Ever gone through a tough time? Questioned why you were going through the struggle? Ready to give up and call it quits? Trying to figure out what point this could possibly have in your life? What are you supposed to be learning?
There are a few things that I have been struggling with. Why would God create me with such a strong straight forward personality and yet ask me to live in a meek manner? Why is my body still continuing to reject food after months of the battle becoming worse? Why would God allow us to be drawn to something/someone if that something/someone was not what we were to be drawn to? What could He possibly be doing in our lives?
As all these questions fly through my mind I pray that God will change the situation. Change my heart. Change my body. Take away the pain. Take away the struggle. Take away all that is keeping me from You. The reality is I should have been praying, "Lord, teach me. Teach me whatever it is that I need to learn during this time. Even if it hurts, teach me. Draw me ever closer to You."
This morning as I was reading in 1 Peter. I was focused in on v.6 & 7, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Did you catch that? I am to rejoice in my trials. Why? I only go through trials when it is necessary. Necessary for what? For Christ to receive the praise, glory and honor due Him through what happens in my life.
How can I argue with that? God loves me so much that He is willing to put me through the trials when they are needed. And no matter what happens I know that isall good. Why? Because isall God (Romans 8:28). He is in control. Through Him I can make it through whatever He has in store for me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 & 10, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Lord I am willing to go through whatever you want to take me through. Please be glorified in my life. _lml
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Cravings
Have you ever had a craving that wouldn't go away until you gave in to it? For me it's more like when have I not had a craving and given in to it. I often struggle with this. Why would God create me in such a way that caused me to continually go against what I'm supposed to do? What is the point in that?
I've been reading a book called Made to Crave: Satisfying your deepest desires with God, not food by Lysa TerKeurst. Now, most of my struggle is with food, which is rather annoying considering all the things I can't eat due to allergies. But when viewing those struggles in light of scripture there is great comfort and hope to be found. If you think about it, the very first sin that happened revolved around food. (I was not the first person to give in to that temptation!) All throughout scripture there are verses upon verses that talk about food. This is not by mistake. Rather, it is a reminder that no matter what we are going through, God understands. Not only does He understand, but He has also given us the tools (scripture) we need to be able to overcome those temptations. Now, there may not be a verse that specifically names the sin that you are struggling with, but there is scripture that will deal with your heart issues in the matter, or that is general/specific at the same time that the Holy Spirit points out to you in connection with your sin. God's word is alive and available to us, we just need to tap into it. I strongly encourage you to check out Lysa's book. I have learned so many lessons not only connected to food, but just the reality of how we are designed in general. http://madetocrave.org/
We are designed to crave. Our problem lies in the fact that we often fill those cravings with things/people and not God. In Exodus 20:3 God says, "You shall have no other gods before me." Anytime we put something before God in our lives, it has taken His place, it has become a god to us. Unfortunately this isn't often just a one time thing, it usually spreads from there. Joshua 23:7 says, "...that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them." Once we have placed something before God in our lives we have started to mix with it. Then we will probably mention it in some way or form, and before you know it we have started to swear by it, serve it and in a sense are bowing down to it. It has become a god in our lives. It is a progression that needs to be stopped. I think that we go through life thinking of little idols carved and sitting somewhere and us bowing down and worshiping them as our god. The reality is though that anything that comes before God: TV, sports, food, music, friends, family, money, coffee, books, cars, work, Facebook, Twitter, things, etc, all of that can become a god in our lives. It can start small and spread from there. Look at Adam and Eve. One piece of fruit and their lives were forever changed. A piece of fruit. A bite of fruit. Sin is sin, no matter how big or small. Satan just needs a way in, a way to get our focus off of Christ and onto something else. We do the rest ourselves.
I gave up Facebook for lent. Honestly? I LOVE IT! I have found so much more time in my days and I am making the conscious effort to spend that time with God and not filling it with other things. I do miss being connected with people, but I have learned how much time I waste on there. So when I do re-activate my account there will be more limits to how much I'm on there. And when it starts to become an issue again, I will abstain from it for a while. It's all about the moderation and priority something has in our life. God needs to have the most of our life, not the leftovers. When I'm craving those french fries, am I really needing them? Or is my body craving something deeper, richer, more fulfilling? Do I even have that type of a longing for God? I should. Oh that our lives would be like Psalm 63:1 "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dray and weary land where there is no water." God help me to crave You more!
I've been reading a book called Made to Crave: Satisfying your deepest desires with God, not food by Lysa TerKeurst. Now, most of my struggle is with food, which is rather annoying considering all the things I can't eat due to allergies. But when viewing those struggles in light of scripture there is great comfort and hope to be found. If you think about it, the very first sin that happened revolved around food. (I was not the first person to give in to that temptation!) All throughout scripture there are verses upon verses that talk about food. This is not by mistake. Rather, it is a reminder that no matter what we are going through, God understands. Not only does He understand, but He has also given us the tools (scripture) we need to be able to overcome those temptations. Now, there may not be a verse that specifically names the sin that you are struggling with, but there is scripture that will deal with your heart issues in the matter, or that is general/specific at the same time that the Holy Spirit points out to you in connection with your sin. God's word is alive and available to us, we just need to tap into it. I strongly encourage you to check out Lysa's book. I have learned so many lessons not only connected to food, but just the reality of how we are designed in general. http://madetocrave.org/
We are designed to crave. Our problem lies in the fact that we often fill those cravings with things/people and not God. In Exodus 20:3 God says, "You shall have no other gods before me." Anytime we put something before God in our lives, it has taken His place, it has become a god to us. Unfortunately this isn't often just a one time thing, it usually spreads from there. Joshua 23:7 says, "...that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them." Once we have placed something before God in our lives we have started to mix with it. Then we will probably mention it in some way or form, and before you know it we have started to swear by it, serve it and in a sense are bowing down to it. It has become a god in our lives. It is a progression that needs to be stopped. I think that we go through life thinking of little idols carved and sitting somewhere and us bowing down and worshiping them as our god. The reality is though that anything that comes before God: TV, sports, food, music, friends, family, money, coffee, books, cars, work, Facebook, Twitter, things, etc, all of that can become a god in our lives. It can start small and spread from there. Look at Adam and Eve. One piece of fruit and their lives were forever changed. A piece of fruit. A bite of fruit. Sin is sin, no matter how big or small. Satan just needs a way in, a way to get our focus off of Christ and onto something else. We do the rest ourselves.
I gave up Facebook for lent. Honestly? I LOVE IT! I have found so much more time in my days and I am making the conscious effort to spend that time with God and not filling it with other things. I do miss being connected with people, but I have learned how much time I waste on there. So when I do re-activate my account there will be more limits to how much I'm on there. And when it starts to become an issue again, I will abstain from it for a while. It's all about the moderation and priority something has in our life. God needs to have the most of our life, not the leftovers. When I'm craving those french fries, am I really needing them? Or is my body craving something deeper, richer, more fulfilling? Do I even have that type of a longing for God? I should. Oh that our lives would be like Psalm 63:1 "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dray and weary land where there is no water." God help me to crave You more!
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