Thanks for trials
Romans 7-8 has been my mediation these last two months and I can learn it a million times over, the truth of the Spirit and the flesh and living in tension right now between the two of them.
This sounds so bizarre, perhaps, but I am growing more and more grateful in temptation and for trials that I experience; seeing with fresh eyes how much power the Spirit in me has to help me say NO to sin and bring glory to God. Even while feeling sucked into sin, God kindly has recently reminded many times that even in my temptations he can be glorified as a rely on him to rescue me and help me to obey him rather than the desires of my flesh. My inner being, the truest and deepest part of who I am, loves God's law and loves to obey him and loves to know Him (Romans 7). Despite discouragement and disappointment at my continued failures, I am thankful for scriptural assurance that I belong to God, not to sin.
Facing arthritis and recognizing physical pain as a God-ordained trial for me has been hard this past year, and I never want to forget Eli's wisdom a few weeks ago: "Your pain will never be a barrier to God being glorified in your life." My limitations and set backs and physical struggles do not and will not keep God from accomplishing what he wants to do in me and through me. Though I want to be more needed than that makes me sound, I rejoice to know that God is just as interested in using pain in my life to train and establish me as he is in using me for the sake of others.
I am deeply grateful for the local church God has given me to and given to me to strengthen me and help me run the race with endurance. I am thankful for women much older than me who are examples to follow, who so wisely teach and explain God's word to me and encourage me to be faithful. I am thankful for God's word and for the days when I have eyes to see the big picture and the glory God reveals of himself in it.
He is good.
This sounds so bizarre, perhaps, but I am growing more and more grateful in temptation and for trials that I experience; seeing with fresh eyes how much power the Spirit in me has to help me say NO to sin and bring glory to God. Even while feeling sucked into sin, God kindly has recently reminded many times that even in my temptations he can be glorified as a rely on him to rescue me and help me to obey him rather than the desires of my flesh. My inner being, the truest and deepest part of who I am, loves God's law and loves to obey him and loves to know Him (Romans 7). Despite discouragement and disappointment at my continued failures, I am thankful for scriptural assurance that I belong to God, not to sin.
Facing arthritis and recognizing physical pain as a God-ordained trial for me has been hard this past year, and I never want to forget Eli's wisdom a few weeks ago: "Your pain will never be a barrier to God being glorified in your life." My limitations and set backs and physical struggles do not and will not keep God from accomplishing what he wants to do in me and through me. Though I want to be more needed than that makes me sound, I rejoice to know that God is just as interested in using pain in my life to train and establish me as he is in using me for the sake of others.
I am deeply grateful for the local church God has given me to and given to me to strengthen me and help me run the race with endurance. I am thankful for women much older than me who are examples to follow, who so wisely teach and explain God's word to me and encourage me to be faithful. I am thankful for God's word and for the days when I have eyes to see the big picture and the glory God reveals of himself in it.
He is good.
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