I have a bloggy friend who shared something today that really brought me a lot of understanding. Over the last couple of years I've wrestled with my beliefs in terms of denomination so to speak. I came from being a baptist all my life into a strong word of faith church and then God moved us to a different church. It is still considered word of faith but with so much more understanding, not just name it and claim it. I've learned that I must conform to God's will and NOT try and conform His will to my life/wants/desires. It's been a journey that is for sure. He is in control NO matter what happens. He isn't punishing me, He loves me. He knows whats best for me. He is my Father. The post below elaborates on this. Thank-you my friend for allowing me to share your revelation.
Begin share~
Granite : a hard stone and traditionally has required great skill to carve by handOne of the things that the LORD constantly reminds me of is HIS mercy that I received when I am honest about my sin. Where I am in my walk with him is so sweet, yet challenging.. I love that I know without a doubt that I have this FRIEND I can be honest, real, and HE not be offended by anything I say. Last night as I was visiting a friend we had very encouraging conversation about trials, sufferings and what the LORD was doing in each of our lives. What humble moment that was for me... I left her house feeling very refreshed and encouraged to walk another day in acceptance in what the Lord's will for my life right now...Remember the revelation I was talking about yesterday?? Here it comes, the LORD Is so faithful y'all, HE IS... He remembers me and I am nothing but dust... My friend read this excerpt from out of a book I am reading on trials and we both were blown away at what the LORD was saying to each of us through this entry:' I once stood in the test room of a great mil. All around me were little partitions and compartments. Steel had been tested to the limit and marked with figures that showed its breaking point. Some pieces had been twisted until they broke, stretched to the breaking point and their tensile strength had been indicated. Some had been compressed to the crushing point, and also marked. The master of the steel mill knew just what these pieces of steel would stand under stain. He knew just what they would bear because his testing room revealed it. It is so often with God's children. God does not want us to be like vases of glass or porcelain. He would have us like these toughened pieces of steel, able to bear twisting and crushing to the uttermost without collapse. He wants us to be, not hothhouse plants but storm- beaten oaks; not sand dunes driven with every gust of wind, but granite rocks withstanding the fiercest storms. To make us such He must bring us into His testing room of suffering. Many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God's testing room of faith." -J.H. McC"It is very easy for us to speak and theorized about faith, but God often cast us into crucibles to try our gold, and to separate it from the dross and alloy. Oh, happy are we if the hurricanes that ripple life's unquiet sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious. Better the storm with Christ than smooth waters without Him."- MacduffI have no words after that...I just asked that we all continue to encourage one another through the fire. We need each other. It was good last night for me to hear my sisters heart and not think about myself...Others are hurting as well, please feel free to share this with a sister you know who needs that extra push today..May the LORD continue to give us grace to endure. Have a great weekend! Please feel soooo free to leave comments! :)End Share
That was awesome wasn't it? It has really helped my faith to grow and it has helped me to understand why things happen the way they do sometimes. I think about my own girls and how I have spoiled them so, and to some extent that is fine but I also look at the attitude that spoiling them has created. It has been a struggle to regain control and fight off the rebellion that is in their hearts as a result of a lack of discipline. Don't get me wrong my girls are good girls but you simply cannot give someone absolutely everything they want, you cannot protect them or excuse their actions with no consequences, leading them to believe that the world revolves around them and that the world owes them something without creating a monster. They need to appreciate what they have, they need to work for what they have, they need to learn to serve others, they need to be taught how to be humble. If they do not learn to be submissive to authority (which is often us the parents) then they will not be submissive to teachers, employers, they will struggle through life blaming everyone and everything for the problems in their lives but themselves. Most importantly they will not be submissive to the Lord.
Sometimes we have to take our hands back, the same way the Lord does with us and allow them to be twisted and marked, compressed and crushed to refine them and strengthen them to be able to handle what this life has for them and to be used for His glory. They must be trained if they are going to be mighty warriors for our King. Love can sometimes be confused with giving one their own way. If you love me, you'll do this. If you love me, you'll do that. I know many times my girls will tell me that I don't love them because I am disciplining them. How many times have I cried out and told God, "How could you love me if You allowed this to happen to me!" How many times have I cried out and told Him, "If you love me you'll answer this prayer!" How many times have I stamped my feet and demanded my own way or prayed prayers and when they weren't answered the way I seen fit I questioned His existence? I have missed many great lessons my Lord was trying to teach me. I have failed to see how I could have glorified my Father, My Savior in so many ways. I have refused to follow Him in His will if it did not line up with my will.
There are consequences for our actions. Yes the Lord forgives us and we should receive that forgiveness with no shame or guilt after repentance but there are still consequences when we choose to sin. There must also be consequences when our children refuse to obey.
Basically it was a wrong way of seeing things. I'm ever so grateful that the Lord is teaching me how to truly see Him. How deep His love truly is for me. How blessed I am to be a child of the King! I hope that this will help help other see our Lord through spiritual eyes and not through our physical ones. May God bless you all greatly this day!
My friend's blog
For Yours Is The Kingdom.
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