Friday, March 27, 2020

Fantastic Friday #726 - Calamity

Calamity

4 I am a laughingstock to my friends,
by calling on God, who answers me.
The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
5 The one who is at ease holds calamity in contempt
and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.
13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;
counsel and understanding are His. Job 12:4-5,13

What a whirlwind of a month as we see sadness all around us daily. This week another calamity visited our family with the passing of a dear friend. No words or feelings can be penned to cover how my friend, his family and my family feel. We can only do one thing and that is turn to our God and ask for peace and guidance through this tragedy. While in the end, she is in Heaven with our Lord and Savior, that doesn't always help those who relied so much on her, and it doesn't always help when she was so young. I look back at Job and the calamity that he suffered through the loss of family and wealth, and see his continued reliance on God even through the challenges. We often forget that during times of struggle that God is in control of all things, and it is being fulfilled to His plan. Just like my mother one month ago, God called home another angel this week for His purpose. We won't understand and we are at a loss, but we can be found and will eventually understand if we put our faith in God at the sight of a calamity. Don't let the pain and sadness you feel overwhelm you in any situation, but know that God is always there.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Friday, March 20, 2020

Fantastic Friday #725 - Suffering

Suffering

31 For the Lord
will not reject us forever.
32 Even if He causes suffering,
He will show compassion
according to His abundant, faithful love.
33 For He does not enjoy bringing affliction
or suffering on mankind. Lamentations 3:31-33

Do you think the circumstances around you are a result of the world's rejection of God? We can look back at the history of the world and find where God punished people for rejecting him and worshiping other gods. While I don't believe that God is causing suffering to take place now because specific people have rejected Him, I do believe that God allows us to suffer to turn back to Him. There was a scripture my son shared with me this last week that pointed to the fact if we pray and seek His face, and turn from our evil ways, he will heal our land. Maybe we need to start thinking about seeking, turning, and praying to see what God can do. He is mighty and he certainly doesn't like to see us suffer.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Friday, March 13, 2020

Fantastic Friday #724 - Promises

Promises

3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

There is evil in the world, so much evil I wonder some days if the good can still overpower the evil acts and craziness that goes on. Did you see that statement? If good can still overpower evil. That is how a lot of us tend to think about things. Maybe we need to focus on the promises that God has given. He's already won the battle, and we get so deep into our lives, sometimes we tend to forget that. He gave Satan free reign over this world, and it needs to be within each one of us to battle it. He gives us the tools and the spirit to fight against the negativity and corruption, we just need to reach into that tool belt and use them. The promises are there and we will have them according to His goodness.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Friday, March 6, 2020

Fantastic Friday #723 - Signs

Signs

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. Hebrews 2:3-5


Every day we look for signs. These signs we look for are sometimes related to an acknowledgement that we are doing the right thing, walking the correct path, or living how we should be living. I looked this week for a different sign and one that I did not receive an answer for until I truly listened. God gives signs and wonders all the time, and sometimes we just don't pay attention to His sign for us. Our hearts need to be right and God needs to be willing to give us a sign. It seems that we so often wait for something that seems to last for days. I was happy to finally receive a sign that was calming and clear, and we just need to wait His will. Wait for the sign that God has in store, and the sign will be clear.


Have a great weekend.


Matt