A testimony

Something to think about.

A Testimony

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

This verse has been an expression of hope. It is uplifting, promising and edifying to His people. I am grateful that it provides hope for those who love him. I am thankful that He has turned my sinful life into something of value and joy.

But why did I entitle this "A Testimony?" As I look back at my life, I can clearly see where God has open and closed doors for my benefit. I can see where he has turned situations around for my good dispute my bad decisions.

I've seen His hand in large and small places of my life and find evidence of his resolution. I can see a young man who use to be me who for no more reason than the Grace of God did not end up a drug addict or a criminal. I can look back at the lives of people I grew up with and see them mired in the same sin for forty-fifty years. I see lives that have ended after decades of fruitless living. Who's legacy is; why was I here?

I look back and can attest to the hand of God leading us away from poorly made decisions. I can see when I joined the Air Force God's hand in my decisions. He used a clerical error on my part to bring us, my newlywed wife and I to a place of salvation. I can see how he brought us through one bad decision after another. I now see the footprints in the sand where he walked with me and when he carried me.

I can see how He turned a near catastrophic heart attack to my benefit and for His glory. I can see where he patiently and consistently taught me, healed me and saved me. I can not understand the depth of love he has shown me throughout my life.  I would have quit on me if I had been him. Yet through all of my sin, disobedience and wicked insistence, he has never abandoned me. He's never reached the end of his rope with me. 

That is not to say that he has exempted me from reaping the rewards of my sin, it means despite my self defeating actions he has found a way to redeem my life. He has been my savior throughout my life. I may not see it at the moment but as I look back the evidence of His work is undeniable. He has turned a poor, abandoned, confused, isolated, lost child into a member of his beloved family. I can now say and could have said over thirty years ago I am a child of the most high God. I now know the privileged of having a father who never abandoned me and never will.

I am a testimony of Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

I am a testimony of my life being worked out for good by God for his purposes. He called me according to his purposes before I loved Him. This is not an isolated testimony it is a common one. It is the testimony of every one who is called a child of God. The sin and rebellion might be different but it is the same God working things out for your good. It is the same God who saves you from yourself daily.

Leia Mais…

Valley of the Shadow of Death

 Something to think about.

Valley of the Shadow of Death

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalms 24:4

20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen. Matthew 28: 20

These two verses provide great peace comfort and reassurance. What better hope do we have than to know that God himself will be with us in our times of troubles and tribulations. I cannot imagine any situation where these two verses would not bring comfort.

“Valley of the shadow of death,” “even unto the end of the world.” these to segments give me a sense of danger, of uncertainty. Not in God but in the types of situations we will be in. They have a connotation of dread. If you're older than a child, you realize that there will be times when you are in a valley of distress. It is as dependable as breathing air. As long as you breathe air, you know that challenges will arise.

As wonderfully reassuring and peace providing as these verse are I have to ask a question. How did we get into the valley?

A few years ago I had a heart attack. One of the nurses that tended to me referred to it as the widow maker. The inference is that most people with my type of heart attack died. By God's will, I am still here. One of the questions one might ask when in this situation is how did this happen? I did not ask that question. I already new the answer. Back 15-20 years before my heart attack my primary physician had prescribed Lipitor. He prescribed Lipitor me due to my family history and my high cholesterol. He recommended I start taking medication to prevent me from having a heart attack at age 55. Unfortunately for me, he was wrong I had my heart attack when I was 53 years old. Had I heeded his advice I probably would have not had the heart attack.

I had the heart attack not based on what God had done but in spite of what He had done. God had place someone in my life to guided me to the proper course of action, I chose to ignore it. I entered that valley because I chose it. As I look back in my life, I realize I willingly and often knowingly walk into the tribulations of my life. There are isolated events in life that cause you to go through valleys where you are not the cause of it. Things like hurricanes, volcanic eruptions or other natural disasters cause you to suffer in non-self inflicted ways. Absent of unique circumstances we are free to pick our poison and often that is precisely what we do.

Most of the time we chose the the wrong path. We participate in the wrong action. We chase after the wrong dream. Though you make the wrong choices and end up in the wrong places. God says, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” God didn’t cause it. He sent people to help you. He may have even shown you a better way. With all He does to provide a better for you way; He will still be with you when you walk through the valley you have chosen.

What God is saying is when all other forsake you because of your bad choices and decisions I will be with you. I will not abandon you. The truth is He is always with you. You may not know Him, recognize or acknowledge Him but He is still with you even now. When you are in the valley when you are all alone. When you do not know what to do. If you call on the one that is always with you, He will hear you and will help you. He is with you before the valley, during and after. He wants to keep us from the valley, but when we are there, he will not say I told you so and leave you to your own devices. He will continue to go with you “unto the end of the world.”

Leia Mais…

Certainty

Something to think about.

 Certainty 

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

When you're tired, spent, worried, weary when you are carrying the world on your shoulders.  When life seems to be and endless burden. When hopelessness is the rule of the day. When you are entirely alone. The love of God is still in full bloom over your life. The love of God will always be yours, there is no power or occurrence that can keep God from loving you. The knowledge of Gods love will carry you through any circumstance. God will never fail you. His love will sustain you when everything and or person has left you He will love you and uphold you. 

Leia Mais…