Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
ARE YOU SEEKING?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
“How long would it take you to go back?”
“72 hours?”
“Yes Pastor, I could be back on the street dealing and making good coin in 72 hours, maybe less.”
“But I am not going back” he said. “I won’t.”
“Jesus wouldn’t approve…J”
Now this is a snippet of a conversation I had outside the GATEWAY SHELTER on Gettysburg Avenue in West Dayton just yesterday morning.
Suffice it to say, this guy has gone through some “STUFF”.
Lost job, lost home, lost family, living in one of the toughest places you WILL EVER ENCOUNTER and yet…HE IS NOT GOING BACK!
HE HAS FOUND JESUS. He loves Jesus and no measure of trial or challenge is going to make Him give up on Jesus!
What a testimony!
Could we say the same?
How do we respond when life has turned upside down, when we are faced with a choice to serve CHRIST or to serve ourselves?
Could we be that SURE of ourselves?
We should be.
Brought me to this passage…
1 Peter 1:5-7
The Message (MSG)
A New Life
3-5What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
6-7I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
What can we learn from my dedicated and diligent friend?
When we are faced with trials we must continue to trust that GOD is right there with us in those trials.
That the DAY of healing IS COMING and nothing is WORTH GOING BACK!
Therefore, no matter how difficult, we can never unplug our faith, even when things get rough. We must trust God and His promises. Why? Well, look at what verse 5 says:
God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
When we keep our faith plugged in, we are under the careful and watchful eye of JESUS
That means we are preserved.
It means we are protected and guarded.
It means when we are going through a trial, God will protect us through His power when we trust Him.
It is safe to say I am really proud of my friend in the GATEWAY. But it is evident that GOD is as well. His perseverance and attitude has become a magnet to other men in the SHELTER. He is even starting his own recovery meeting on the 7th INSIDE THE SHELTER. He is being light and salt for others in need.
I share his story today to encourage all of us.
Whatever your trial…keep trusting.
You are under careful watch.
I love you all
Freedom Church
Pastor GDelaney
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