings??? Love,
Tracy
Word of God - SPEAK
"Whatever you do,
work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV)
You may
not "love" where the Lord has you right now, you may be in the largest valley you have ever faced ~ but
remember everything is for a reason and a season. It is all about what we learn when we are in this valley and we learn
how we can grow from it and through it.
2 Peter 3:18
says "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and
forever more. Amen." What we can do to grow each
day with the Lord is to start each and every day in His Word. Arm yourself with His shield of protection each day.
Read a Psalm, read a Proverb. The book of John is also a great place to start and it is never to late to start.
If we have time for all the silly stuff we do each day, we have time to get up earlier and have quiet time before the rest
of our household gets up. I am not a morning person, I'd love to sleep in an extra hour, but each morning I wake
up and I hear a still voice saying someone needs to be encouraged in the Lord today. Don't miss that Blessing the
Lord has for you by not reading His Word.
Thank the Lord for the valley you are in today - if you are not facing one,
GREAT! But hold on, because one is coming. Arm yourself with the protection of the Lord. How are you preparing
yourself to face the "world" each day? Open your Bible and read a passage of scripture and pray for that Word
of God to speak to your heart. Pray for the Lord's direction - seek where you are supposed to be a witness giving
God the glory, honor and praise!
Please pray for Riley Friddle and her parents, Andrea and Todd. Please
also pray for a baby named Aubrey, she was born 4 days ago and seemed fine. The day after she was born she developed
complications and now is brain dead. The parents are young and will have to make the decision today to turn off
life support. Pray that Jesus will surround those young parents with people who will love and encourage them.
Have a blessed day. Love, Tracy
