GOD'S REAL POWER IS FOUND IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE ARE IN

9/23/2019

DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF WISHING THAT GOD WOULD CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU FIND YOURSELF IN ? IT GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS, “ GOD, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE ! I SO NEED A CHANGE OF PLACE. I FEEL OVERWHELMED, LOST, OR JUST PLAIN BEATEN UP AND DISHEARTENED. PLEASE DELIVER ME FROM THIS, OR SOLVE THIS. I’M IN THE WRONG PLACE AND I NEED TO HAVE YOU TAKE ME TO A BETTER PLACE ! “ WE ARE SO SURE THAT WHERE WE ARE IS A MISTAKE OR AN ABERRATION. SURELY GOD DOESN’T WANT US IN A PLACE WHERE WE ARE SUFFERING, OR HAVING TO ENDURE DIFFICULTY…..BUT, MAYBE THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE AT TIMES. THE QUESTION IS, WHY ? WHAT WOULD MAKE IT O.K. FOR US TO HAVE DIFFICULTY ? THERE IS ALWAYS THE POINT SPOKEN THAT GOING THROUGH FIRE AND TRIALS MAKES US STRONGER AND BETTER, AND THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE….BUT WHAT IF THERE IS ANOTHER PIECE TO CONSIDER ? WHAT IF IT IS IN OUR MOST DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE TRULY SEE AND EMBRACE THE TRUE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF GOD. WHAT IF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES ACTUALLY BRING US MORE COMPLETELY INTO HIS PRESENCE AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.

CONSIDER IT PURE JOY, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE. James 1:2-3

WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL IN ALL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT YOU MAY WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, FULLY PLEASING IN HIM; BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK AND GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, BEING STRENGTHENED WITH ALL POWER, ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT, SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE GREAT ENDURANCE AND PATIENCE, JOYFULLY GIVING THANKS TO THE FATHER, WHO HAS ENABLED YOU TO SHARE IN THE SAINTS INHERITANCE IN THE LIGHT. Colossians 1: 9-12

SO OFTEN WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT THE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF GOD, WE IMMEDIATELY THINK OF MIRACLES, OR THE POWER OF GIFTS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THERE IS SURELY POWER IN THESE THINGS. BUT DON’T YOU FIND YOURSELF CONTINUALLY AMAZED AT HOW GOD BRINGS US AND OTHERS THROUGH A MYRIAD OF EXPERIENCES WHERE WE REALLY SEE HIS POWER IN THE OUTCOME OF ENDURANCE OF SUFFERING, OR ENLIGHTENMENT FROM ADVERSITY. THE ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE IN OUR HEARTS THAT WALKING THROUGH DIFFICULT THINGS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD THAN ALWAYS HAVING LIFE FLOAT ALONG ON AN EVEN PACE. WE SO OFTEN TURN TO GOD AND SEEK HIM AND HIS POWER WHEN WE ARE CHALLENGED….AND THAT IS WHEN HIS POWER BECOMES SO EVIDENT AND SO REAL. LOOK NO FURTHER THAN HIS WORD TO SEE THIS ACTED OUT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT. FROM THE CHAOS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BIRTHING OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, TO DAVID FACING GOLIATH, TO JOSHUA CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER AND FACING THE MIGHTY CITY OF JERICO. GOD’S POWER IS ALWAYS PRESENT IN OUR LIVES JUST WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST. AND WALKING THROUGH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES RATHER THN BEING TAKEN OUT OF THEM LET’S US TRULY SEE HIS MAJESTY AND LOVE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY. IT BUILDS US UP IN FAITH AND TRUST, IT CHANGES OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, AND MOST OF ALL IT PUTS US IN HIS PRESENCE, SURRENDERING TO HIS WILL AS WE WATCH HIS POWER UNFOLD. PERHAPS RATHER THAN ASKING IN PRAYER FOR A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCE, WE SHOULD BE ASKING AND SEEKING GOD’S POWER TO TEACH US, CHANGE US, AND MATURE US IN HOW WE SEE HIM AND HOW WE CAN TRULY LIVE FREELY IN HIS LOVE FOR US AS OUR ONE TRUE GOD. POWERFUL, YET FULL OF GRACE AND LOVE. TRUSTWORTHY TO MEET ALL OUR NEEDS IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. OUR ABIDING HOPE, NEVER CHANGING, FOR ALL ETERNITY. THANKS BE TO GOD THAT HE LOVES US. WE CAN FACE ANYTHING WITH HIM BY OUR SIDE :)

NOW, ALL GLORY TO GOD, WHO IS ABLE, THROUGH HIS MIGHTY POWER AT WORK WITHIN US, TO ACCOMPLISH INFINITELY MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK. Ephesians 3:20

FOR WHO IS GOD EXCEPT THE LORD ? WHO BUT OUR GOD IS A SOLID ROCK ? GOD IS MY STRONG FORTRESS, AND HE MAKES MY WAY PERFECT.” 2 Samuel 22:33

SEEK HIM, KNOW HIM, LOVE HIM/ JA