Bring Your Troubles to God
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4.
The Word does not say that we are to count it all joy when we fall under temptation, but when we fall into temptation. It is not necessary to fall under temptation, for temptation comes upon us for the trying of our faith. And the trying of our faith worketh patience, not fretfulness and murmuring. If we put our trust in Jesus, He will keep us at all times, and will be our strength and shield. We are to learn valuable lessons from our trials. Paul says, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope . . .” (Romans 5:3-5).
Many seem to think that it is impossible not to fall under temptation, that they have no power to overcome, and they sin against God with their lips, talking discouragement and doubt instead of faith and courage. Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. He said, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). What does this mean? It means that the prince of evil could find no vantage ground in Christ for his temptation. And so it may be with us….
When we talk discouragement and gloom Satan listens with fiendish joy, for it pleases him to know that he has brought us into his bondage. Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words, and from his long knowledge of the human family he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us!
We must learn to come to God in any and every emergency, as a child would come to its parents. . . . Don’t go to others with your trials and temptations; God alone can help you. If you fulfill the conditions of God’s promises, the promises will be fulfilled to you. . . .You will have an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast.
That I May Know Him p. 279
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Prayer Requests
—–This is tor request you to kindly uplift Iracema in your prayers for healing. She has just had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. They are planning on doing a surgery on her this morning. Please pray for the surgery to go well and for her complete recovery. Also, please pray for healing for Emily who has some lesions in her liver. She is only 10 years old. Pray that her MRI and Cat scan results come out negative of cancer.
We serve an awesome God. There is nothing impossible with Him. Lalitha
—–i just got back from hospital they are going to keep jojo till they get a medical regimen that works to get platelets back up to where they should be in his blood ,he is in good spirits, but he does not like all the needles that have been poked in him today. Please do not stop the prayers. It’s not over yet thank you Larry
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Dear Friends,
Occasionally I receive an email about an incident that was very similar to something that my aunt had witnessed many years ago. Perhaps the email was based upon this event. From the time that her children were old enough to go to school, my Auntie Joyce worked long hours at a Meyers Thrifty Acres store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. One day, as she tiredly walked toward her car, after a long and hard day’s work, she noticed a group of people gathered around the back of a station wagon that was parked near her car. She recognized it as one belonging to a coworker. An ambulance, siren blaring, could be heard in the distance. A police car followed.
Curious, my aunt walked over to the crowd to see if her coworker was alright. There on the ground was a large, unconscious woman, but it was not the lady that she worked with. Beside this woman was a large paper bag bearing the store’s logo. The back window of the station wagon had been broken into. Surprised, my aunt was trying to figure out what could have happened.
Seeing her coworker in the crowd, Auntie Joyce walked over and asked what had happened. Chuckling wryly, the girl said that the unconscious woman had eventually broken out the back window in order to steal the bag she saw inside. Taking the bag out of the car, she looked inside and had fainted. My aunt thought that was rather unusual for a thief until the girl explained.
That morning, while on the way to work, she had run over a cat. Unable to find the owner, she had placed the cat in the back of her station wagon in order to dispose of it at the end of her workday. When she got to work, she knew that it would be in poor condition by the time she got out of work, so she decided to get a paper bag from the store and put the cat inside.
Later, a woman, who had come to the parking lot to see what she if anyone had carelessly left any valuables in their vehicle, saw the sack in the back of the car. It obviously had something in it, so she had broken into the girl’s car in order to steal what was inside that tempting-looking sack. Picking up the sack and expecting to see some valuable prize, the woman couldn’t resist opening it before she got away from the scene. To her horror, a smelly, dead cat stared blankly at her. The woman had screamed and fainted. A crowd instantly gathered and someone ran back inside the store and told the store’s manager who had called the police.There are always consequences that accompany our actions. Everything that we do, everything that we say, everything that we think determines where we will spend eternity. Paul tells us, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Col 3:24,25; Rom 6:23 Obadiah declares, “as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” Ob 1:15 Our Great Judge told Isaiah, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isa 3:10,11
God’s Holy Word is full of examples of those whose lives were changed by what they had considered at the time to be a very small act. When Ahab looked out of his palace window and coveted Naboth’s vineyard, had him killed, and took it for himself, the consequences affected his whole family. (1 Kings 21-2 Kings 1; 9, 10)
Conversely, the good decisions that we make bring rewards far beyond our expectations. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is full of examples of those who made the right decisions and looked forward to the reward. Paul writes, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Heb 11:5-10,24-26
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us “cast not away therefore [our] confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” “for the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Heb 12:1,2; 10:35-37; Mat 16:27 let us with courage stand for the right, though all around us choose the wrong way, that we, someday soon, will meet under the tree of life on the banks of the river of life; our troubles and heartaches gone, our hearts filled to overflowing with love for the One Who loves us so.
Rose