Even though

Trust His ways, even though they may not be your ways.

Take His hand, even though it means letting go of what you are hanging onto.

Depend upon His strength, even though you are aware of your weakness.

Please His heart, even though it means not having the approval of others.

Wait for His time, even though you desire to do it now.

Obey His Word, even though you hear different opinions.

Follow His path, even though it takes you through valleys and hills.

Seek His wisdom, even though you don’t understand everything He’s doing.

Give Him praise, even though you wish things were different.

Be at rest, even though you’re tempted to worry and fear.

Be Content

NOW GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN. FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD, AND IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT. (1 TIMOTHY 6:7 *NKJV)

In this World today it is so easy to get caught up trying to make money, that it can become number one in our lives. We may even forget at times how very short our human life is compared to our Eternal life!  FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?  IT IS EVEN A VAPOR THAT APPEARS FOR A LITTLE TIME AND THEN VANISHES AWAY. (JAMES 4:14)

We also may become easily distracted by those around us, who are so consumed by the love of money that they have lost sight of what is most important! If the truth be known those people often have very unhappy lives, for it is written: THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, FOR WHICH SOME HAVE STRAYED FROM THE FAITH IN THEIR GREEDINESS AND PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS. (1 TIMOTHY 6:10)

Now that doesn’t mean we should live a life of poverty at all. For God wants His Children to prosper, after all He said: BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS, THAT YOU MAY OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THE LAW WHICH MOSES MY SERVANT COMMANDED YOU; DO NOT TURN FROM IT TO THE RIGHT HAND OR TO THE LEFT, THAT YOU MAY PROSPER WHEREVER YOU MAY GO. (JOSHUA 1:7)

So when others distract you it is important to remember that as a Child of God you have an even better life ahead of you!  A life without pain, sorrow, sickness or any other adversity! One with the Angels, Arc-Angels and all the Company of Heaven. An Eternal life with God and your loved one’s who have already passed before you. So always: SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. (COLOSSIANS 3:2) For then you will find true peace and happiness when you do!

Therefore, I PRAY THAT YOU MAY PROSPER IN ALL THINGS AND BE IN HEALTH, JUST AS YOUR SOUL PROSPERS.  Amen. (3 JOHN 2)

Grace

This song keeps playing in my mind and once again, I am reminded of how much God cares for me and loves me unconditionally. He is the ONE we can put our trust on despite our circumstances, worries and fear. Thank You, Lord.  I believe this song will touch your heart too as you listen to it. Enjoy!

My heart is so proud,
My mind is so unfocused,
I see the things You do through me as great things I have done.
And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me.
And hold me as my Father and mold me as my Maker.

Chorus:
I ask You, how many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down.
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abound.
And You answer, My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.

At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged.
Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job.
For who am I to serve You.
I know I don’t deserve You.
And that’s the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

Chorus:
I ask You, how many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down.
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abound.
And You answer, My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.

You are so patient with me, Lord.

As I work with You, I’m learning what Your grace really means.
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary.
So, instead of trying to repay You, I’m learning to simply obey You,
by giving up my life to You For all that You’ve given to me.

Chorus:
I ask You, how many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down.
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abound.
And You answer, My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.

Grace by Laura Story

Always Say A Prayer

¹⁴This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. ( 1 John  5:14-15 NIV )

We often find ourselves too busy to stop and say a prayer when we have a rough day.  In this life everything seems like it has to be accomplished A.S.A.P. So we often forget to speak to God in prayer about it before we react.

Therefore one must remember that; THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE! ( James 5:16 NIV ) More powerful and more effective than anything else on this Earth, even when we must react As Soon As Possible.

Have you ever wondered about the abbreviation  A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way…

So when…….
There’s work to do, deadlines to meet;
You’ve got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry-
ASAP – ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos,
“Quality time” is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest-
ASAP – ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
ASAP – ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He’ll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. – ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

The Power of Patience

Our daily bread from RBC

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24)

We’ve all heard the prayer: “Lord, make me more patient—and do it now!”

Why is it that patience evaporates when we are late for a critical engagement and are caught in a traffic jam? Or we rush to the “10 items or less” line at the store, only to find someone in front of us with 16 items!

Being forced to wait ratchets up the stress and shortens our fuse. When that happens, we not only fail to be patient but we undercut the Spirit’s work in our lives.

Patience is not just a virtue, it’s a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)—which means that demonstrations of impatience reveal the sour fruit of our fallen hearts rather than the sweetness of Jesus in our lives. Since God is a patient God, when we abandon patience we miss the opportunity to show our world the glory of God through our lives.

Bursts of impatience only demonstrate that we are more concerned with our own agendas than the needs and struggles of others. So let’s all take a deep breath and turn our focus away from ourselves by patiently loving others instead of ourselves in the midst of stress.

Prayer and Predestination

A Conversation Between Prayerful and Prayerless by John Piper

Prayerless: I understand that you believe in the providence of God. Is that right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: Does that mean you believe, like the Heidelberg Catechism says, that nothing comes about by chance but only by God’s design and plan?

Prayerful: Yes, I believe that’s what the Bible teaches.

Prayerless: Then why do you pray?

Prayerful: I don’t see the problem. Why shouldn’t we pray?

Prayerless: Well, if God ordains and controls everything, then what he plans from of old will come to pass, right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: So it’s going to come to pass whether you pray or not, right.

Prayerful: That depends on whether God ordained for it to come to pass in answer to prayer. If God predestined that something happen in answer to prayer, it won’t happen without prayer.

Prayerless: Wait a minute, this is confusing. Are you saying that every answer to prayer is predestined or not?

Prayerful: Yes, it is. It’s predestined as an answer to prayer.

Prayerless: So if the prayer doesn’t happen, the answer doesn’t happen?

Prayerful: That’s right.

Prayerless: So the event is contingent on our praying for it to happen?

Prayerful: Yes. I take it that by contingent you mean prayer is a real reason that the event happens, and without the prayer the event would not happen.

Prayerless: Yes that’s what I mean. But how can an event be contingent on my prayer and still be eternally fixed and predestined by God?

Prayerful: Because your prayer is as fixed as the predestined answer.

Prayerless: Explain.

Prayerful: It’s not complicated. God providentially ordains all events. God never ordains an event without a cause. The cause is also an event. Therefore, the cause is also foreordained. So you cannot say that the event will happen if the cause doesn’t because God has ordained otherwise. The event will happen if the cause happens.

Prayerless: So what you are saying is that answers to prayer are always ordained as effects of prayer which is one of the causes, and that God predestined the answer only as an effect of the cause.

Prayerful: That’s right. And since both the cause and the effect are ordained together you can’t say that the effect will happen even if the cause doesn’t because God doesn’t ordain effects without causes.

Prayerless: Can you give some illustrations?

Prayerful: Sure. If God predestines that I die of a bullet wound, then I will not die if no bullet is fired. If God predestines that I be healed by surgery, then if there is no surgery, I will not be healed. If God predestines heat to fill my home by fire in the furnace, then if there is no fire, there will be no heat. Would you say, “Since God predestines that the sun be bright, it will be bright whether there is fire in the sun or not”?

Prayerless: No.

Prayerful: I agree. Why not?

Prayerless: Because the brightness of the sun comes from the fire.

Prayerful: Right. That’s the way I think about the answers to prayer. They are the brightness, and prayer is the fire. God has established the universe so that in larger measure it runs by prayer, the same way he has established brightness so that in larger measure it happens by fire. Doesn’t that make sense?

Prayerless: I think it does.

Prayerful: Then let’s stop thinking up problems and go with what the Scriptures say. Ask and you will receive. You have not because you ask not.