A Highlight and Some Reflection....

Are there situations and circumstances in your life where you are questioning your ability to endure? I think we've all been asked by God to persevere in some form or another....some more than others in this earthly life. I have a new favorite article by Randy Alcorn entitled "A Life of Endurance", in which he encourages us to persevere with ever increasing patience. You can read it in it's entirety here. If you can, read the article first before continuing on. Two things that stood out to me as I have studied this newsletter are 1. We should embrace hardship with gratefulness and thanksgiving...and endure it the same way.You may be saying...duh!! but what has hit me is this next statement. The increase of spiritual growth will not be an 'a-ha' moment...but more than likely a gradual increasing of fruit seen over what can be an extended period of time. Your period of time called to endure a situation will vary greatly as the time is ordained by God and God alone. Sadly, many of us fail when the burdens seem to much to bear and we quit with a whimper. In our McDonalds-give-it-to-me-quick society...even Christians expect quick results to their prayers for help, and fail to see the big picture that Paul paints of a true saint called to endure. 2. Our daily choices set us up for success or failure during the dry, desert times of crying out to God as He's asking us to patiently wait..wait..and wait. R. Alcorn says this ,"Who you become will be the cumulative result of the daily choices you make. You become like what you choose to behold. Behold Christ, you become Christlike. Gaze upon superficiality and immorality and it's equally predictable what you'll become. In other words, you WILL become the product of what you choose to delight in and meditate upon......We all meditate and we're all shaped by the object of our meditation. We take our attitudinal and behavioral cues from it. This week, will I be shaped by situation comedies, soap operas, and newspapers, or will I be shaped by Isaiah, Luke, A.W. Tozer, and Charles Haddon Spurgeon? It depends on how I choose to spend my time....." You can count on trials. In fact, some of them will seem overwhelming and will seemingly rip you to your core. The word even says "do not be surprised at the fiery trials that come upon you"...so then why are we suprised? Why are we unprepared? Well...what have you been cultivating in your heart over months, even years of time? It will be exposed during times of difficulty. The good news is ...is that as a Christian we have grace for today...and for the days of trial He asks us to endure NO MATTER how difficult the circumstances become. They are a revelation of the current climate of our hearts and reveal our true selves...even to us.

Convicting heh? Well, a current highlight for me is that I've joined with many ladies in our church who are reading through the Bible this year. I do not want the news, our culture, the Internet...or any other distraction to keep me from truth. The truth is that in this uncertain world, the ONLY truth is found in God and his word, and on this we should meditate both day and night....Then...when God calls you to a situation or circumstance where you are asked to dig into the depths of your heart to find strength...you will find it's there. Heartlight has several Bible reading plans...and the one I chose was the chronological version. Well, we started in January...and I'm still on track believe it or not! Thank you God for the grace! Several plans are available and it's completely free. For me....as a wife and mom, I don't want to waste a day or a minute of the life God's given me. I want to steward every opportunity in this life to reflect the glorious gospel and life in Christ I've been given. Although everything I've written here I've known for years, the relevence of these truths has become more and more real and sustaining with each and every trial. So, in many ways, these truths though familiar, are so very new. I hope that this speaks to where God has currently has you ...and I'm hoping that you will also join me on this journey through the word!