However, there does come an occasional 'forwarded' e-mail that catches my eye and spurs something inside of me. One such e-mail was a rather long one, but there were two lines in it that really struck me. They read:
"When you are DOWN to nothing….. God is UP to something!" And, "Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible."
These caused me to think about when I have been down - either physically, financially, emotional or even spiritually. Though I may not have seen it at the time, as I look back, I can see how God was working in each situation. And every time I thought I was down to what I thought was nothing, I now can see that God was up to something.
I confess, what I thought God should have been up to wasn't exactly what He was doing. Instead of filling my checkbook or wallet, or immediately healing me from an illness, I now know that God was UP to something far better. He was UP to filling my heart and mind and healing my spirit and soul!
It is by focusing on God, and what HE is up to, that my faith grows in Him. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that I can now refocus my attention from the 'I’m down and drowning' cycle to the 'Lord, this might look ugly now, but I know You will make something beautiful from it' position of faith.
In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul tells us: "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
Like Jesus' forty days in the desert, God is with us too, and He is always UP to something in our lives. It is by faith we see, believe, and receive. May you receive all God is up to in your life!
May God bless and keep you.....
See you in Church Sunday!
Pastor Eldon
So true Eldon!
ReplyDeleteSo even when I am wondering WHY!!! God is still up to working good in my life?
ReplyDeleteYES! Absolutely, YES! Amen. God only wants good for His children. If we are asking WHY, then it must mean we are in a position of learning, growing and strengthening our faith. When Job lost his farm and his family and was siting in an ash heap scratching the sores on his body, asking God why - God was up to something good in his life. When Jesus was praying in the Garden saying saying, "Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'' God was up to something good in His life.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to ask why. This gives us a chance to seek our souls, our decisions, our motives, and - bring our hearts and concerns before God. It's an opportunity to seek God in the storm and rely on His wisdom and strength. Joseph and Paul remind us of how God is with us and brings good things to those who persevere.