Struggles In Our Lives
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be ale to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, He would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. How true is this! How many times have we wanted to take the quick way out of struggles and difficulties, to take scissors and snip off the remaining bits in an attempt to be free? We need to remember that our loving Father will never give us more than we can bear, and through our trials and struggles, we are strengthened as gold is refined in the fire.
“May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have.” Don’t focus on the things you DON’T have, enjoy each moment of every day God has given you. “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 So let’s take today, even with its struggles, and make it a good day…our loving Father has given this day to me to use as best I can. The struggles of life won’t go away, but remember that God is allowing us to go through it for a reason.
SHARING
The Greatest Joy
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 4
There are many things that cause fathers to take fleshly pride in their children: personal excellence, achievements, etc. Every father is gratified in seeing his children develop into responsible adults.
But for a Christian father, there is no greater joy than to witness his children walking in truth. The truth is what makes one free by its knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and light. The truth establishes one on sure footing. God’s truth endures forever with promise for the life that now is and that which is to come.
Walking in the truth is where and how one can find the leadership of the Holy Spirit, who knoweth all things–“He shall guide you into all truth” John 16:13. The Holy Spirit has and will continue to be, the power for right discernment and decision making.
The truth affords sound reasoning for the mind to reject the deceitfulness of sin and follow righteousness, thus to sanctify us = to set us apart from sin unto God (John 17:17). “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psalm 119:9. Parents can have great hope and confidence when they see their children taking root in the truth.
Walking in the truth supplies sound reasoning for and unto being established in a New Testament Church, because of it being God’s ordained “pillar and ground of the truth” 1 Timothy 3:15.
When friends fail, when enemies strike, when circumstances disappoint, when life seems so hard and hope so far away, the truth will continue to work effectively for and in those that believe, 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
So fathers, when it comes to nurturing your children, and conveying unto them that which is fool proof for now and all eternity, “Buy the truth and sell it not” Proverbs 23:23. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:2-3
Walking in the truth is not only the cause for great joy, it is also our deliverance from fear and worry, being assured of the harvest of truth in the lives of those walking in the truth.
SHARINGThe Will Of Man
THE WILL OF MAN IS CONSIDERED THE ARM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FALSE RELIGION. Man’s will to reform, be and do good, is considered the supreme act of righteousness for acceptance with God. How false! Man must rather be convicted of the sinfulness of his own will and way, unto repentance and faith in Christ, as the One whom God made to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Masses are being blinded by false religion unto not really trusting Christ to save them, by exalting the ability of their own works as the power to do right and be right for their acceptance with God.
THE WILL OF MAN IS BEING SERVED BY THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD. There are some professed Christians, that if every member of the church was just like they are, the church would be dead. WHY? Because they are spiritually dead to the will of God and they do not contribute any spiritual life to the work of the Lord. One of the greatest evidences of one having not repented of their own sinful self, but is rather depending on their own will and way to save them, is that they rise not above the human will to do God’s will. Thus there are no fruits of the Spirit.
The human will professes faith to further one’s own honor, but it stops short of being faithful to the will of God. Instead of taking root in the truth, there is a continual stopping short of God’s plan and purpose. While always alert and striving to meet all the requirements of material and human interests, there remains a disconnection to Spiritual obligations involved in serving the will of God. Thus the religious involvement is no more than what serves the will of the individual and lacks faith unto proving what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
THE WILL OF MAN IS THE PREFERENTIAL CHOICE OF THE UNBELIEVER. The unbeliever’s will wants no reproofs from the truth of God’s Word. The human will seeks to avoid the light of God’s truth, and strives to darken all such counsel, so as to be able to have one’s own way.
Man will ignore obvious discrepancies that evidence his error, while hiding behind professed intentions, all for the sake of having his own way. He will stonewall every attempt to reach him and is antagonized by the efforts attempting to do so.
All have a choice to remain a slave to their own sinful will, or repent unto being set free from sinful self by faith in Jesus Christ, to gain perfect liberty to serve God through His working in them, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
WHOSE WILL ARE YOU SERVING? Everyone has a master, and there are only TWO: Jesus Christ or the Devil—WHICH?
SHARINGMemorial Day
“And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
Memorial Day is not to just recall who, but to also remember the cause for which they died. Those who died in the line of duty, didn’t just do it for themselves, but also for all others. Granted, some join the service for their own agenda, but they must come to grips with the fact that their service, in life or death, is for their country.
There will always be the dispute of what war is justifiable. But for the soldier, if he dies fighting in a war that is a national policy blunder, he is not to blame, for he did his duty. If anything, he is also a victim–a casualty of the war.
There are many noble and honorable efforts that make for a strong and free society. But one thing for sure, without those who have been and are willing to lay their lives on the line in defense of our nation, all the other efforts would be in vain.
As we are privileged to serve in a local New Testament Church, as we carry on the work, as we endure the trials and tribulations, let us also remember–had it not been for Christ dying for us, to afford us salvation with spiritual life in the family of God, and the victory over sin, Satan, death and hell, all our efforts would avail nothing. It is only because He died for us all that we are able to live unto and for Him.
So, just as Memorial Day is a call to remember both the sacrifice and the reason for the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers, let us remember the reason for which Christ died–that we which live, “…should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
Beware, lest we forget: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14
SHARINGFear Him
–By Thomas Smith
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
One of the most basic principles of the Bible is learning to fear the Lord. We know that God is merciful and caring. He is also patient and kind. But the same God who loves us so dearly is also just, holy, jealous, and righteous. He expects reverence and faithfulness. He judges sin and compromise. It is pleasing to Him and beneficial to us if we develop the wholesome quality of fear toward Him. When Moses stood before Him, he was instructed to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. When John saw the Savior in Revelation 1:17, we are told that he “fell at his feet as dead.”
It is not natural to fear the Lord; this habit must be acquired and maintained. The Bible teaches us plainly that God is to be feared. The further our world drifts from a Biblical worldview, the more we see casualness about the Person of God Almighty. Blasphemy and cursing are more commonly heard in the public arena than words of respect for Jesus Christ. There was a day in our country when the majority of businesses would not consider being open on Sunday, out of respect for God and the importance of worship.
This lack of respect for God is taking over many places of worship. Man-centered worship is the order of the day. People shop for churches that will cater to their individual tastes and schedules. If Sunday worship is not convenient, why not forget the Lord’s Day and go to church on Saturday evening? If rock-and-roll music fits their personal preference, they look for a church offering a live band and contemporary worship. This is the trend of our generation. God is often referred to with terms such as, “The man upstairs,” or “Our buddy in the sky.” Preaching is being replaced by entertaining and shallow and non-offensive mini-sermons with little Biblical content or call to commitment and holiness.
How wicked and carnal all of this is! It should make us shudder to think of this wholesale lack of respect and fear. Nowhere in the Bible can you find anything that would condone such behavior. Our text beckons us not to fear man, but to fear God. We are not to be people pleasers, but God pleasers. Our nation needs a revival, including a revival of the fear of God.
SHARING
