Category: IF GD 2017

God's Credible Goodness

1/26/2019

0 Comments

#5 [goodness] Illustrated Faith Gratitude Documented 2017

"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” -Mark 10:17-18 (ESV)

I was listening to a podcast by Lysa Terkeurst earlier this week and she made this similar statement. God does not need for everything to be good for His goodness to be credible. What does that mean? God does not your life or any part of your life or any part of anyone’s life to be (good, healthy, peaceful, prosperous etc.) for Him to BE GOOD. He is good if the world was in chaos or in perfect peace or nonexistent at all. Circumstances do not equate with the meaning of His character.

We doubt that sometimes. Why do so many bad things happen if God is good? Why does cancer and other terminal illnesses exist if God is good? Why is the world in a constant state of turmoil if God is good? It’s not because of what God DID. We’ve caused our own destruction, God just allows it. We cause our own sin, God just allows it. If God didn’t allow all the bad things to happen then we think we wouldn’t need Him would we?

Everything we do has a consequence- good or bad. We don’t get to choose our consequences but we do chose our choices.

MATERIALS:

0 Comments

Amazing Grace

12/28/2018

0 Comments

#14 [grace] Illustrated Faith Gratitude Documented 2017

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”
-Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV).

They CHOSE a leader so they could RETURN TO SLAVERY. After all the moaning and groaning of living in a torturous land AND after all the toil and trouble and tribulations that had to occur so God could make a way for them to get out of Egypt to escape to freedom- even if it was in the desert- and they still weren’t satisfied!.
.
I can’t imagine how angry God was with them after everything He did (and was doing and was going to do) and they still were ungrateful!! BUT GOD STILL LOVED THEM.
.
That is a steadfast love.
That is commitment.
That is g r a c e.

MATERIALS:

0 Comments

Seasons Changed

10/27/2018

0 Comments

#21 [seasons] Illustrated Faith Gratitude Documented 2017

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” -Acts 1:7-8.

This year has been pretty eventful.

Changing jobs and coworkers- that was biggie. Totally new environment(s) and totally different characters.
Having 2 meager healthy parents to 2 disabled parents. One was hospitalized for 3 months with 3 open heart surgeries. Neither can walk now. I have a greater appreciation for caretakers. -Not being able to attend church because of my parents- another biggie for me at least. I’ve never been allowed to miss a day of church unless I was sick.
And now- we’re leaving that church of 13 years on terms we weren’t prepared for.
I’ll be moving again soon- not entirely by choice. It’s complicated.
my dearest dog of 16 years passed away this year....

.
Those are some of the highlights. Each day this year seems to be adding on different elements of year that I will be glad to see move on. Despite all the lonely nights, frustration, angst, confusion, disappointment, countless hospital visits, midnight drives to nowhere... there was something to be learned in each closing of a season. Closed doors means new ones will open. New opportunities, fresh starts, and forgotten difficulties.

Every change has been a constant reminder that I am totally dependent on God because I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I feel like I’m losing a lot in this life but I know in the end that I will have gained a whole lot more for this life and the next.

The Lord will never bring you to a trial that He will not bring you out of.
If we have nothing else in these dark nights, it is hope. ✌🏻

MATERIALS:

0 Comments

Big Big LOVE

10/27/2018

0 Comments

#25 [love] Illustrated Faith Gratitude Documented 2017

"For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. -Isaiah 54:7-10 (ESV)