Stretching My Faith

My daughter went to Australia alone for ten days.  I was worried about it, but I didn't tell her because I didn't want to pass on my fears. So, since she has a new camera, I asked her to send a picture a day on an email.  She agreed.

I got good pictures from her until four days before she was due back in the US.  I didn't get any pictures.  For a couple of those last four days, I just thought she let it slide.

But then fears set in.  What if she was in a car accident? What if she was in the path of a terrorist? What if she were lost or kidnapped?

I had prayed for safety before she even went, and I know God doesn't waste prayers.  That didn't seem like enough.  I was having a hard time believing God would give her safety.

I tried to find Bible verses for comfort. I thought of Psalms 37 because it talks about getting your hearts desire, but the one that spoke to me was 37:7 that says "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." Mark 6:52 came to mind.  It explains why the disciples didn't have faith because "they considered not the miracle of the loaves." I needed to remind myself of prayers God had answered for me.

I talked to a friend of my mine that had similar problems with fear.  She said Satan uses fears of our imagination to use against us. She talks to herself to put those fears down.  I had to believe God would answer it just because I asked.

The end of the story was that my daughter emailed me shortly after she got back to the US. There had been areas with poor internet service.  She was fine and safe.  Nothing I feared had come true.

It must have been a time of testing to stretch my faith.

Mercy and Truth

The combination of mercy and truth is powerful (Proverbs 16:6, KJV).  Together, it purges iniquity.  If a criminal admits that he robbed, that he hurt his victim and that he is in the wrong, that is the truth part.  The mercy part comes from the victim.  The victim can acknowledge that the criminal is admitting to the truth of what happened.  It is then that mercy from the victim can shine through and healing can begin on both sides.  Both can set aside the incident and live together in peace. This is a good formula for parents to teach their children.

Mercy and truth can also preserve you (Psalms 61:7, KJV). As mentioned above, it can bring healing in an argument.  But it doesn't happen automatically.  God has to prepare mercy and truth in those that are involved.  If God can change a king's heart like a river, He can answer prayers for peace.

A person who shows truth and mercy will get a good reputation (Proverbs 20:28, KJV). It will be returned to him because he does good things.  It can also preserve a king and establish his throne because he is devising good things by considering mercy and truth.

Fish Net and New Wine

Before the resurrection (Luke 5:4-5, KJV)
     at Jesus' call of the disciples
         -- they had fished all night and didn't catch anything
         --Jesus said to let down the net
         --caught so many fish, the net broke

After the resurrection (John 21:6-8)
         --fished all night and didn't catch anything
         --Jesus said to cast the net on the right side
         --caught many big fish, but the net didn't break

These stories remind me of the parable of the new wine in old bottles (Matthew 9:16-17).
The new wine answers to the Holy Spirit working in the men that are being fished for, but the net, just like the old covenant, just isn't sufficient to save men.  After the resurrection, the disciples are able to save fish (men) because the net (new covenant) doesn't break.

Each time, they obeyed Jesus even though it looked like a waste of time.  Jesus is able to use Christians to be fishers of men if they obey Him.

Believing in Your Ability

  

Matthew 25:14-30 is the parable of the servants and the talents that the employer gave them.  The one that got 5 talents and the one that got 2 talents doubled their money for the employer. The person that only got one talent dug a hole and buried his talent until the employer got back.

I always had a hard time understanding why the man with the one talent hid the talent because the ruler was a hard man.

Apparently the one talent man didn't want the responsibility.  He may have assumed the ruler wouldn't be satisfied no matter what he did?  Why was he afraid?

He may have been like me and assumed that that way he would get out of suffering.  God trains and tests us, just like the men with the talents.  My problem is worrying about what the test is that God will give me, whether he will give me the worst possible situations:  losing a home, a car accident that makes me a paraplegic, or losing a child.  This attitude is wrong.  It shows a lack of trust.  Just as the man with one talent wasn't trusting his ruler's belief in his own ability, so I have a problem believing in my ability and God's mercy.

I need to remember that God will not let us be tempted beyond our ability.  Jesus was tempted in every way we were, so He knows what we are going through. He is the one to come to find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4: 15-16)

Comfort Word Study, Part 2

According to 1 Corinthians 14:31, prophesy is for learning and comfort.  Learning God's word reminds us that just speaking God's promises bring comfort.  We often think of comfort as in comforting a family that has lost a loved one.  But it is for more than that.  When a job offer falls through or someone in the family has hurt a person's feelings, it is important we know how to comfort them too. Remind that person or family of God's blessings to their loved one, that God has a plan for our life to the person looking for a job, and remind the hurt one that forgiveness brings its own comfort and hope for the future.

God has commands for us concerning comfort.  1 Thes 4:16-18 says we should comfort each other with words about Jesus' return and that we will ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes 5:14 says (among other commands) to "comfort the feeble minded".  When you are hurting, it is hard to think straight.  I would expect the feeble minded to be confused and forgetful.  You can say verses that they would not be able to say themselves.

It is also good to get together to comfort each other, that "all may be comforted." (1 Thes 5:11). We need to remember Isa 61:3 where God exchanges oil of joy for mourning, beauty for ashes, and garments of praise for heaviness.

Comfort can be refused.  The comforters that King David sent were treated badly.  The Psalmist says in Psalms 77:2, "my soul refused to be comforted. " Jeremiah 31:15 says Rachel refused to be comforted for her children who died. It is up to the person to accept comforting.

2 Corinthian 1:3 says God is the "the God of all comfort" and don't forget that Jesus has sent the Comforter after he arose. That is why we can comfort those around us in the same way God has comforted us.   I like 94:19 which says "my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul."  I think those "comforts" are Bible verses.  If you have them memorized, they will be there ready to be used.

Comfort Word Study

This is a word study about the word "comfort".  I find when I do study with a KJV Bible and a concordance, that I find different ways of looking at the same thing and that the Bible has it worded a little different each time.

When I start a word study, I go to the dictionary first.  I used Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co., Springfield, MO, 1965.  I find that if I use a dictionary this old, it has more of the old terms and definitions from the Bible.

"Comfort" can be a noun (a thing) or a verb (action).  As a noun it can be a strengthening aid with synonyms of assistance and support.  It can be consolation in trouble or worry and a state of feeling relief or encouragement.  As a verb, it means to give strength and hope, to ease grief or trouble and to make the sense of loss less severe or less painful.

Several verses were about God's attitude toward us.  They are encouraging to me in that respect.

Psalms 23:4 "thy rod and thy staff they comfort me".  The Psalmist sees these as providing for his physical needs.  I think it could also indicate spiritual needs.  Heb 12:8 says that if we aren't chastened, we are bastards rather than sons.  The chastening yields "the peaceable fruit of righteousness". (Hebrews 12:11).  It should be comforting to be kept on the right path.

Ps 119:76 "Let, I pray Thee, they merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant."  When you show someone comfort, it also shows kindness.  Coming from God it also becomes merciful, because we are sinners and do not deserve it.

Isaiah 51:12 "I, even I, am He that comforts you."We are reminded that God is the original source of comforting.  This is backed up by 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 where Paul describes the "God of all comfort" and who comforts us in all our tribulation".

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 God is source of all comfort.  Comfort originates with God toward us in tribulation.  We are to pass on the comfort we have received to others, probably including Bible verses.

2 Corinthians 7:6-7, God comforts those that are cast down. Paul was comforted by the coming of Titus and with the consolation he was comforted.

1 Thessalonians 2:11 God comforts us like a father comforts his children.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 We are to comfort our hearts with God's everlasting consolation and good hope.  Jesus establishes us in every good word and work.

Making Good Decisions

My cats seem to have trouble making decisions.  When I open the door for them to go out, they stall, worried about what is out there.  When I put a treat for them, they smell and lick it before eating.  And where they knead their claws is not where they necessarily sleep.  If a new person comes or the vacuum cleaner is too noisy, the decision is easy: run and hide.

Decisions I make seem to fall into those same categories: put off making the decision, get some more information to make the decision on or try to get out of making any decision at all.  Some are spiritual decisions.  If I tithe, will I have enough money for the coming week?  If I tell my co-worker about Jesus, will he take it wrong and be pushed harder away from God?

Maybe the cats have the right idea, just in the wrong order.  We should run to God and trust in the shelter of His wings.  Then for the decision get more information and take time to consider the common sense aspects of the situation. When we run to God first for help and advice, we can trust that whatever decision we make will be controlled by God.