Feeling better today, but stomach is not accepting much to eat.  There is something going around and I think Carla brought it home with her.  She isn’t doing badly, but a lot of her co-workers have been ill for the past couple weeks.  Not one thing it is another!

Last night Carla had to go in and relieve her boss.  She received word that her Grandmother may not live through the night, so the family made a rush trip to McMinnville to see her.  We haven’t heard how she is doing this morning. 

Isaiah 43:2-3  But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Mathew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

God's desire from us is our total commitment to Him.  In response to that commitment from us is His commitment TO us to be with us at all times.

He wants us to totally rely on Him and in doing so receive His care and protection as we go through this life.

He know there will be times that we feel like we are going through a fire, where the floods of sin strive to pull us under, but He will be there to help us walk through it all.

God has never promised us an easy life, especially as we proclaim Christ.  Those that would tell us that we should always live on the mountain top as Christians, that no harm should ever come to us if we are faithful to God are false teachers.

The examples in both the Old and New Testaments of God’s faithful suffering are many.  Prophets and leaders were imprisoned and executed for standing for God against the leadership of nations.  But the teaching of strength through God and the trials we go through are also part of the record and the promise of having God helping us, strengthening us, is a vital part of our service to Him.  We could not do it without Him.

2 Corinthians 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Christians all over the world are suffering for their stands in Christ.  The news media is not covering these atrocities for one reason or another.  We occasionally see the results of Christians going through tribulations, but for every incident shown there are hundreds more out there occurring every day.

I recently received information that more than 35,000 Christians have been expelled from their communities, houses burned, women raped and thousands of Christians killed in Chiapas the southernmost state of Mexico – our neighbor to the south.  Those that are alive are in refuge-like camps with little shelter, food or water.  That is just one incident of hundreds that Christians are going through.

Yet, they do not waver in their faith.  They cling to God and understand that only through Christ can they be saved.  The message of one such victim is that God has allowed her to live, therefore, she must proclaim His name.

God uses our weaknesses, when we turn them over to Him.  He uses our strengths, when we turn them over to Him.  He uses our fears, our trepidations, our infirmaries, our reproaches from the world, everything we are, if we turn them over to Him.

He uses it all to further His work; to bring others to Him. 

Even in our strength we are weak.  All too frequently we rely on our gifts from God to witness for Him, forgetting to ask Him to guide us.  We can do some things on our own, and we will see some good results, but how much more impact they will have if we take the time to talk to God before going forward.

Living for Christ is not an easy walk in the park.  But compared to the burden we place on our soul through sinful activity it is nothing.  The addiction of sin is a heavy burden.  While we may seem to revel in it, it takes a toll and eventually weighs us down.  It really is a heavy burden that grows heavier each day.

But our burden under Christ’s Love grows lighter as we walk with Him and learn we can cast our cares on Him.  We walk with a different walk, one of confidence and assuredness.  We know that whatever we face, we do not face it alone.  We can learn to not only rely on Him, but we don’t need to think twice about our part in His work, it is will become automatic.

We will work as servants dedicated to our Lord without thinking about our own comfort, or lack thereof.  There are many thousands of Christians who have come to that level of giving of one’s self to God.  We indeed must pray that they continue on in their mission for God, that those they teach and preach to will accept His promises – AND that we too shall reach that level of subservient behavior that Christ demonstrated so we can better serve Him.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again