Patient in affliction
Pray always.
Being joyful in hope most likely leads to being patient in the affliction because you're aware of the hope and you live in Joy. Praying always makes all this possible. I was thinking about the term "leap of faith". I don't think there is such a thing. I think there are steps of faith that must be taken, lived out every day. You never see anyone sitting around for years and then one day run a marathon. They take steps.. first around the block, then 2, then 1/2 mile, then a mile then 2 and so on until they are running 26 miles. That's the way it is with faith. With patience. Patience in affliction is arrived at by being patient in the grocery line, at the stop light, while waiting for the train to do its 15 minute back and forth dance on the tracks. If I can't be patient for the little things, how the heck do I expect to be patient when real affliction comes along? It's all interactive too; faith comes by hearing, hearing what? Hearing the word of God. And I can't hear the word of God unless I open my Bible and let Him talk to me.
Take a baby step of
faith today. Not in what you can do, but what God has done for you.
Chill and relax. Bask in His care. Nothing you can do anyway about what
can't be done. May as well hang out and worship and enjoy the green
pastures and still waters the Shepherd is always leading you (and me)
to.
By faith today I will follow him and stop hindering the journey by stopping to rummage through the bags of garbage in my mind.
I have to laugh (somewhat sadly at times) at myself.... here I am skipping along behind Him and then... He turns around and there I am with the dirt of hurtful memories, regrets, resentment all over my hands as I'm digging through the crap. But He's so kind, and as a result of His kindness, I'm learning to leave my rummaging and get back on the path quicker. In fact, sometimes I even skip past the garbage bags!!! The war is not over until I go Home, but it's already been won and today I fight from victory , not for it.
By faith today I will follow him and stop hindering the journey by stopping to rummage through the bags of garbage in my mind.
I have to laugh (somewhat sadly at times) at myself.... here I am skipping along behind Him and then... He turns around and there I am with the dirt of hurtful memories, regrets, resentment all over my hands as I'm digging through the crap. But He's so kind, and as a result of His kindness, I'm learning to leave my rummaging and get back on the path quicker. In fact, sometimes I even skip past the garbage bags!!! The war is not over until I go Home, but it's already been won and today I fight from victory , not for it.
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