Day 268 - A Tough Terrible Day

"What a tough terrible day. Not that anything on its own was tragic or too much but when it was all added up it climaxed in becoming a day to remember for all the wrong reasons. The great consolation is that God is in control and works all things for our good. The question is am I willing to work through the problem and trial in order to get to the good?"

We have all had days like this where it is one thing after another. Add it all up and you end up negative. It is tough to navigate these types of days because you know that Jesus is on the throne and that you can handle it but you just want to throw in the towel. 

I recently had some really good advice given to me by a very wise friend. He told me that tough days will come and it is okay to quit every day as long as I show up on time the next morning. It takes the edge off a hard day when you realize that tomorrow is a new day. God has new mercies every morning. 

It is like the manna that the children of Israel had to get her in the wilderness. The scenery may not have been pleasant and they probably felt lost but every morning the blessing of God was to be gathered and taken in throughout the day. The Bible even describes the manna as sweet tasting like honey. 

Later Jesus reveals that He is the bread that came down from heaven. We can feed on His faithfulness and on the Word of God every day. He is the sweetness in bitter and harsh circumstances. He is the source of our energy and the life to our existence. All we have to do is get with Him each day and feed on His Word. It will carry us through every trying and tough day. 

Have you been through a tough day recently? What scriptures do you go to when you are going through a trial? 

Day 222 - This Post Will Not Be Popular

"Jess had seen a report from CNN about the Christians in Iraq who were being told to convert to Islam or die. They were systematically beheading children, raping and murdering women and hanging men."

Keep reading if you dare. 

We need to take this seriously. There are people dying all over the world for their faith in Jesus. We need to do a few things to honor them and to help them. 

First, if you want to help then pray. Not just religious dead words but really pray for the persecuted church. Daily we need to be lifting them up to the Lord. The Bible says we should pray for them like we were chained together with them. Allow your heart to be linked to those that are suffering persecution all over the world. Pray for their health, strength, encouragement, deliverance and however else you are led to pray for them. 

Second, if you want to honor them then we need to live unashamed. It is a shame to hold back the gospel in our land when people are dying in foreign lands for the sake of the gospel. It is a shame to hold back the truth for fear of offending someone when they have preached to their own imprisonment. If we are to honor our persecuted brothers and sisters then we need to share in their sufferings. We won't be popular but that isn't why we are here. Jesus said He came to bring a sword and would divide households. Indeed that is true where sons and daughters have been murdered by fathers and mothers for their faith. 

Oh, I might add, get ready. These are only the beginnings of the birth pains. We will make it to glory through trials and tribulation. He who endures to the end shall be saved. 

How can we pray for the persecuted church? What can we do to get our hearts ready for the coming persecutions?