2 Chronicles 28:1,3 KJV
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord , like David his father:It would be nice to achieve everything we want at an early age. But in certain situations God does not give us what we wish for for the sole reason that your heart may not be mature enough to handle certain luxuries. “Learning to trust God when He says “no” is a very important step in handling rejection. This is because God’s character is not only seen in what He does, but in what He does not do” (Jamie Larbi).
End
Matthew 8:11-12 KJV
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. [12] But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.The second coming of Christ has been a while coming. It seems like such a long while that people have enough time to backslide and second-guess the reality of it all. But there is a reason why it is those who endure to the end that shall be rewarded. Let us not give up in waiting. “Do not give up; you can make it. God is on your side and He will reward your faithfulness” (Servant Tim).
Perfect God
Psalms 25:15
My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.It is true God blesses us through people; that does not mean we should go through life looking up to people we expect God to use to bless us. The most unlikely people can disappoint you when you least expect them to. The only one you can reliably look up to in life is God. “Don’t look for a perfect man; look for the perfect God” (Unknown).
Rooted Identity
Romans 8:38-39 KJV
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life…shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Throughout life we take on new identities as we move on, from child to adult, from single to married to being a parent, from worker to retired, and everything in between. One paramount identity that encompasses all these is being a child of God which nothing can change. “…That we embrace the truth that our identity is… rooted…in God’s infinite love” (Henri J.M. Nouwen).
{ASeDa©️}
Murphy’s Law
Psalms 46:2-3 NIV
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.We seem to be at a time when Murphy’s law seems to be at work; everything that can go wrong in the world seems to be going wrong. However, history is rife with such incidents; there is no generation in history without its own share of terrible events. God was still God then, and He will continue to be. Let us not lose our faith due to events happening around us.
Ever Present
Ezekiel 1:1 KJV
…as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
There is an underlying idea that when you are going through good times, it is a sign of God’s presence in our lives. In the same manner, in trying times it seems one is left alone to figure things out. But God is always with those who trust Him regardless the circumstances. “God, Who is everywhere, never leaves us. Yet He seems sometimes to be present, sometimes to be absent. If we do not know Him well, we do not realize that He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He is present” (Thomas Merton).
Weakness
Exodus 4:10 KJV
And Moses said unto the Lord , O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.Weaknesses are something that everyone has. In perspective, it is not expedient to focus too much on one’s weakness at the expense of one’s strengths. When you focus on something it looks larger and gains more ground than it should. If you focus on your strengths, your weakness automatically diminishes. “Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Focus on your character, not your reputation. Focus on your blessings, not your misfortunes” (Roy T. Bennett).
What You Make It
Ecclesiastes 9:2 KJV
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is by sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.Life is what you make it. We can hem and haw about how unfair life is, but after that fact is established you still have to face it like everyone else. You can blame everything else for situations but one still has to be the one to bear the results. We all have twenty-four hours in a day, and as long as you are alive your present condition is a result of choices you made in the past. “Life is what you make it so make the best of it” (Shay Anthony).
Personally
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 KJV
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: [22] For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.When dealing with people it is easy to offend or take offense, because individual perspectives are as fingerprints; everyone has different ones. Not everything is black and white; disagreement does not always have to mean one party is necessarily wrong, nor bring contention. “There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally” (Don Miguel Ruiz).
Hope
Isaiah 64:4 KJV
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.Waiting is not usually a pleasant experience, but a necessary part of life. A life without anything to look forward to is a miserable one indeed. God gives us hope with His promises, both here and in the hereafter. “God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).
The Bible Digest 