Patience In Times of Suffering

"You are tried alone; alone you pass into the desert; alone you are sifted by the world." - Frederick W. Robertson

Suffering and hardship is something that we all have in common.  It comes in various degrees of intensity and can differ in duration. Everyone has experienced it at one time or another; perhaps even at this very moment for some.

So what can you and I do when suffering and hardship comes calling? The thought that pops into the mind's of most is, "If God really loves us, why does he allow suffering?" Explaining this problem is not an easy task. Fortunately we can turn to the Bible for help.

A couple of examples come to mind right away. The entire Book of Job is devoted to the difficulties suffering and hardship can present in our lives. Also, the Book of Genesis contains the story of Joseph who persevered under very distressing circumstances in his life.

Now, what can we do when the dark, uncertain times of suffering and/or hardship presents itself in our own lives? It may provide some comfort to know that no matter what, God has an ultimate purpose for our trials (2 Peter 3:9).

When speaking about suffering in our life we might attribute this to some type of pain, distress, loss, sorrow, loss, or inconvenience. As with many things that we journey through in the course of daily existence; we never know when it will occur.

There may be some things one can do to prepare themselves for it, or soften its effects, but there's no way to avoid it completely. We can't run from it, nor can we hide from it. When dealing with suffering and hardship, we must be patient and lean on our faith for strength (Matthew 24:13).

Jesus Christ exemplified this to the extreme when he patiently suffered the painful adversities, and atrocities which eventually led to his crucifixion on a cross for our sake, He knew that his Father was never far away. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that no matter what, God will always remain faithful to us, too.

Regarding our lives here, God's sovereign wisdom is the hand that guides everything around us. Therefore, it's imperative that we learn to place our trust in God unconditionally. When push comes to shove, that's the only sure thing we have to count on (Romans 8:28).

Scripture: 1 John 5:4; Psalm 129:2; Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews 12:11; Philippians 3:10

Prayer: Dear God, in suffering, grant me the patience and endurance I need to overcome it, and the wisdom and humility I need to accept it as part of your plan for me. Amen

May God bless you all!

Kasey

Video - Rebekah Lyons: Free-ish

Rebekah Lyons, author and co-founder of Q Ideas, an organization that equips Christians on how to winsomely engage culture, confesses the shortcomings that kept her spiritually trapped. A message that resonates with many of us. ~Eve

Approach God Earnestly in Faith!

"Faith looks not at what happens to him but at Him Whom he believes." - Watchman Nee

One of the many issues that causes some people to walk away from Jesus is that they feel let down by him. They might assume that he abandoned them when they needed him most. Or, think that counting on Jesus' assistance will only lead to disappointment and frustration.

Surprisingly, this type of sentiment is not coming from unbelievers or skeptics, but from once faithful followers of Christ who have, for reasons such as above, retreated or even quit altogether. There is a question begging to be asked, and it begins with a resounding, "Why?"

First off, nothing is impossible with God. He is omnipotent and omniscient. When He chooses to answer our petitions, or not, it's always with our best interest in mind. God isn't to blame for things that don't suit us, such as: unanswered prayers, or other negative occurrences; although it's very easy for us to do. (Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:27)

We, ourselves, short-change or limit what He can do for us by not being wholly honest, and truthful in what we want. Our prayer requests may appear solid enough, but in actuality they are sadly lacking in the most critical component: faith. We are the problem, not God. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Far too often we rely on lip praise in our relationship with God. A lot of this is due to the way many approach or see God today. He is seen as an easy-going buddy or friend instead of Our Heavenly Father who is to be feared (respected) and obeyed. We rely too much on our acumen instead of His infiniteness. (James 1:6)

How many times have you pleaded to God for his favor, but gave up after a few feeble attempts? Maybe you figured, "I didn't think God would do anything for me, He never did before."  As powerful as God is, he still needs to find us accessible; our hearts attainable, in order to do anything. This is where our real faith either displays itself, or not. (Hebrews 5:7)

Be tenacious, resilient, and above all, persistent in asking God for his help. Dig deep inside yourself where true faith lies. Pray like you mean it, and mean what you pray. Recall when on the Mount of Olives, Jesus prayed so deeply that "his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down." (Luke 22:44)

This is how we should submit our supplications to The Almighty. Without any doubts, hesitation, or timidity. Let only sincere and heartfelt prayer flow freely and unimpeded from your heart to God. Faithfully impart your needs to God; placing them at His feet. He will take it from there.

Scripture: John 14:13-14; Mark 11:24; Ephesians 6:18; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:1

Prayer: Dear Lord, though I am flawed by human tendencies, my love and thankfulness for You is genuine and true. In faith, I know that I can approach You; knowing You will always receive me in mercy and grace. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Gretchen

The Necessity of Spiritual Rebirth

"As is true of man who is born naturally and receives a human nature from his parents, so man born anew receives a new nature, a new capacity for service and devotion to God."  - John F. Walvoord

Spring will soon be upon those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Every year, we longingly look forward to it; especially after months of cold, dreary winter weather. Along with the change in temperature, spring brings the promise of renewal and freshness.

Similarly, this happens to us when we are reborn, or born again to Jesus Christ. It's not so much a physical transformation, but rather a regeneration of our inner spirit that occurs. In nature, spring-time refreshes the earth; bringing new life and an uplifting feeling to our entire outlook on life.

When we are "born again" in Christ a similar renewal of sorts takes place. But instead of an outward change in appearance, it is a rebirth of our inward selves that we experience. Does this happen naturally, or by chance? Let's explore this a little more...

Nicodemus was a member of the great Sanhedrin, a senator, private counselor, and a man of authority in Jerusalem who was intrigued by Jesus' miraculous signs and wanted to speak to him. However, because of obvious reasons, Nicodemus could only approach him by night, out of the sight of prying eyes and ears. (John 3:3-7)

He recognized that Jesus was a special teacher, and God sent. Like many of us today, he had concerns about his own soul and salvation and was hoping to get some some things cleared in his head. You see, being a Jew and of the seed of Abraham, he was entitled to a free pass to the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

But, Jesus set him straight. He basically told him that no outward affirmation, ceremony, or privilege of birth, could entitle anyone to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. Only a total change of heart and life could bring this about. (1 John 3:9)

As Jesus plainly states in John 3:3, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." In other words, a new birth was necessary for this to happen. This doesn't mean a minor tune-up to the spirit; but a completely new foundation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

To be reborn or renewed in Jesus Christ will require a good inward cleansing and Divine influence. Thus, this spiritual change is an act of God by which eternal life is granted to the person who believes. And who is the agent for this spiritual change? You guessed it, Jesus Christ is!

In closing, only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God. This is what Jesus was trying to get across to Nicodemus, and it still applies today. It's never too late to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again. Why not take that step, if you haven't already!

Scripture: John 1:12-13; Romans 6:6; 2 Peter 3:9; Mark 16:16; John 3:36

Prayer: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Amen   - 1 Peter 1:3

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

Bible Study Snacks - 1 Peter 1: 1-25

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday and greetings from Bible Study Snacks! Whether it's your first time with us, or if you're a regular follower of this blog, it's great to have you! I am delighted that you will be joining me as we walk through the richness of God's spoken word, and wisdom. As always, I hope you had a great week, and that today finds you in good health, positive in energy, and strong in faith!

This week, we begin the study of The First Epistle of Peter, or 1 Peter. It was written about 60 A.D., and was addressed to all believers in general. Its purpose was to encourage, prompt, and instruct the suffering Christians; also to summon them to personal holiness. The central focus here in Peter's epistle is persecution.

The studies presented here are intentionally brief, yet packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. It is my ultimate hope that they might inspire you to a deeper study of Scripture!

As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let us pray together...

"Heavenly father, please guide us as we study your Word today; I pray that our hearts and our minds will be open so that we will not only receive your Gospel, but learn from it as well; you are the Light of the world, Lord, and your Spirit will illuminate our path as we journey through your teachings. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen"

If you are taking notes for yourself, or using this for a bible study with others, here are some things to think about for this week's lesson...

This Weeks Objectives: You should be able to...

* consider terms used by Peter to describe the people of God: "Pilgrims of the Dispersion", "elect", "obedient children."
* reflect upon the salvation, inheritance, and grace to come at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
* note how we have been served by prophets, apostles, angels, the Holy Spirit, and Christ.
* be reminded of the need to live holy lives, conducted with reverence toward God and with fervent and sincere love toward brethren.

For your convenience, here is a summary of this week's lesson, specifically 1 Peter, Chapter 1...

Peter begins his first epistle to Christians in Asia Minor by acknowledging their election according to God's foreknowledge, made possible by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and for obedience and sprinkling by the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:1-2).

He then praises God for their living hope, incorruptible inheritance, and glorious salvation to be revealed at the coming of Christ. Despite grievous trials, the power of God and their genuine faith protects them and gives them inexpressible joy. Their salvation to come was foretold by the prophets, and preached in the gospel by those inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:3-12).

In view of this salvation, Peter prescribes conduct becoming the people of God. They are to focus their mind and hope on the grace that will brought to them at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, they should conduct themselves in holiness and fear, imitating their holy Father who judges without partiality, ever mindful they have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ through whom their faith and hope are in God.

They are to love one another fervently with pure hearts, since they have purified their souls for that very purpose through their obedience to the truth, and have been born again by the incorruptible Word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:13-25).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1) To whom does Peter address this epistle? Where were they located? (1 Peter 1:1)
2) What three things are said concerning their election? (1 Peter 1:2)
3) What has God done for us according to His abundant mercy?  How was this done? (1 Peter 1:3)
4) What kind of inheritance does the Christian have?  Where is it now? (1 Peter 1:4)
5) How are Christians kept (guarded) for their salvation? (1 Peter 1:5)
6) In what do Christians greatly rejoice? (1 Peter 1:5-6)
7) What benefits can come out of enduring grievous trials? (1 Peter 1:6-7)
8) Though they had not seen Jesus, what is said about Peter's readers? (1 Peter 1:8)
9) What would they receive as the end of their faith? (1 Peter 1:9)
10)  What did the prophets of old testify about? (1 Peter 1:10-11)
11) When these prophets wondered about they were prophesying, what were they told? (1 Peter 1:12)
12) Upon what are Christians to rest their hope? (1 Peter 1:13)
13) As obedient children, what three admonitions are given to Christians? (1 Peter 1:14-17)
14) What three reasons are given to obey these admonitions (1 Peter 1:14-19)
15) What four things are said about Christ? (1 Peter 1:20-21)
16) What did God do to Jesus so that our faith and hope are in God? (1 Peter 1:21)
17) What two reasons are given for us to love one another fervently with a pure heart? (1 Peter 1:22-23)
18) What is said of the Word of God? (1 Peter 1:23-25)
19) What is said about flesh and the glory of man? (1 Peter 1:24)

After completing this week's study, I encourage you to go back and read through the material again. Take your time and read each topic and scripture reference as many times as you feel necessary. Keep in mind that by doing this, you just might see something new that you overlooked the first time around!

As always, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until our next Bible study...

God bless you!

Sheri

The Fear of God Is a Good Thing!

"Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."  - Psalm 31:24 (KJV)

There seems to be no shortage of fear these days. Although, frustration, confusion, and ignorance fuels a good deal of it. Some of the concern is actually legitimate and justifiable. Whatever the reason, fear can be seen, felt, and heard in nearly every corner of the globe.

Thankfully, Scripture provides us with some insight on fear to help calm scared and anxious hearts. The Bible talks about something called the "fear of the Lord," which may be misunderstood as being "afraid" of the Lord. However, it's actually quite the opposite.

What it really means is that we should look upon God with reverence and respect. We should recognize God for who He is and what He is capable of. Fear of the Lord bestows us with many benefits and blessings, is the beginning of wisdom, and guides us to sound judgement, among many things (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 19:23; 14:26, 27).

Clearly, the fear of the Lord is a good thing, and should be encouraged. But, there is another type of fear that is mentioned which is unprofitable and even detrimental. I am referring to the times we are overcome by the "spirit of fear" or afraid. Though, this "spirit of fear" is not received from God at all (2 Timothy 1:7).

The only way we can master or defeat this fear is to love and trust in God unconditionally. Fear is part of our human composition. If we had no fear, then we would be perfect; which is impossible. God is perfectly aware of this; generously dispersing hope and support from cover to cover in the Bible (1 John 4:18).

In conclusion, there are undoubtedly plenty of things to fear in life. To overcome our spirit of fear we must place our complete trust in God. Our trust is made possible through the knowledge of God and His goodness. By doing this, we make a statement that we refuse to surrender to fear. And that God will guide us through it.

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 10:31; Psalm 56:11; Job 13:15; Psalm 5:11

Prayer: Dear Lord, in my darkest hours, and days of trouble, I know that You are with me; protecting and encouraging me with Your strong hand, and merciful heart. Amen

May God bless you always!

Brandi

Connect To God Through Prayer

"A little lifting of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless acceptable to God." - Assorted Authors

Prayers and praying are always hot topics. For sure, we can all relate to prayer during our most distressing times in life. But, prayer isn't just for the stormy periods that we encounter. Prayer can be an important part of a healthy Christian lifestyle.

Surprisingly, many either put-off prayer or just don't pray at all. Of course, there are excuses for this, such as: too busy, not enough time, forget to do so, not sure how, and so on and so forth. Prayer just doesn't happen (excluding emergencies, of course). It must become a habit, or part of your routine.

The most wonderful thing about prayer is its flexibility. We can pray at home, at work, in the shower, while driving to work, or just sitting at the traffic light. There's no requirement or special equipment necessary other than a sincere heart for God (Matthew 6:7).

There are those who might think that it isn't right to be asking or petitioning God for something. They consider it a type of magic or even selfishness to do so. Others feel that prayer loses some of its legitimacy when prayer is used for material things, or gain.

Perhaps that might explain why so many don't see the real reason we should pray. If it's not taken seriously, or seen as mystical incantations then it is no wonder that it gets pushed to the end of the line. It becomes sporadic, hit-or-miss, and then non-existent.

Fortunately, the Bible contains plenty of evidence that we should pray to, or petition God. Here's a great example, the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) is 100% prayer. Jesus prayed a lot and often. In fact, it wasn't that uncommon for him to go off somewhere by himself and pray for hours at a time.

If you already have a full-blown, heavy-duty prayer life going on, then God bless you! If you're still stuck in the starting blocks or have completely gone off the rails; not to worry. You can get back into praying at any time. You won't be penalized for lost time,

Prayer is offering God the chance or opportunity to speak with us, give to us, and do through us what he wills. We need more loving communication with God. Tapping a few keys, or swiping a screen can't connect us to God. Praying and prayers is the only direct line to Him.

Through prayer we express our inner spiritual needs, find comfort and strength, wisdom and guidance, not to mention joy, happiness and that inner peace that so many seek. Find out what you've been missing; get prayer back into your life!

Scripture: Philippians 4:6; Luke 11:9; James 5:16; Luke 18:1; Colossians 4:2

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are always near to all who call on You; to all who call on You in truth. May I carry this thought with me at all times. Amen

God loves you!

Shayna