"The Challenge" -Too

"Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart." (Psalms 109:16)

 It is pretty obvious to me that God has a purpose in all that we go through, even if it is unseen or realized now, His purposes stretch out far beyond our own individual lives. There was one thing for sure that Jesus had over anyone else, He had the ability to see what was going to happen. We seldom know what is around the corner, let alone the outcome of a trial or circumstance. That said, we do have a roadmap to guide us, it is God's word, taken literally and without doubting what He says. Yes, it is a challenge sometimes to live out all that we should. If we let people use us, they are going to continue using us, that is just the way it is. But what is more important, this life or eternity? I can't imagine what Jesus felt, having full knowledge of what was going to happen over the next several hours, it had to be more than He could stand to think about. There truly is power in knowing what the outcome of any situation will be. We can tap into that power, if we simply trust that God will do what He says in His word. Jesus gave us clear instructions about dying to self and becoming a servant to all; He not only told us how, but He showed us. Now about this immune system that I was talking about, the one which can withstand more than we know. It is the Holy Spirit that lives within us; He is more than able to keep us from becoming overwhelmed by any and all of what overcomes the world. It is pretty awesome how it works, but the more we count on the Holy Spirit to empower us, the more He will empower us. (Lord, please help me to give myself away!) We need to be willing! As hard as it is to comprehend, God's love is power! I can't stand myself sometimes, for the good that I do not do. Can anyone relate? We know what we must do, but we fail to follow through; if we could only experience the real power that comes from loving the way that we should, I think that we too could better see the end result of every situation...

"The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
(Psalms 34:15-18) NLT