When God Takes You the Long Way.....

I hate grief, big emotions, and pain. I hate tears. I wish God would just shock me in order to help me grow quickly instead of having to go through the often painful growth process. Yet, in His wisdom, God made me one who feels deeply. Because of this I go through all these things that I hate most daily.
And this is good.

Yes, good, because if I don't go through the process, I lose the opportunity of experiencing Jesus at a deeper level.

Paul was convinced of this so much that he tells us that he wants to know Christ by sharing in His sufferings (Philippians 3:10).  

Why?

The text tells us that it is in order to become like Him in His death. He goes on to say that "by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3).

How can we appreciate and fully understand what Christ has done for us unless we share in it? When we get the opportunity to suffer, we get the opportunity to share in Christ's suffering. And in that, we get to experience the power of the resurrection that lives in us by His Spirit.

By this power we can move forward in suffering. He gives us grace that is sufficient in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We can do all things that we need to do in Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). Not only will we experience that now, but we will also experience that final resurrection from the dead when death is fully defeated in the end.

Suffering helps us grow in these things. The school of suffering is confusing to us because we cannot see the full picture now, but we can entrust ourselves into the hands of God who knows all things and works for our good. We are being conformed into His image through these trials (Romans 8:29).

I was recently reading through Exodus and again it hit me. God did many amazing life-altering miracles to free His people from Egypt. They saw first hand His power and might. Yet, when God freed them, He made them travel the long route to their destination intentionally.  

Why?

We are told that God did this because, "Lest my people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt" (Exodus 13:17). God knew His people. He knew their weakness of heart. He knew that even though they saw these amazing miracles that freed them from Pharaoh, they would still be afraid. So they had to travel through the wilderness. This wilderness would end up being a long training exercise in God's faithfulness.


Why Is God Taking Me On The Tough Route?


God knows our frame. He knows exactly what is needed in our lives to conform us most into His image. These are the things that will grow us, shape us, and enable us to know Him more and more. They are the things that will bring Him most glory as we learn to trust His guiding hand through them. This is where we learn that He is enough. So the lesson is, enjoy the long route. Don't rush it. God has a plan with it, even if you cannot see it yet, and His plans are always good. Period.

Book Review: 90 days in John 14-17, Romans, James by Keller and Allberry

This is an excellent Bible study resource. I will give you some brief points as to why:
1-A habit can be formed in 30 days. If you stick to this book, you will be in the habit of daily reading your Bible.

2-Each day in this book takes a close look at Scripture. It helps you break it down piece by piece to really ponder what the writer is actually saying.

3-There is practical application daily as to how to live out this Scripture or how you are to be challenged by it.

4-The daily work includes space where you can write notes about what you are learning and studying. It is really helpful in using the Inductive method of study.

5-The daily work is not too hard for the beginners of Bible study but is enriching enough for a more experienced student as well.

6-The structure of this book is a hard back cover. It is durable and well made.

7-The book includes a built in ribbon bookmark which is helpful to keep your page marked.

8-Because this is not a dated study plan, there is no pressure if you miss a day. It is easy to just pick back up and start again when you can.

I do recommend this book for anyone desiring to study the Bible. Personally, my church is going through the book of Romans this year and I have found the section on Romans to be quite helpful for that. I am thankful for good tools like this that help you faithfully and correctly study the Bible.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon here.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

When the Savior of the World Weeps; Take Notice

                                                           "Jesus Wept." ~John 11:35

I have recently been walking around in the valley of the shadow of death. After death hits you in the face, it brings with it a deep pain that grief ushers unexpectedly into your life. It is something I want to get rid of quickly. I am tired of crying. It is not a place that anyone would chose to walk, yet there was One who did. And when this One was confronted with the death of His friend and the surrounding peoples sorrow; He wept.

Jesus wept.

The Creator. The King of the Universe. The Savior of the world; wept. 

There are not many recorded scenes of His tears in the cannon of Scripture and If the Savior of the world weeps, I want to know more. 

In this culture, the ones who weep are looked at as weak. Yet this One is the Savior. He wept. He is not weak. He could demolish the entire world with just one word. He is all consuming power. He wept. Was death too much for him? Why did He weep?

When you look at the entire context of the surrounding text you learn that Jesus already planned to resurrect Lazarus from the dead. He knew the outcome would be life, yet He still wept. He took in the sorrow of the people mourning because of death, death entered in because of the sin of Adam and Eve. He came to make all things right again. He came to defeat death on the last day. He knew the grand plan of the eternal calendar, yet, He wept. He had compassion for the people He loved and He walked with them in their sorrows as He still does with us.

As you think of the resurrection of Christ, remember His great love for His friend Lazarus who also experienced the resurrection from the dead. It wasn't the final resurrection like Jesus would soon experience because Lazarus would die again but that moment gave them and us hope. It was a foreshadowing of what was to come. It was a visual reminder to look to Jesus. He has promised a final resurrection and restoration for us all who find ourselves rested in Him.

Comfort in the Midst of Chaos: When a Teacher Shows Christian Love

Comfort in the Midst of Chaos: When a Teacher Shows Christian Love: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this everyone will know that you...

Book Review: Pursuing Health in an Anxious Age by Cutillo

This book is an excellent read. It was challenging and word centered in every way. I was especially touched because this book came to me in a timely manner. I am a patient who has been disappointed with health care for a very long time. I suffer continually with no cure in sight for my suffering. I baffle the doctors. They cannot figure out what is causing my problems so we are both exasperated over it.

However, this book helped me see that I am looking at medicine and its practice in the wrong way. I have been looking at it to save me while I am in this temporary body but with all the knowledge that we possess today, some things are not knowable or fixable with our complicated bodies. This should not astound us. God is an amazing Creator. He made us wonderfully complex. Some things just cannot be known.

By helping increase my understanding of doctors and their medical training has helped me understand where some of the flaws come in. Learning about the way they are taught to disconnect with the patient on a deeper level helps me to not be as angry. Any sick person just wants the doctor to listen, be kind, be honest, and try. The best thing that could be said to me is, "I know this is very difficult for you and your life and I see your pain is very real, however, we just do not know what the cause it yet." Doctors must learn to connect with both the body and soul of a patient to help the healing process.

Another thing I loved about this book was the discussion of technology. Technology brings wonderful resources and cures of many kinds but they are not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. They do not work on all people and this is where my thinking goes astray. I think if I go to the medical professional they can understand my body and do something to fix it. As our bodies decay little by little there are, at times, no real fixes.

After reading I can be thankful for medicines and technologies available but I never want them to take the place of God in my life. I have also learned that God is doing something in the sick persons life. It is an opportunity to let God enter into our suffering. It is a place of growth in grace as we sit and ponder His suffering and His love. And ultimately our final resurrection.

The author also wrote about learning our limits in our bodies, embracing the process of growing older, and the need for health care that extends evenly to all people. He wrote about the importance of our bodies and what the Bible says about that. Overall this book was informative and helpful. It is a good read to understand the balance of the medical field and right theology.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book on Amazon.com here.

Book Review: A Spectacle of Glory by Tada

This devotional book is brilliant. It is a devotional with minimal words on each page yet packs a Christ directed punch. I found myself continually worshiping God as I read words that helped me to look to Christ in my daily life; no matter the situation.

This book is a very easy devotional that take little time to do daily. It gives you a Scripture to look up and then works through practical application. It is a great gift or personal devotional for daily reading. It will encourage any weary heart or add more joy to a happy heart.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher at no charge for the purpose of an honest review.

You can get a copy of this book on Amazon.com here.

Book Review: Martin Luther: Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Carr

These biographies are wonderfully done. I have had the opportunity to review two prior to this one and as usual, they do not disappoint! They are filled with just enough information to promote a good biography sketch for the young reader. It is information that would also hold the reader's interest.

Not only is the information written well enough to hold the reader's interest, the pictures are magnificently done. They are a joy to look at and help the young reader understand the content. Another thing I enjoyed about this book is that it included some fun, random facts in the back for the reader to enjoy.

Here is a video for you to enjoy to learn more about these great books.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher free of charge for the purpose of an honest review.

You can purchase this book through Amazon.com here.