Tag: God’s Word

When We Feel Like a Failure.

~ Shelia's Notes ~ Leave a comment

It May Seem Like We Have Failed but God Has Not.

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Anyone ever feel like you do not always understand why things do not work out the way you planned? I wish God would speak directly to us today to tell us exactly what He wants us to do. I wish He would say yes this is what I want you to do, or no don’t do that. Do you think we would really listen to Him or just argue with Him and tell Him what we want? Maybe I do not know what I am wishing for. There might be stricter consequences if He did that. We know He speaks directly to us through His Word and that is good enough because that is His plan.

I may fail God but He will never fail me. God will not fail us or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.

Joseph’s brothers did evil to him but God used it for His glory and good. Genesis 50: 19 But Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring this present result, to preserve many people alive.

But sometimes I am a little confused on exactly what He wants me to do at a particular time in my life. I feel like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, not knowing what is going to happen next. I feel like Moses when he did not get to cross the Jordon into the promise land.  God spoke through Moses for 40 years.  Then in the end when he could not enter the promise land but he showed great faith when he spoke to the Israelites.  I cannot imagine how broken hearted Moses was but I can empathize with him. This seems more real to me than ever now. BUT Moses kept his faith and he gave God the glory and credit.  God was the one who crossed the Jordon ahead of them. Not Moses.  Deuteronomy 31: 3 It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; …. Moses tells them in Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.

What seems like failure to us may very well be glory and success for God.  We do not know God’s ways and that’s the way He planned it. He has revealed everything we need to know to us. Romans 11:33-36   Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For Who HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

God does not need us at all. Acts 17: 24 The God who made the world and all the things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, …For we also are His children.

He does not need us, YET, He desires us. James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?  8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.  10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you. He desires us to be in His presence so much that.

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He gave His Only Son for our sacrifice. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

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Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12: 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. One thing I do know for sure:  The greatest commandment is found in Deuteronomy 6: 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Matthew 22: 36-37 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He said to him, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it. YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

Without faith, we would be so lost we would die. We would not know which way to turn.  We truly stepped out on faith when we moved to Zambia and we continue to live our life on faith in God and all He says in His word is true. We do not fully understand what has happened or why and we may never know in this lifetime. But we believe Romans 8:28 is true and God will cause this all to work for His good and His glory. Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ: Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?

My charge to you is to keep the faith and keep on keeping on.

Romans 8: 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  1 Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We have been afforded the opportunity of a lifetime to live in Chipata Zambia for six months.  However, our greatest opportunity is to serve God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength where ever we are.

If you want to find this faith go to: http://www.worldbibleschool.org

What Does God’s Word Say About Grumbling and Complaining?

~ Shelia's Notes ~ Leave a comment

What Does God’s Word Say About Grumbling and Complaining?

DSC_0409First, what is the definition of grumble/complain?

To complain about something in a bad-tempered way, a complaint, a low rumbling sound.

Some words that describe grumble: mummer, moan, groan, whine, mutter, grouse, bleat, carp, cavil, protest.

Complain: to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.

If one looks closely at this picture of the older man with a stick for a cane, they will notice that he has no shoes on his feet. His hat has holes in it but it helped keep the sun off his head. His suit jacket have worn edges and his pants are thread bear.

 

Yet he is dressed in the very best clothes he owns. He dressed up to come to see the dentist.

DSC_0377The mass of people are standing in line with the hopes of getting some physical relief.

What do these people have to complain about?

Let me count the ways:

  • The old gentleman stood in line in the hot sun for hours to get one tooth pulled.
  • He was very elderly as you can see from the picture he needs help to keep him steady.
  • No one knows how far he walked to get to the Medical Mission, or whether he has had anything to eat or drink.
  • What teeth he has left are all very decayed.
  • The dentist will only pull one.
  • When he is finished he still must travel back to his abode.
  • The dentist may or may not be back in his walking distance next year.
  • This may be the first and last time he will ever see a dentist. No matter how bad his teeth become.
  • The people in the second picture may have walked many hours, or even days, with the hope of seeing a doctor, dentist or optometrist.
  • They may have even slept outside in the cold winter night (35-40-degree weather) so they could be near the front of the line in the morning. Now they stand in line in the hot winter sun for hours waiting to see a medical personal.
  • They may or may not have had a meager share of nshema ( a corn meal dough) since they left their village.
  • They may or may not have had a drink of water, little lone clean water.
  • This may be their first and last time ever to see a medical personal.

What in the world would they have to grumble about?

What in the world do they not have to grumble about?

Lack of everything-health care-food-clothes-water-living quarters-you name it and they have it to complain about.

What is in the world do we have to grumble or complain about?

We could list many things.

What does God say about grumbling and complaining?

Numbers 11:1

  • Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Jude 1:16

  • These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

1 Corinthians 10: 9-10

  • Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.  Nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Philippians 2: 14-16

  • Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

God’s word is plain on what He thinks and feels about our grumbling or complaining.

Philippians 2: sums it up:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

It doesn’t say it is okay to grumble sometimes or about somethings.

It says DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT GRUMBLING…..

Why?

  • So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God.
  • Above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
  • Among who you appear as lights in the world.
  • Holding fast the word of life.

We may just very well be the light to someone in this crooked and perverse generation.

We may just very well lead someone to Jesus Christ so He can save their soul.

God cannot stand grumblers.

  • He gives us many examples in the bible of how He handled them.
  • He destroyed them.

My challenge to myself and you is:

  • Let us stop grumbling before it is too late.
  • Let us be the light of Christ to this dark world.
  • Let us live as children of God.
  • Let us hold fast to the Word of Life.

For a free bible study go to : www.worldbiblschool.org

Scriptures are taken from NASB