HIS HANDS ON THE THERMOSTAT!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Verse for Today
1 Peter 4:12 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.
When tribulations and trials come our way, we wonder why we face these. We are often surprised that we have to face these difficulties even though we are God's beloved children. Some of us ask God as to why He has sent such difficult situations to them. Some go to the extent of doubting God's love to them. Some pray for immediate release and if they don't get a quick relief, plunge into despair and disillusionment. But when we probe this matter in the Word of God, we are able to realize that these experiences are not to be considered as strange, but as purposeful interferences in our lives by God to discipline us or test us in our faith. When adversity strikes us, we are exposed to tough times by the hand of God to test our faith and trust in Him. Our spiritual ability to withstand the pressures of life are tested by God to see how He can further build us up. So He sends us through storms, waves, thunder, lightening, fire, steep valleys and afflictions. Such moments are often times of loneliness. We rarely find words of comfort from any one around. There will always be people who will attribute our sufferings to our failures and flaws and resultant punishment from God. In as much as these might be true, God also tests us purposely to help us grow in our faith and trust in Him. But He knows our capacity to withstand these trials and so will not give us beyond our limit. Remember, when the Lord allows you to be in the furnace, His loving hands are always on the thermostat. Our responses to these tests of afflictions reveal our real attitude to tests and to the God who sends it our way. He expects us to see what lessons we can learn from such experiences for our use in the future and as a testimony among others about the faithfulness of God towards His children. So it is fundamental for us to learn that tests are not strange things which happen to us, but purposeful and planned interference of the hands of the Almighty with a divine purpose.
Dear reader, are you going through a tough time in your life today? Are you finding your situation very intimidating? Do you feel despair that you are not able to get a release from your situation which is making you nervous? Are you feeling that God seems to be far away from you and that He is not answering your prayers? If so, please do not be alarmed about your situation which is the hand of God, to test you our of His love for you. His tests are not tests of punishment to tear you down, but a constructive process to build you up. He is testing to see how far you can go with the present tests and trust God to teach you some big lessons which you might not learn otherwise. Tests also give you patience to wait for God's time for the desired release. Tests are opportunities for you to learn that your Lord is in full control of your life and that He will never forsake you. When you walk through the valley, He will be with you and will hold you in His hands. He will protect you under His wings and make sure that nothing will harm you. When you go through the lion's den, fiery furnace, red sea, dungeons, broken cisterns or flood, the hand of the Lord is upon you. He will watch over you so that no harm will come upon your way owing to these tests, but will strengthen your faith in the Lord and His promises. Let our prayers be such that the trials be used by the Lord to teach you greater lessons. May we not be tempted to waste these trials. May the tests make us draw closer to Him and help us to hold Him firmly by faith. May it be a time when it will be proved to us that we are still in the will of God and that we are being trained to handle even greater challenges for the Lord.
1 Peter 1:6 - In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
Thought for Today
God's School of Faith administers tests of fire and water before awarding supernatural recognitions.
Verse for Today
1 Peter 4:12 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.
When tribulations and trials come our way, we wonder why we face these. We are often surprised that we have to face these difficulties even though we are God's beloved children. Some of us ask God as to why He has sent such difficult situations to them. Some go to the extent of doubting God's love to them. Some pray for immediate release and if they don't get a quick relief, plunge into despair and disillusionment. But when we probe this matter in the Word of God, we are able to realize that these experiences are not to be considered as strange, but as purposeful interferences in our lives by God to discipline us or test us in our faith. When adversity strikes us, we are exposed to tough times by the hand of God to test our faith and trust in Him. Our spiritual ability to withstand the pressures of life are tested by God to see how He can further build us up. So He sends us through storms, waves, thunder, lightening, fire, steep valleys and afflictions. Such moments are often times of loneliness. We rarely find words of comfort from any one around. There will always be people who will attribute our sufferings to our failures and flaws and resultant punishment from God. In as much as these might be true, God also tests us purposely to help us grow in our faith and trust in Him. But He knows our capacity to withstand these trials and so will not give us beyond our limit. Remember, when the Lord allows you to be in the furnace, His loving hands are always on the thermostat. Our responses to these tests of afflictions reveal our real attitude to tests and to the God who sends it our way. He expects us to see what lessons we can learn from such experiences for our use in the future and as a testimony among others about the faithfulness of God towards His children. So it is fundamental for us to learn that tests are not strange things which happen to us, but purposeful and planned interference of the hands of the Almighty with a divine purpose.
Dear reader, are you going through a tough time in your life today? Are you finding your situation very intimidating? Do you feel despair that you are not able to get a release from your situation which is making you nervous? Are you feeling that God seems to be far away from you and that He is not answering your prayers? If so, please do not be alarmed about your situation which is the hand of God, to test you our of His love for you. His tests are not tests of punishment to tear you down, but a constructive process to build you up. He is testing to see how far you can go with the present tests and trust God to teach you some big lessons which you might not learn otherwise. Tests also give you patience to wait for God's time for the desired release. Tests are opportunities for you to learn that your Lord is in full control of your life and that He will never forsake you. When you walk through the valley, He will be with you and will hold you in His hands. He will protect you under His wings and make sure that nothing will harm you. When you go through the lion's den, fiery furnace, red sea, dungeons, broken cisterns or flood, the hand of the Lord is upon you. He will watch over you so that no harm will come upon your way owing to these tests, but will strengthen your faith in the Lord and His promises. Let our prayers be such that the trials be used by the Lord to teach you greater lessons. May we not be tempted to waste these trials. May the tests make us draw closer to Him and help us to hold Him firmly by faith. May it be a time when it will be proved to us that we are still in the will of God and that we are being trained to handle even greater challenges for the Lord.
1 Peter 1:6 - In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
Thought for Today
God's School of Faith administers tests of fire and water before awarding supernatural recognitions.
Contact us:todayintheword@gmail.com
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