by Carol Roberts | Oct 20, 2018 | Hope
A trip may require many hours of driving time or only a few minutes. Either way fuel is required. The longer the trip the more times we need to fuel up. If we are traveling to a new destination and do not know the various stopping points it is wise to stop before completely running on empty. Fuel is the necessity for getting us safely from our starting destination to our final point of arrival. All of what has just been said is plain common sense. Who wouldn’t fuel up while making a trip but what about the trip of answered prayer?
We pray in faith believing God to answer our prayer. The only thing we do not know is the timing of the answer. There are some prayers that are answered so quickly we almost trip over the results. Other prayers are answered so slowly we wonder if our prayer has been heard. This is especially true when we pray for another person to have a change of heart.
Many times God chooses to change us first creating a detour in our wait time. Other times God will send others into our lives where we focus our time creating yet another detour. Years may go by and not even the first result is seen. It’s important to know that we do not always see the business going on in heaven to assemble our answer. How do we get through these waits? We fuel up on faith. Encouraging words from others who have already received their answers fuels our faith. Things we do not see adds to our hope that God is still working which fuels our faith even more. If God has not specifically closed the door He is still working.
Hebrews 11:1 Living Bible
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
by Carol Roberts | Oct 18, 2018 | Friendship
There are numerous ways people can offend, betray or trip us up. When we have been wronged the effects can be devastating. Wrongs come in two main categories; unintentional and intentional.
Unintentional wrongs are easier for us to regain our peace than intentional wrongs. Our name doesn’t appear in a program when we worked hard to do a performance. All other performers and behind the scenes participants names are clearly listed stating how they contributed. The family comes to see us perform and the program is in their hand yet our name is not there. While this has a lifetime memory the error was an oversight and was not directed at us.
On the other hand an intentional wrong is meant personally as a rejection toward us. The worst rejections come from people we thought loved us. We are there to comfort a friend in need and we empathize with them by giving examples of similar situations God brought us through. After their need is met they no longer know us. Many times they will make friends with our enemies turning our situations back on us. We remember our kindness toward them and grieve over the sudden turnaround. It’s painful to think we had a friend then realize they never were our friends at all.
These are only a couple of examples of thousands of different ways people can wrong us. What do we do with hurts so deep? How do we pick up the shattered pieces and get our joy back?
During these times we look beyond human feelings and the acts of unkindness. Our comfort comes from the heavenly realm and not from other people. While it’s encouraging to have the understanding and love from a genuine friend it’s even more comforting to have the support of our Heavenly Father. When we seek the face of God He will appear in our circumstances and we will recognize His hand at work. God will deal with each situation and each person in His timing and His way. However it’s necessary that we stay in the will of God that we may live in a way that pleases Him.
Philippians 4:8-9 Living Bible
And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
by Carol Roberts | Oct 15, 2018 | Encouragement
Here is a perfect illustration of how force can do totally the opposite of what is intended. This example is borrowed from an article written many years ago. A man has on a thick coat. The harder the wind blew the tighter he placed his arms in front of himself holding his coat to this chest. The rain started to pour down on him making him pull up the hood on his coat. The weather got extremely cold causing him to huddle with others who had on coats.
What would it take to get the coat off of him? Later a warm sunshine came his way and he politely removed his coat.
People are the same way with their habits and reasons. A smile and a simple example changes a person quicker than harsh words and reprimands.
2 Timothy 2:25-26 New Living Translation
Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
by Carol Roberts | Oct 12, 2018 | Hope
The Bible states that we do not fight against one another but against the principalities of darkness. The devil is always on the prowl to steal, kill and destroy. The devil and his imps continually feed people with false ideas and senses of urgency to go to battle against other people.
A deceived person has no clue he/she is confused and sees things completely differently than what actually exists. Anyone trying to make a gentle correction will provoke violent anger. One thing to prayerfully ponder when dealing with such uproars is the fact that some battles are not meant for us to fight. When it comes to the urgings of the devil and people being blind by his spiritual tactics God is bigger than all confusion world wide.
Prayer is powerful. Prayer puts us on the side of God and God has already won these battles through Christ. Jesus Christ has overcome even death. Therefore He is equipped to handle even the most complex disarrays.
When the battles are actually spiritual causing such chaos our best defense is the greatest offense in Christ. When God’s people pray, God goes to battle. Just as Jesus calmed a storm He can also calm the hearts of people in an uproar. We are always on a winning team when we stand united with Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:17 Living Bible
But if you give yourself to the Lord, you and Christ are joined together as one person.
by Carol Roberts | Oct 10, 2018 | Love
Most of us know the story of the good Samaritan who helped an injured man. Two other people passed by and didn’t lend a helping hand. The Bible is very clear that God wants us to care for others. In doing so we are sending ahead treasures for heaven that we will enjoy for an eternity.
What were those other two people thinking who passed by the man who needed help and didn’t offer any? They may have made their meeting on time or looked good to a certain group to have a clean garment. They may have made it to the dinner table on time and enjoyed a meal. They may have had speaking engagements to offer words of comfort to others. Unfortunately that was the only reward they received. Those rewards were very short lived.
When we see a pan handler today what do we do? In most cases it is not advisable to donate money but we can offer a prayer. If we have an extra sandwich do we think to offer one to him?
Occasionally there will be a person alone on a park bench obviously upset. Do we take time to ask them how we can pray? It takes only a moment to please God when we spread kindness to another person.
As people get more preoccupied in the latest technology it’s easy to overlook the obvious but we need to remember, God never overlooks us.
Hebrews 13:16 Living Bible
Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to Him.