Month: June 2024

This past week has been quite a challenge. Let’s just say…daily something has came at us. It never fails that when we are preparing for events, the attacks come. Sometimes they blindside us. Other times we see them coming. They come in the forms of personal attacks. They come in the forms of attacks on others we care about. Can be as simple as dropping something that breaks that’s important. Can be as big as hearing that one of your dear friends was just diagnosed with brain cancer. Attacks also come as disagreements. Confusion. Misunderstandings. This week we had a variety. Including some health issues. And we believe it is because Satan is trying to keep us from doing our work. He knows good things are happening this weekend. He uses whatever he can to keep us from being successful.

Ever have one of those days where you feel like a punching bag? Were you feel like everything coming at you is continually to trying to beat you up? Ever have one of those weeks? One of those months? What about one of those years? I bet we all have felt like that at times. I know I do. No matter what I do, during those moments it seems like nothing I come up with is enough to battle it back. Nothing! There have been many times I have felt helpless. Especially, times where my family was being attacked. And I couldn’t do anything about it. That is a bad feeling. A terrible feeling. Feeling helpless is terrible. Not many things are worse than watching your loved ones go through something like this. But, as bad as those moments are, I’m reassured in this one promise: God will not allow our challenges to defeat us. If we have our hope in him, we will get through anything we face. 

If there’s one weapon in our bag of arsenal against times like this, it is trusting God. Trusting him makes us stronger. Trusting him shows that we have our faith put in him. Trusting him gives us hope that only comes from him. Whenever you feel captive to what you’re facing, trust God. In the Bible, we read about times others faced things like this. An example is Job. Then think about Esther. Moses. Peter. David. Etc. And the ultimate example for us is Jesus. Each facing very difficult times. Yet…God was there for them. God had protected them. We can learn from this. We can learn that when we are faithful to God, he is faithful to us. He will take on the battles that we face. He will take on the attacks. And know this reassurance, God will win. He already has. The victory was declared on that cross. So today, turn to him no matter what attacks you face. Knowing he will get you through.

Years ago, I loved to read. As a kid for sure. I remember, while living in Germany, I read Stuart Little and Charlotte‘s Web multiple times each year. And of course, I enjoyed comic books. Which kid didn’t? My mother bought me some of the classics as well. Shorter versions of them. But still, they were the classics. Moby Dick for example. Somewhere along the line, I lost my interest in reading novels. Anything fiction. I just couldn’t stay focused as I read those. I lost interest. Now…when it comes to historical books, count me in. I really enjoyed those Time Life Magazine books. The ones that came in a series of 20. Where each book was on a different topic. For instance, the World War II series had books about separate battles. Or weapons. I can read those for days. 

Chapter books are kind of parallel to our lives. Just as you turn the chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, and so on, our lives have chapters. Each day we are writing the books of our lives. What we do. What we say. Where we go. Who we associate with. Basically, our entire lives have different chapters. Past chapters. Present chapters. Future chapters. And I bet each chapter will look different from each of us. I know my chapters do. Just think about this for a second. There are things in my past that certain people know about me. Chapters that I’m not proud of. Do you have any of those? But, those chapters can be important testimonies for those with similar experiences. If they were to read about my life, they might be able to benefit from learning about what I went through. What I did. Where I was. My mistakes can be life lessons for others. And hopefully now, I am living a life that’s an example of how to do things. Or at least, a life where I’m trying to do the right things. 

Another book that I read is the Bible. I try to read it daily. The chapters in it are a manuscript for us to follow. Definitely, life lessons for us to learn from. There are so many people in the Bible that we read about their lives. Where they were at one time. And where they went another. In the Bible, we can see the lessons that Jesus was teaching us back then. Lessons that are lasting today. Lessons that will last in the future. That’s pretty incredible if you think about it. Things that he taught 2000 years ago are still relevant today. Simply amazing. So today, as we continue writing the stories of our lives, let’s try to make each chapter one that others can truly learn from. Let’s try to be examples that people can apply to their lives. Today, let’s continue learning about Jesus and work to be like him. Today, let’s make sure that he is our Lord and Savior. And let’s let him be the author of our lives. Don’t wait till tomorrow. Start today. If you don’t know how, let’s talk.