by Carol Roberts | Nov 10, 2017 | Hope
Many times the strongest presence is the most silent. There are examples we see each day. A school classroom can be out of order where students are running, screaming and throwing things. A teacher can continue to instruct and follow all the rules to bring order to the classroom yet some students will still disobey. A Principal walks into the classroom and just stands and suddenly all is quiet. He doesn’t say anything, he just looks at the students who are out of order. His parting words are that he hopes he doesn’t see this again. Somehow these students know a strong presence is there watching and they become well behaved.
Things are the same in our lives. We have a loving yet powerful God Who always watches. He sees the floods of hardships and natural disasters that hit our lives. He hears our prayers and as we focus on God He will silence the causes of the hardships.
During the times we see no results we can know that He is dealing with the source and not the effects. Effects will either suddenly or gradually dissolve depending on the type of trouble causing our hardships. The key is to remain focused on the strength of our God and not the size of the hardship. God is able and He is all powerful.
Psalm 93:3-4 New Living Translation
The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!
by Carol Roberts | Nov 8, 2017 | Salvation
On the sixth day of creation God made us in His image. This image is that of our Father, Son and also the Holy Ghost. He will make us brand new into His likeness as we enter heaven.
God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to become His Own Image in order for us to identify with Him. He experienced every temptation, pain and disappointment that we do and He handled each situation with divine perfection.
It is for this reason that the name Jesus is above all other names. He overcame even death making it possible for us to overcome all things by trusting in Him. Jesus is Lord.
Philippians 3:21 New Living Translation
He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.
by Carol Roberts | Nov 7, 2017 | Friendship
The word “forgiveness” contains the word give. This is the proper thing to give to our enemies. Someone wrongs us and years later we still pay the consequences of what they set up for us. We are instructed to love them anyway and forgive them just as Jesus forgave us. However forgiveness does not mean we are required to automatically trust them. In fact it is unwise to run to them as if they are still friends only to be trampled again.
Trust is earned and once trust is broken it is next to impossible to restore that friendship back to the fullness of the way things used to be. Therefore forgiving a person doesn’t declare them trustworthy but it clears our conscience of the need to carry the burden of losing that friend. It frees us to move ahead to new beginnings.
It’s understandable that there is grief over losing a friend who turned against us but Jesus walks with us during these difficult times. We may never know why such a friend suddenly turned against us but Jesus knows. There are opportunities we may not get due to the fact we are stuck with consequences someone else caused but God opens new doors.
We are commanded to love and to forgive no matter what. God has His perfect reasons for allowing things to come our way but He always shines His light at our feet while we walk His pathway.
While we may have lost a person we considered to be a friend, that same person lost our trust. Prayer is the best thing to offer to God on behalf of that person. God will restore peace back to us as we remove our trust from that friend and place our trust in God.
John 13:34-35 New Living Translation
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”
by Carol Roberts | Nov 6, 2017 | Love
Covering the truth is like putting a barrier on a major road. People cannot reach their destinations without taking detours delaying their arrivals.
When we fail to do what we are supposed to and we ignore the warning signs of a pricked conscience we place an obstacle in the way of our communication with God. We know we should be truthful with God and make things right but our natural instinct is to turn our faces away from Him.
We feel embarrassed or we become prideful about making things ok. We know that God already knows yet we still try to make excuses or get busy in order to block the waves of unrest from our consciences.
However the conscience is how God directs our paths. He understands that we occasionally slip up and say or do the wrong thing. God understands the times we make a deliberate effort to have our way knowing it’s wrong. While these things are not ok, God loves us so much that He will work with us to get things right.
Ignoring the convictions only prolongs the unrest in our spirits and hardens our hearts. All that is needed is a time out to genuinely speak to God acknowledging our mistakes. Pray for those we may have harmed then seek God’s guidance about moving ahead. This will break down the barrier and peace will calm us allowing us to move closer to God.
When we are truthful with God concerning all things His genuine love will meet with truth allowing His righteousness to smile on us from heaven.
Psalm 85:10-11 New Living Translation
Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
by Carol Roberts | Nov 4, 2017 | Friendship
Being rebuked is painful, especially by a friend. However honesty is the very thing that keeps us moving forward.
At first a friend may be sympathetic toward the problems of even their best friend. He listens with a caring ear taking in every single word. Day after day it’s the same problems, same tears and no advice is taken.
Suddenly the sympathetic ear becomes one of harsh rebuke. The tears are flowing but the friend’s response is a painful surprise. He no longer has any sympathy stating that the pathway to freedom has been pointed out numerous times. His listening ear is withdrawn and the feeling of a free fall begins. There is no longer the comfort of the friend but anger and disgust instead.
The feeling of emptiness is bad enough but to think the respect of that friend has been lost is devastating.
It’s not long before advice is taken in order to overcome the emptiness and disappointment of using and possibly losing such a good friend.
Sympathy can last for only so long before the time comes to start doing something about situations. It’s true that some situations are ones to be walked through hand and hand with God but even those can grow an attitude of acceptance. Other hardships require steps to overcome and continuous milking friends for pity creates an obstacle to moving forward.
Is the friend being harsh to offer such a painful rebuke? No. Such a friend is a gift from God and one to be cherished. One of the greatest gifts one friend can give to another is honesty. Has the friendship been lost over the need to be rebuked? Let’s say it a different way. Is the friendship valuable enough to want to improve and restore?
Hebrews 12:6 New Living Translation
For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.