Okay, so we know even if we obey the Word, if we step out in faith like Peter did after we make sure it's Jesus calling us out of the boat - the storms are still going to come. Things are not just going to immediately calm down. In fact everything I've read tells me the storms are going to rage even more, the situation is going to get worse, the kids are going to act even more like the devil with a blue dress on, and it is definitely NOT going to be easy! So now what?
Philippians 4:19 MSG You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.
Now what indeed! Now you begin to find out what it means to tie a knot in the rope and hold on. Now you begin to learn what it was like in the days of Paul and Silas to have to pray at midnight and sign praises at midnight. I'm not just talking about midnight being a time of day, but I'm talking about midnight as in the darkest hour of your day, your week, your life ... you get the picture.
Now what ... is we learn to stand as we are commissioned to do in Ephesians 6:13. It tells us "having done all [the crisis demands], stand! What do I mean by stand? I mean just what I said. Stand - in faith. Stand, knowing God is still God regardless of what the situation looks like. Stand, knowing God is still in control regardless of what the medical report says. Stand, knowing God still has plans to prosper you -not to harm you- and bring you to a good end.
Take heart, my sweet friend. It isn't all storms and tsunamis when you walk with God! There are daily benefits of operating in His plan - of letting it be all about Him.
My husband's income was adversely (putting it very lightly) affected (as was most of the nation) by the events of September 11, 2001. He is an aircraft broker. Private and even corporate aviation took a major hit after 9/11, and for some reason it seemed to hit us harder than some of our industry friends.
We began to see businesses around us pick up and rebuild - but not ours. Oh, we sold an airplane every now and then - in fact we appeared to have moved into that land of "just enough." We would sell an airplane and make "just enough" to meet the bills until we could sell another one. It seemed to always be "just enough." What in the world was wrong? What were we doing wrong? I prayed. I fasted. I sent our names in to every prayer request list I could find and still nothing happned. "Lord, what am I doing wrong?" I prayed. I received no answers (a lesson learned during all of this is the teacher is always silent during a test!).
I felt like Paul when he said "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty." I can tell you, it's better when you're living in plenty! What I haven't mastered but am working on is the rest of the verse that says..."I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." You can laugh if you want, but it's really hard to have living in the land of "more than enough" for years and years and then all of a sudden find yourself not only in want but in need. I mean there were times we needed grocery money. We needed money to pay our electric bill and our phone bill and money to pay for our son's lunch at school.
But God is good ... all of the time. And, He will supply your need - and mine.
Philippians 4:19 MSG You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.
Now what indeed! Now you begin to find out what it means to tie a knot in the rope and hold on. Now you begin to learn what it was like in the days of Paul and Silas to have to pray at midnight and sign praises at midnight. I'm not just talking about midnight being a time of day, but I'm talking about midnight as in the darkest hour of your day, your week, your life ... you get the picture.
Now what ... is we learn to stand as we are commissioned to do in Ephesians 6:13. It tells us "having done all [the crisis demands], stand! What do I mean by stand? I mean just what I said. Stand - in faith. Stand, knowing God is still God regardless of what the situation looks like. Stand, knowing God is still in control regardless of what the medical report says. Stand, knowing God still has plans to prosper you -not to harm you- and bring you to a good end.
Take heart, my sweet friend. It isn't all storms and tsunamis when you walk with God! There are daily benefits of operating in His plan - of letting it be all about Him.
My husband's income was adversely (putting it very lightly) affected (as was most of the nation) by the events of September 11, 2001. He is an aircraft broker. Private and even corporate aviation took a major hit after 9/11, and for some reason it seemed to hit us harder than some of our industry friends.
We began to see businesses around us pick up and rebuild - but not ours. Oh, we sold an airplane every now and then - in fact we appeared to have moved into that land of "just enough." We would sell an airplane and make "just enough" to meet the bills until we could sell another one. It seemed to always be "just enough." What in the world was wrong? What were we doing wrong? I prayed. I fasted. I sent our names in to every prayer request list I could find and still nothing happned. "Lord, what am I doing wrong?" I prayed. I received no answers (a lesson learned during all of this is the teacher is always silent during a test!).
I felt like Paul when he said "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty." I can tell you, it's better when you're living in plenty! What I haven't mastered but am working on is the rest of the verse that says..."I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." You can laugh if you want, but it's really hard to have living in the land of "more than enough" for years and years and then all of a sudden find yourself not only in want but in need. I mean there were times we needed grocery money. We needed money to pay our electric bill and our phone bill and money to pay for our son's lunch at school.
But God is good ... all of the time. And, He will supply your need - and mine.
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