by Carol Roberts | Mar 16, 2017 | Encouragement
Airplane pilots are quick to advise that landing a plane requires remaining focused on the center line. The center line takes us safely to the final destination. Though turbulence and wind try to blow a plane off course during the journey the focus is always the same. That center line will be visible at the right time for a perfect landing.
It’s the same for us. Though winds of sorrow and disappointment hit at unexpected times the love of Jesus Christ never changes. He is the perfect anchor in all situations because we can count him to always be the same. The same winds that brought sorrow and disappointment are the ones God uses to create a gentle and relaxing breeze. God is alway in complete control.
Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
by Carol Roberts | Mar 15, 2017 | Encouragement
Have you ever noticed that whenever things work out beautifully here comes bad news? It’s almost like an imp is sitting at the door of every opening God has made for you.
You pray many years for a particular job opening and it becomes open. The person who interviews you is not the person who knows your work habits but instead someone you don’t know. You give your best presentation at the interview but learn later a candidate was preselected and your interview was only to meet a quota of applicants.
Another obstacle is the type of thing happens with salesmen. You spend all day working up the best price possible for a bid and your bid was twice the price of the winning bid. Later you learn that your bid was a formality to meet a quota and the winner was preselected. The winner also had perks for pricing that you did not have. You also lost opportunities to sell to others while being tied up in this formality.
What if you are a musician? You spend many years practicing but there are never any openings for you to perform. When there is finally an opening you learn the conductor is one for whom has always created obstacles for you to advance as a musician. The conductor despises you and never gives a reason. Anywhere you place your name for a possible opening somehow this same conductor’s name comes up because he is a well known.
You are wondering if it’s time to give up. Do you trade all your desires, efforts and dreams in on a lifetime of your second choice? What do you do when your heart says yes but the people in charge of everything have blackballed you?
I’m sure by now you are thinking that the answer is too complicated for words but God’s answer is always the same. Trust Me. God gave you your dreams and desires for a reason and that is He wants to use you in the areas that reach people who enjoy the same things as you do. It could be that your divine purpose of reaching people is not meant to be for those particular employers or groups. It could be that the sales you lost trying to win a bid is God’s warning to avoid these type of binds in the future or even to pray against the darkness that surrounds poor business practices. Prayer opens up all of heaven to allow God’s workmanship to come upon the object of your prayers.
Do you think it’s possible God would have you teach others music so that many can achieve your dream? Sometimes it’s not what you achieve but what others achieve because of you. These are the type of treasures that are stored up for you in heaven to enjoy for an eternity. God has not forgotten you and God has not forgotten the dishonesty done toward you.
It’s time to focus on God, His will and His purpose for you. When you take time to know God through prayer and studying His word you will be amazed at the things that unfold. Opportunities will become available that will be the natural thing to do. When obstacles come and you rebuke them the door opens even wider. When it’s God’s time it will work out beautifully, otherwise He is moving you to a better opportunity.
Luke 10:41-42 New Living Translation
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
by Carol Roberts | Mar 13, 2017 | Salvation
How many times have we passed up what seems so ordinary to pursue something that flashes before us? God grants us grace daily to address the issues before us. He never gives us grace ahead of time. The Bible is specific when mentioning that today’s troubles are enough without seeking extra faith for what may or may not come tomorrow.
Day by day God walks with us and together we take life as it comes. However quite often people present us with options that seem wonderful but are costly afterwards.
There are a few examples of many to be told.
A musical group meets weekly to rehearse songs that are enjoyable to play. Suddenly a musician is offered a chance to audition for a prestigious spot in a well known group. The offer is too good to be true. The music is too advanced for that musician and he is unable to make the audition. In the mean time his spot is filled in the original group. He loses out on both things. It’s not enough for him to enjoy the blessings he already has.
A politician leaves her seat vacant in order to run for a higher seat. She is not elected for the higher seat and she is no longer eligible for her old seat. No matter which office she seeks people remember being deserted and will elect the other candidate.
Anything that flashes in front of us that takes our attention from God’s will for us is considered the soup bowl syndrome. Esau lost his birthright over a bowl of soup.
Genesis 25:29-34 New Living Translation
One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
by Carol Roberts | Mar 11, 2017 | Encouragement
In the early spring we see many buds on trees and bushes. As time progresses they become more colorful then one day a very beautiful flower emerges. These buds did not just appear at springtime but prepared all year long.
Harsh winters, hard grounds, too much rain, too little rain and strong winds were endured. Beneath the ground is darkness that is cold and lonely. Above ground are weeds to grow through. It’s one hardship after another for these buds. However the flowers are the reward for enduring such trials. People see these flowers and are amazed at their brilliant beauty. Some even take photos. They are a showroom of God’s beautiful workmanship for all to enjoy.
During our lifetime there are many trials. One of the hardest trials to endure is a long wait. Whether we have prayed for years for an individual to accept Christ or change bad habits, or we spend many years learning a vocation and do not get hired it’s all in God’s hands.
When God chooses a blessing for us it comes with the path and endurances it takes beforehand. The greater the hardships, the greater the blessings. It is for this reason we can count it joy that God has counted us worthy to send us these special blessing packages. Inside the package is the seed of blessing that has to go through the growth period and strengthening period before seeing a bud. God makes no mistakes when He tailor makes our blessings and the ways He chooses to grow us to fit the blessing. In most cases, the longer and harder the trial, the stronger we become. When the blessing appears we must be strong enough to use the blessing in the way it is intended by God.
Today’s trials are tomorrow’s blessings.
2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 New Living Translation
We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show His justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.
by Carol Roberts | Mar 10, 2017 | Encouragement
Trials happen in life. It’s a fact. Whether a person is a believer or not, adversity comes to all of us. While it seems some people are always facing hardships and others never face them, the truth is all of us experience growing pains.
There are people who can get all As in school and never open a book, then go on to a happy marriage and a good job without a care in the world. Those people have life hardest of all. They would not know how to handle a trial. They have nothing to show in eternity for spiritual accomplishments or understanding the trials of others. Only those who experience adversity can truly know and understand the hardships of others. Through understanding of adversity we can truly minister to those who experience similar things.
God will allow the devil to present certain obstacles in order to test our attitudes. Do we display anger when things do not go our way, or do we smile in spite of all that is going on for others to see we are not moved by circumstances?
When we pray about our circumstances do we have a poor attitude or why me, or do we ask God to show His face to us as we walk through these trials?
Jesus prayed for Peter after telling him he would be sifted as wheat. Jesus did not pray and have the situation removed from Peter. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would be increased. The prayer of Jesus concerning Peter is the type of prayer we should pray also. This type of prayer gets results and it prevents us from enduring the same trials over and over.
Luke 22:31-32 New International Version
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”