Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger". Now, while I don't agree with much of what Nietzsche said, I will agree with this statement. I've always used this statement when counseling with someone who is going through a rough time, "You'll never be the same by going through this. You'll either be worse or better but you will not be the same." There are more quotes that basically mean the same. Another good one is, "Adversity builds character". I think you get the point. Whenever faced with great adversity and the odds seem stacked against you, its very hard to stay positive or, "keep a stiff upper lip", as it were. While it does seem hard, that's exactly what we need to do when walking with the Lord. When you asked Jesus into your heart you did not sign up for easy times did you? I sure hope not. That's not what Christianity is. The Bible is full of scripture that gives us insight into a walk with Christ. They all say about the same thing: "get ready for the ride of your life. It wont be any easier than before but now you will have Me (Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit) to walk with you." We will all go through hard times in our life. The only difference between a Christian and non-Christian is that we have the Lord to lean on and the Holy Spirit to guide us into the way of truth. It is this fact that gives us our resolve to "run the race with patience" (Hebrews 12:1). Albeit daunting sometimes, we must continue with steadfastness because we are running for a prize far greater than anything we can imagine. If you've ever gone through a long and tiring battle, like the one I'm in, you know exactly what I'm talking about. There are times when I have prayed a million times and it seems like God is not listening. If He is listening, He isn't answering me. Listen, I know that sometimes the Heavens can seem like brass and the prayers you offer up seem to go no higher than the ceiling, but it is then that we must remember that Christ is offering intercessory prayer for us all day, every day. That's what He does. Constantly putting our face and our prayer in front of the Father asking for His will to be done. This is what we must remember. We want the Fathers will to be done, not ours. In this, we will find true peace and joy in this life. Rest in the Lords will and be content to ride out the storm until He tells the wind and rain to subside.
Just in time...
As some you know, and for those of you who don't, I have listened to Christian music since 1983. I listened to secular and Christian music before that, but I decided to listen to Christian music exclusively at the tender young age of 13. I am very glad I made this decision. It has made many of my battles in this world a lot easier. Music is my life and the music of the Lord is like the Bible set in motion. One of my very first cassettes that I ever listened to was Gordon Jensen "Just In Time". There are a lot of great songs on this CD. If you get a chance to purchase it, you really should. Its a hard find since it was first published in 1983 but its well worth the search. The title track talks about how we can feel overwhelmed with the world and what we have to fight day in and day out. The chorus though says this, "Just in time, just in time, once again the water turns to wine. And just about the time I couldn't need it anymore, I get a little glimpse of Heaven just in time." We've been needing rain here. My grass crunches when I walk on it. I woke up this morning thinking, "Lord, it sure would be nice to get some rain today." No sooner did I say it but we were the beneficiaries of a refreshing rain. The Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Don't give up. Don't feel forsaken. Don't think that He's not listening. The Heavens may seem like brass but I assure you, they are not. He's just waiting for the right time...His time. Fight the good fight. Until next time...
LW
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