Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It tells you what’s coming. And it tells you who wins. Question for you... What is your favorite phone app? Mine is the Weather App. I just love knowing exactly what time today the rain is going to start, so I can get the grass cut beforehand, or know a game is going to get rained out, or at least soggy. I love knowing things in advance, that’s just what I like. But have you noticed, you don’t always get that in life. Wouldn’t it be nice if God made a Trial App, like the Weather App? 30% chance of a trial today. 80% chance between 12:00 and 1:00. Or an app that will tell you exactly when the trial will start... But trials don’t work that way, they don’t come that way. They come in all shapes and sizes, almost unanimously without warning. So what is a trial? And what should your response be? And how can you prepare for it if there isn’t a phone app that tells you it’s coming? A trial is something you go through, something you endure, something that is common to man, something that you either pass with flying colors, or you fail - and have to ‘retake the class next semester.’ LORD help us to avoid that! A trial is anytime something doesn’t go your way; doesn’t go the way you planned, or expected, or hoped or even prayed that it would. You mean God didn’t hear your prayer? No, He heard it. So He didn’t answer? No, He answered, He just doesn’t answer every time the way I would like Him to. Sometimes He says "No – I’ve got better." Sometimes He says "Wait – not yet." Sometimes He says "Yes, but later," or "Yes, but be sure to do it this way." Just because things didn’t go the way you planned, expected, hoped, or prayed doesn’t mean God didn’t hear or answer, it’s just a trial. An opportunity to put your faith into practice so it grows – to put your obedience into practice, so it becomes easier – to put your praise into practice so it changes you, and God can inhabit something. What is the purpose of trials? To teach you how to walk in the Spirit, how to walk in God’s Grace, to grow in your faith, to complete you, and prepare you, to increase you. What should you do when under a trial? First Praise – rejoice, consider it joy when you face trials of many kinds… Second, Run To God first, not last. Trials are always a test to reveal if you’ll walk in the Spirit, or by your old nature. Whatever has been getting fed the most is usually what wins. Third, obey in faith. Facing a trial – is not the time to stop and complain, hesitate and be lost, it’s time to keep doing what God told you to do. You can ask Him again – just to be sure. That’s going to Him first. But keep doing what He said – Keep obeying – keep blessing, keep giving, and keep sowing that word of faith. Let your words and your face reflect the victory that God is giving you. Not the defeat the devil tries to convince you of. You just keep praising, saying, and obeying and leave the rest to him. And Fourth – Feed your Spirit – Get an extra dose of His Word. It will change your mind, to the mind of Christ, it will change your heart, so His good comes out of your mouth. It will give you wisdom that you need for this trial, and maybe for the next one coming up. Most people when they face trials, they complain, not praise, they consider it a curse not a blessing, sometimes they even blame God. Then they try to work it out on their own, only to get into a deeper hole, a bigger mess. They just sit and wait for things to change, rather than seeking God, and obeying what He told them, and finally they don’t get God’s Word, they get other people’s opinion, most often those who will commiserate with them – which doesn’t help one bit, it just keeps them in the crab bucket they’re in. Praying that you will consider trials a joy – and praise through them. That you’ll Run to God first, not try to figure it out on your own. That you’ll keep your hand to the plow – obeying what He tells you or told you, while placing your full trust in Him. That you would do what He told you – that gets you through this one, and prepares you for the next. And finally, that you would feed your spirit, and starve your flesh. Get an overdose of God’s Word – increase your Word diet, so you have the spiritual calories to overcome. When Jesus faced a trial – He did it three times in a row, with the same weapon. “It is written.” Praying that you will grow through every trial, and love the victory so much, that the struggle will always seem worth it, and not scare you or bother you. That’s not being a glutton for punishment, it’s just knowing the One Who speaks to the storm, and tells the wind and the waves – "Be still." Love you all, dad
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AuthorKelly Kamentz - Jesus follower, husband, father, and friend, helping others surrender time, thoughts, money, and testimony, to fulfill their purpose! Archives
November 2024
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