Faith is the real thing

  Greetings:
  Do you want to please God? If so, you must have faith.
  Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
  Hebrews 11:1(NIV) defines faith by saying, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."aith is revealed in action, not words.
  Christianity is not real difficult. We are.
  We try to make a new path, a better way than what has already been established. There are you times that we just have to stand and wait in faith.
  Faith lets us smile in the face of the devil and say, "God's got this one."
  Through our faith, we are able to patiently wait for God to move in our lives as he unveils His plans to us.
  Faith gives us the ability to hold our heads high in the midst of our personal life storms because we are confident there is going to soon be sunshine and peace.
  Faith allows us to wake each morning and say, "God, what can we do for you today."
  Our faith allows us to smile in a hurting world that needs God.
  Faith is walking into a dark storm and knowing with confidence that sunlight will soon be shining on you.
  Sometimes our lack of faith turns into doubt and r robs us of a blessing.
  Our sincere, unwavering faith in God always soothes the storms of life..
  Faith is the solid foundation that we stand upon at all times. It is the here and now of our belief.
  Faith is opening God's Word, reading it and believing it to be true.
  Stand firm on your faith
  Be blessed.

Proverbs provides the needed wisdom

  Greetings:
  The Book of Proverbs is full of a long litany of sins that get us all into trouble – dishonesty, impatience, selfishness, a hot temper, and even running our mouth's too much.
  Proverbs repeatedly tells us that wisdom will keep us out of trouble. We should probably pay attention to that advice.
  Anytime we ignore God’s principles, we eventually suffer the consequences. God has given us the freedom to make our choices, but we are not free to choose the consequences of those choices.
  Remember how David prayed, “I am surrounded by many troubles... My sins have caught up with me.”
  People often blame God for the natural consequences of their poor judgments and choices or they blame the devil for circumstances that were actually planned by God.
  God never tempts us to sin, but he tests our character and faith continually.
  The storms in our life can be a trial, a temptation, a trespass, or a troubling consequence. We must remember that God’s purpose is greater than our problems, our physical pain, our relational strains, our hurts and even our sins.
Becoming like Jesus means serving, sacrificing, and suffering just as He did. The Bible repeatedly tells us that suffering is often the will of God for our lives. In fact, we sometimes suffer more because we are Christians.
  God tells us to consider this a privilege in 2 Timothy 3:12 (The Living Bible). It reads, “Yes, and those who decide to please Christ Jesus by living godly lives will suffer at the hands of those who hate him.”
  Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is likely to be in for a lot of trouble. There’s no getting around it. I don't know why for some, it is greater than for others, but it is.
  God wants to perfect  us, not pamper us. He always values the spiritual over the material, because that is what will last forever.
  God told Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.(Jeremiah 29:11, The Living Bible).
  If you are facing trouble right now, don’t ask, “Why me, Lord?”
  Instead ask, “What do You want me to learn?”
  Be blessed.

More than Bible knowledge is needed

  Greetings:
  Mere exposure to The Bible and to biblical teaching are not sufficient to produce spiritual growth in and by themselves.
  There are many 'Bible smart' folks in all of our churches, who don't necessarily possess the kind of spiritual growth that God desires of us. They can quote scripture after scripture to perfection, but living what they are quoting is a whole different ball game.
  Unless the Word of God is "mixed with faith" in our hearts, the mere acquisition of knowledge will not teach us. To grow, we need more. We need faith.
  True spiritual growth requires not only that we receive the teachings of the Word of God, but also that we believe them down in our hearts and souls.
  Look at Hebrews 4:2 (NIV), “For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.”
  We all need to make God's Word a key part of what is deposited in the storehouse of our souls.  We must breathe His precious truth into our hearts completely. 
  Unless we believe the teachings of The Bible, we will not be able to lean on them in times of need, trouble, temptation, as well as in good times. Without a faith foundation, we will have built our spiritual house "on sand".
  Only by believing does a principle of biblical truth become our own.
  Only by believing them do the essential elements of God's knowledge become, in any true sense, understandable to us and usable by us.
  Only by believing God's message do the building blocks begin to form a secure foundation in our hearts capable of withstanding the daily onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
  Be blessed.
 

Keep running the race

  Greetings:
  Perseverance allows us to consistently pursue a goal or unwaveringly live out our beliefs, regardless of obstacles or difficulties.
  In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, the apostle Paul compares the pursuit of the Christian life to a foot race.
  I love his analogy that shows the importance of persevering in the race of faith in order to attain our spiritual reward.
  I really like the way the passage reads in the New Living Translation: “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
  It's important to pace your effort.
  Christians sometimes try to accomplish too much too quickly, relying on their own strength rather than on God's power.
  Waiting on the Lord's timing sets an appropriate pace so we don't burn out.
  In the middle of long races, like a marathon, runners sometimes "hit the wall," a point where they feel physically and emotionally spent.
  From their perspective, the finish line is far away and quitting is a strong temptation.
  When Christians continue running, choosing obedience over emotions, they will eventually experience a "second wind," a renewal of God's strength that will sustain them to the finish line.
  This past week I have experienced the rewards of my own perseverance. On Wednesday, I met my Birth Mother face to face for the first time in more than 65 years. My journey to find her started three decades ago. There were days, weeks, months and years of frustrations, delays and what looked to be dead-ends. But the wait for God's timing was worth the reward.
Getting to hug her, see her smile and tell me she loved me was something I cannot describe and will never forget. I am grateful for and in awe of God's goodness in answering my prayers.
  Be blessed.

When we are weak, God remains strong

  Greetings:
  As Christians we can have peace and comfort knowing that God's grace furnishes to us what is lacking in our lives because of personal weakness.
  Knowing Christ fills our inadequacy is a great source of encouragement to me. We know that Christ is equal to any task we face. Knowing that God is not asking us to do anything that He is not willing to accomplish through us is our greatest source of encouragement.
  I think that this was the comfort that the Apostle Paul received in times of trouble. Paul gives us a new look of our own weaknesses. The ability to accomplish God’s tasks does not rely on our adequacy, but on God's sufficiency.
  Look at 1 Corinthians 12:1-10 (NIV). It tells the story of Paul's vision and his thorn. He concludes by saying, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
  Our world boasts of its strengths and diminishes its weakness. Paul boasted of his weaknesses and diminished his strengths. God gave Paul a balanced life by putting him in touch with his own weaknesses. God allowed the messenger of Satan to torment Paul by giving him a thorn in the flesh.
  God wants to reveal his power over the circumstances. God gives us our circumstances to make us dependent upon the One who is the master of every circumstance.
  Knowing our own strength is good. Recognizing our own weakness is even better.
  Paul had to look beyond himself for the strength to endure. We are totally dependent upon the sustaining power of God. Most resumes dwell on the applicant's strengths, but Paul dwelt on his weaknesses.
  We can do the same thing.
  Be blessed.

We don't have to wait for Kingdom blessings

  Greetings:
  This morning let us re-examined a Bible passage that most of us are familiar with.
  Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV). It reads, “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
  What does that mean when it says...”on earth as it is in heaven”? It means our kingdom - our blessings - are here for us today. We don't have to wait until we get to heaven.
  We can get a glimpse of God's will for humanity here on earth today by looking at what Jesus went about doing during his earthly ministry. Jesus only went about doing what He saw The Father doing.
  In Matthew 5:19 (NIV) we read: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
  What did Jesus go about doing in His earthly ministry? The Bible tells us that Jesus went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
  Now Jesus could have just came down and died for our sins. Simple end of the story. But no, he also came to demonstrate what he really wanted to happen here on earth by healing, delivering, and carrying out the work of the Kingdom.
  It is the will of God for the sick to be healed, the lame to walk, and the demons cast out! Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and the fruit of satan's labor – sickness, disease, bondage, and all oppression.
  God wants us blessed in the here and now.
  Luke 17:21 (NIV) says, “Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
  Read the words of Jesus in The Bible if we want to know the will of God for each if us today on the earth. God created mankind to be blessed, and His plan hasn't changed one bit today.
  Get plugged in to God's plan and see what happens.
  Be blessed.

Strive for unity

  Greetings:
  It is God's purpose for all believer's to attain a unity of faith.
  With many Christians there has been a tendency to confuse faith with doctrine.  Faith is not doctrine. Faith is obedience to the Lord. It is through faith that we are saved, and not by correct 'schooled' teaching.
  The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV) “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the Word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
  This is the gospel"  principle on which we stand, and how we are saved - by which one becomes 'a believer', or, 'a Christian'.
  It is through believing the Scripture, and in the love of God, shown and commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, and exercised in our love for each other as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, that Christians have "unity of the Spirit" .
  It is through this that we can "attain the unity of faith."
  Although differences of beliefs, doctrine, interpretation, and opinion may be held and expressed among believers, they should be expressed in love.
  What is the basis of Christian faith?
  Is it the church building, tradition, or doctrine?
  It is none of these.
  We believe in the one to whom the Bible bears witness. We believe in the one whom tradition hands down. We believe in the one whom The Church proclaims.
  It is Jesus Christ himself, who constitutes the spiritual power and unity of the kingdom, which is The Church. If we believe that, then we are true brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Be blessed.

Listen before acting

Greetings:
  Our God is so faithful, always present, good and there when we need Him.
  The trouble is we don't hear his voice because we have not devoted the necessary time in prayer to be able to hear him and recognize his voice when he does speak to us
  Then, when we don't hear him, we get frustrated, anxious and take things upon ourselves. We run too quickly, unproductive, confused, engulfed in just being busy and always pushing - ahead of God.
  We are commanded in Psalm 46:10 to "Be still and know I am God."
  This means we must spend that 'still' time listening to The Holy Spirit and getting our guidance and our spiritual marching orders.
  Our spirit can thrive in solitude, silence and the stillness of our prayer time, if we use it properly.
  Importantly, if we pray and hear no definitive direction, then we do nothing until we do hear that small still voice of the Holy Spirit. Nothing good can happen when we get out in front of God's timing and  His plan.
  Be blessed.

Choose your words wisely

Greetings:
The words we speak and write have a tremendous impact.
  It is important to remember that whatever words we utter or write should be chosen with care because people will hear them and read them and be influenced by them for good or evil.
The basic tool for the manipulation of truth is the manipulation of words. If one can control the meaning of words, one can control the people who see or hear those words.
Likewise, the basic tool for the preservation of the truth is the preservation of God's words. If one understands the original meaning of God's words, we can more easily recognize those who try to manipulate and control others through deception and the altering of the original definitions of words.
How many times have you said, “Oh, I wish I hadn't said that.”
Our words once spoken or written can not be retrieved or re-written.
Proverbs 12:18, tells us “...the tongue of the wise is health." As in the health of the body, a doctor can often assess our state of health by looking at our tongues.
The same is true in the spiritual realm.
James tells us in James 1:26 that the way a man uses his tongue is a test of his spiritual strength.
He also says that if a man can control his tongue he is a perfect man (James 3:2).
Therefore, we should be very careful about the words that we choose to speak or write.
Our words also reflect who we are.
Proverbs 12:18 says, “There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Can you think of some simple words that have big meanings?
How about..."thank you",  "I appreciate you", "you are amazing", "I forgive you", "good job", "bless you", "I'm sorry" and  "I love you"?
Let us learn from The Word of God what kind of words we need to be saying and writing to uplift those around us.
Be blessed.

Let us never forget

Greetings:
The memories of this day 17 years ago linger fresh in our minds. We can all remember  where we were that morning.
It still hurts.
The date Sept. 11, 2001 will forever stand out as a day to remember and reflect on our nation and its future.
On that day, 19 cowardly, heinous terrorists flew commercial planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and into a field in Pennsylvania.
The September 11 attacks resulted in 2,996 immediate deaths: 2,977 victims and the 19  hijackers, also perished.
These attacks on our nation produced horrific carnage, stunned the world and caused many to turn for consolation in spiritual faith and God's Holy Word.
This just wasn't an attack on the United States.  More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center alone.
In different degrees we all experienced a kind of emotional meltdown that day and for some time afterward.
The pain and grief of 9/11 has moderated some, but the memories remain.
We have had other attacks and threats by the cowardly Islamic terrorist ISIS. These are real  threats that we all need to take seriously. We need to be praying for God's protection and guidance on how to eradicate this human cancer.
We must not let something like 9/11 make us run from God's truth, when what we need is to run toward it all the more.
One part of that unwavering truth is that evil is real. We all saw the manifestation of evil that historic day.
Let us take comfort on this day from the words that Paul etched in Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God."
On this day let us remember the many innocent lives lost and the lessons learned that day. This nation was rocked on 9-11, but let it be remembered that the U.S.A. still stands strong. We are a blessed nation where freedom reigns and in God's holy name is where our trust remains.
Be blessed.

Always trust God

Greetings:
  The mysteries of the way God works are just that. They are a mystery to us, but a mystery worth looking into or investigating through studying his Holy Word.
  I wish I could understand why one person suffers and the next one doesn't.
  I wish I could understand why some people never seem to get sick and others are sick all the time.
  I wish I could understand why some prayers receive an immediate answers while the answers to others require much patience.
  For whatever his reasons, God has chosen to keep many things a mystery to us. I guess some things of God are simply on a 'need to know' basis.
  In Proverbs 3:5 (NIV), it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
  I like the words of Proverbs 3:4-5 in the Living Bible, which reads: “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself.”
  Until we know the answers, we need to keep looking, praying and asking for God's wisdom and discernment.
  We have to believe beyond our ability to understand how our problems can be solved. That is called trusting God.
  Be blessed.





 

Hope for our nations

Greetings:
If there is any hope for our nation and the other countries around the globe, it will be found in families turning back to God.
However, it does not end there.
I hear many Christians say America needs to return to God. I hear many Christians lament that America no longer gives God His rightful place in our government or in our schools. But what are we doing about it?
I am concerned for Christian families today because I see a disconnect between what we say and what we do. The evidence of what we really believe is revealed in what we do and don't do.
Do you recall those first tender moments after your new born child arrived?
Do you remember holding the small vulnerable frame for the baby against your proud chest?
Do you remember caressing the soft skin and breathing in the fresh scent of baby powder?
Fast-forward a few years. The baby powder smell is gone. And, under normal circumstances, our expectations have changed. We continue love the child without condition. But we want them to do more than just receive our love. We also want them to give theirs.
Like a helpless infant, we can do nothing to earn God’s favor. But that doesn’t mean we limit ourselves to passively basking in His tender, loving care. Like every good parent, God expects His children to grow up.
Growing up means doing something, taking responsibility and acting.
We act through prayer, by our voice and through the ballot box. It is our responsibility to know the candidates we elect to make our laws and enforce our laws at every governmental level - this includes on our local school boards and even our church boards.
Who we elect does matter and it is our job to ensure that  responsible individuals are placed in positions of leadership.
Be blessed.

Be 'all in' for God

Greetings:
In the card game 'Poker', when you declare to be 'all in', you are doing just that. You are wagering all of your available chips on the stock or worth of a particular hand.
You are betting on your hand to be better than anyone else's hand that is sitting around the table in confident hope of winning the 'pot' or the prize of the game.
In our Christian walk, are we 'all in' for God?
Is God first and foremost in our lives?
I read a quote recently and I don't know its origin, but it says, “Following Christ isn't something that can be done half-heartedly or on the side. It's not a label we can display when it's useful. It must be central to everything we do and are.”
In Matthew 6:33 there is a familiar scripture that says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”
When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the some of the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “
It says “Seek first the kingdom of God.”
Do we seek the kingdom of God first?
The great concern of many is our own personal lives, not the kingdom of God.
Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.
It does make sense.
In Mark 12:30,  Jesus, when asked to identify God’s greatest commandment, quoted an ancient Hebrew text and said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
When our priorities are right, God is able to open doors that no one can shut.
Are we 'all in' for God?
Be blessed.

Washed clean

Greetings:
  God’s Word is the mirror to our soul, and as we look into it with humble hearts.
  Just as a person looks in the mirror and doesn’t present himself or herself publicly until all the blemishes are covered and everything is just as it should be, so too are we to present ourselves spiritually.
  Romans 12:1 says that we need to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices unto God. We cannot do this unless we look into the mirror of The Word so that we know where we need to change. Identifying where we need to change is no more complicated than being in God’s Word and humbly yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Change is as simple as confessing our sin, repenting of it, and by faith walking by The Spirit in obedience. Satan battles us and tries to tempt us and destroy our faith.
  For those who ignore what they see in the mirror, Satan already has won his victory, but as we change, there will be opposition.  Yet, Christ is able to strengthen us to stand against the wiles of the devil. Our will power alone won’t enable us to resist temptation. We need the grace of God and the faith to believe. Christ is our sufficiency, and our ability to be sustained in holiness and obedience is dependent upon our faith in Christ’s power, grace, and faithfulness.
  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, and it talks about transformation – the reconciliation – that takes place when we accept salvation and become born again – saved – Christians.
  It reads: 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, then new has come.”
  The passage says your old ways, old sins are gone – never to be remembered again. There are no pre-conditions for this to happen. Our sins were erased when Christ died on the cross, shedding his blood for each one of us.
  May God give us grace to believe the truth of The Scripture and the strength to walk in it.
  Be blessed.

Keep on keeping on

Greetings:
Have you heard about the guy who was asked if he thought ignorance and apathy were the two greatest problems of the human nature?
He responded, “I don’t know and I don’t care!”
Well, Paul doesn’t want to see that kind of attitude in The Church. We need to know and care when trouble comes our way.
In Romans 12:12 (Good News Bible), Paul offers exhortations about dealing with our attitude towards difficult circumstances.
It reads, “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times."
It seems like enough of a request to patiently endure tribulation, but we're supposed to be rejoicing all through the whole thing?
This mandate doesn't apply exclusively to when we're facing tribulation, but rather in our day by day attitude, no matter the circumstances.
How can we rejoice when life brings what looks like an endless trail of misery, broken hopes and pain?
We all must possess a desire, a craving for hope in our lives.
Faith and hope are closely related. It's kind of like describing to someone how chocolate tastes. Can you really put that in words?
We are directed to be patient in tribulation. The devil, though fighting a war already lost, will stop at nothing to tear us down, whether through circumstances that tempt us to give up our moral standards or through outright, vocal opposition to our beliefs.
We can patiently endure, knowing that no tragedy of any scale can budge the Lord's plan for us. The key to any problem in our life is to be steadfast in prayer. Keep praying no matter what.
We will always be faced with circumstances we cannot handle or control, people we cannot understand, and choices we cannot make.
We need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit to get through it. Seek his presence in prayer. Ask for his direction in our lives. Ask for favor when we are surrounding by circumstances that seem to be swallowing us up. Pray for peace in the midst of the storm.
Be blessed.

Keep it simple

Greetings:
  There is so much honesty, guidance, beauty and power in the words of the Psalms.
  This morning, we are directed to Psalm 112, which shows us a picture of what Christian faith and a Christian life looks like.
  The words remain applicable to today's Church, which sometimes struggles with direction and purpose - thinking inventing something new and different will heal it's shortcomings.
  God is not a God of confusion and drama. The answers are straight-forward. Look at God's Word for the recipe to church harmony and church growth.
  Psalm 112 puts the spotlight on humans, declaring that happiness is to be found in a life honoring the Lord and living according to God’s commandments. Such lives will enjoy God’s blessings. Having themselves experienced God’s mighty acts on their behalf as well as God’s quiet, steady action of blessing, they will share with the poor what God has given them.
  Psalm 112:6-9 tells us there are rewards to trusting God, “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;  in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.”
  The psalmist is offering something to each of us which we might cling to as a life jacket of hope.
  Religion tries to complicate things with new and changing rules, guidelines, directives and doctrine.
  Remember, God is not the author of confusion, division, deceit or strife.
  Learn and believe The Word of God. Declare the Good News to the lost. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Engage in praise and worship. Never neglect the opportunity to pray for those in need.
  That should be our personal lives, if we profess to be followers of Jesus Christ.
  It is our faith in the promises of God that will lift us, comfort us, inspire us, strengthen us, mold us, protect us, heal us and guide us each and every day.
  Be blessed.

Soak up God's grace

Greetings:
We cannot understand Christianity apart from a grasp of grace. The doctrine of grace distinguishes the Christian faith from every other religion and cults around the world.
By Christian definition, grace is God’s unmerited favor. It means we receive something we did not earn or even deserve. We did nothing to get grace. It is a free gift to believers.
In Christianity we have redemption through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, as well as the forgiveness of our trespasses (sins), according to the riches of His grace.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV), we read: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Grace works within the believer in such a way as to bring spiritual growth, maturity, and progress in our process of becoming Christ-like.
In Ephesians 1:7 we read, “In Him we have redemption through the blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.”
It’s almost a shame that a word like grace, which is used for a quick prayer before a meal, is the same word we use to describe God’s unfathomable love for us as sinners.
God's amazing grace can be dumbfounding through our carnal eyes. But if we look thought our spiritual eyes it all comes into focus and we can see it, feel it and understand it.
Be blessed.

Contentment takes time and thanksgiving

Greetings:
  The Apostle Paul didn’t learn contentment overnight. It was over a long period of time through a great deal of suffering that he learned not to overlook the basic, small provisions of God, but to be simply be thankful. It is easy to take things for granted.
  Just comparing our life to somebody who is in a worse state does not necessarily make us feel better. But if we thank God that we have the things that we realize that others might not be so fortunate to have, then our thanksgiving can change our perspective and bring us contentment. 
  We need to maintain Paul’s attitude of thankfulness for all things and in even the most dire and unfair of circumstances. 
   In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Amplified Bible) we read, “Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].”
   Let’s look closely at the verse. Some might think that this verse says to be thankful for all of our circumstances. But the verse actually says to be thankful in all circumstances. The original Hebrew word for 'in' that is used here means 'in the middle of' or 'during'.
  In other words, when the waves of strife drive our faces into the dirt, we must not give up, lose heart, or stop trusting God. That's the time to get up, dust off, be thankful and believe.
Be blessed.