Suffering

Run To The Lord

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“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

Life will be filled with times of joy and peace and times of struggle, frustration and sadness.  This is true for everyone in every season of life.  The one steady and stable thing we can cling to is Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  There is nothing He can’t handle, no circumstances or loss or celebration He is not aware of or walking us through.  We were never promised life would be easy, however, we were promised that God will be with us through it all.  Run to the Lord…He is right there waiting for you.  Amen.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Run To The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

DSC_0939 publish

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Trials And Trouble

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Have you ever thought…’why does this have to be so difficult?’ or ‘it seems like every direction I turn things go wrong!’  When dealing with such thoughts I am trying to learn how to step back, to stop doing the repeat cycle that builds up frustration.  As we review situations we should try to asses, ‘am I trying to control too many things?’, ‘am I trying to get things to line up for the outcome I prefer?’ and the most difficult thought, ‘where is God in this situation?’  We may be struggling because we have had an opportunity to learn from the past and as slow learner we need to see the lesson again in a different way to get it through our heads.  Unexpected things are going to happen to us, things will not go as we have planned, the key to growth and development is how you choose to respond to situations and learning along the way.  There is no place in the bible that it says, “have no fear life will be easy.”  We will face difficult times and situations and how we choose to respond will have a lasting impact on us and others.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Faithfulness

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Every generation of people has struggles and suffering…God wants to help us and guide us through the struggles.  We suffer because humans beings invited evil into the world… God never said come follow me and life will be easy.  If fact the bible states…“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome this world” (John 16:33).  He knows what you are facing every single day of your life, he knew it before you were born and he sent His One and Only Son to show us how much he loves us.  Trust God’s plan by spending time with him each day, read the bible and you will see God’s faithfulness surround you.  May God’s peace be with you!

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Arches National Park in Utah)

Surrender

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It takes courage and a strong personal relationship with God to surrender our will and focus on God’s will for our life.  The world and the forces of evil want desperately for us to choose the easy path, the convenient way and not bother with God.  The life, death and resurrection of Jesus was not focused on easy.  In fact, it shows us and sets the example of what sacrifice looks like and what putting our trust in God can result in.  A wonderful Pastor friend in my life taught me a lesson around Easter a few years ago…from the greatest of tragedies, pain and suffering comes the greatest joy, jubilation and triumph.

Jesus while praying in Gethsemane shortly before he was arrested, in one moment was pleading with God to ‘take this cup from me’ and then in the next moment he surrenders, ‘Yet not what I will, but what you will’ Mark 14:36  He knows what it means to suffer…He knows more about suffering, pain and tragedies in this world than many of us will ever see.  Trust Him because He did it all for you.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:5-7

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

He Understands Suffering

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“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:15-16

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 in northern Colorado)