Spiritual Fruit from Running Up Hills? REALLY?

Spiritual Fruit from Running Up Hills? REALLY?

We become stronger in our faith through trials. 

"Beloved, there is no progress except through pain." God gently spoke to to my heart.

Ugh. Those words stung as I ran or rather trudged up and down hills for ten miles. I was training for a marathon and it wasn't pretty. Apparently, hill training (running up and down hills) and trials have the same effect: they break us. Hill training breaks down our muscles and when they repair, they are stronger. It's the same with trials. Trials break down our self, or pride, making us more dependent on God, therefore stronger. 

Both produce fruit: hill training makes the runner faster, trials create amazing spiritual fruit. Both are beneficial and painful. But in both casese, hope does not disappoint because of the faithfulness of God...

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

#deepwatersliftyourgaze

Our Response when the waves come crashing down in our life?

What's our response when the waves come crashing down in our life?

Trust God (of course)!

How many times do we meet trouble half way? Get anxious when we see a trial brewing? Or a wave is anguish is about of crash down on us and we panic? Okay, maybe that's just me. Sometimes, when a potential difficult situation is arising, I forget my God--the all-powerful, amazing, omniscient God who loves me  enough to die for and who doesn't withhold any good thing from me. Yup, that's me. And as I scurry around in worry, what kind of witness as a child of God am I? 

As I watched this little boy brave the pounding waves by closing his eyes, clasping his hands in prayer, and calmly looking upward focusing only on his God, I was convicted. Whay would my life look like if that was my response to trials? How much more peace would I have in my daily life and walk with Christ?

As you take a breath today and ponder your response to trials, remember to be still and know that he's God (Pslam 46:10). 

An Avocado Seed of Faith

"See, I can even bring the dead back to life." ~ God

An Avocado Seed of Faith

Sometimes we all get weary. Well, at least I do. I get so discouraged, especially after praying for something or someone for a long period of time. I just look at things in the natural, with eyes of the flesh, not with eyes of faith with an eternal perspective. Sadly, I am often too quick to put God in a box and think this is too hard for him.  

Are you guilty of this sin of unbelief as well? Do you also forget how big your God is?

If so, be encouraged. There is nothing too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:27).  He is the God of all flesh, including my weak flesh. Your lack of faith is not beyond God.  You are special. You are treasured. You are the child of the God most high.  He died for you -- so you can be reconciled with a holy God. If you trust in his Son Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved.

This doesn't mean you won't go through trials, my beloved. It just means God will use them to shape you into a more perfect version of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Be blessed and lift your gaze. 

God's got this!