WHY GOD IS SOMETIMES HARD ON US?

The Bible says that God is always near us even when we can’t feel him.  The Bible continue tells us in Revelation 21:4 that there is coming a time when all sorrow, tears, pain and death will pass away. There's coming a wonderful day when God will wipe away all tears

In the world today we must face the undeniable fact that people do suffer. That's a fact of life; in our life today we continue to find sickness, sorrow, and suffering in all walks of our life. It's everywhere we look. The question which we keep asking ourselves: Why does God allow it to happen? Does God even care? If God is so good and holy, then why doesn't He put an end to all suffering and pain? 

May God test us to check how strong we are in faith; as Psalm 139:23 reminds us "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts"

It is true that, none of us likes to go through hard times. Always God can use hard times to show us our weaknesses. And when that happens, we need to ask God to help our faith grow. Testing should make us spiritually stronger and it will as we turn it over to God.

The Bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials ... so that you may be mature and complete" James 1:2, 4.

How can we distinguish these two phrases?

·        But when hard times come, a weak faith will be revealed for what it really is:

·        But when hard times happen, the true nature of our faith will be revealed.

God reminds us that it is true that no one can please everyone? If that is true it is a waste of time trying to make everyone like you? If that is true why don’t you be just you? Hence what you have to decide is how you want your life to be. Therefore God ask us to trust him and to believe in him in all times.

·        ” God doesn’t give you the people you want; he gives you the people you need. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you the person you were meant to be”

·        “I made her in such a way, that she would need me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be…Only because I need for her to lean and depend on Me…I know her heart, I know if I had not made her like this, She would go her own chosen way And forget Me…her Creator”. (Psalm 62:5-8)

·        “I have given her many good and happy things because I love her”. (Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:23)

·        “Many times, she has stumbled and fallen alone only because she would not hold My Hand, So many lessons she’s learned the hard way. Because she would not listen to My voice…” (Isaiah 53:6)

·        “So many times I have sat back And sadly watched her go her merry way alone. Only to watch her return to My arms, sad and broken”. (Isaiah 62:2)

Bible tells us that, God sees the need to put us through some things for the purpose of making us strong, and teach us patience as  Romans 5:3 tells us; Trouble and weakness can also teach us to depend on God’s strength [2 Corinthians 2, 11]. How ?

·        God uses hard experiences to prepare us to help others in new ways, and it can give us new opportunities to serve.

·        Jesus was obedient in his suffering, and so he became our way back to God and our example. Believers throughout the ages have been comforted knowing they could glorify God and make him happy by how they responded to painful times.

·        It is unique time to inspire and encourage others to be like Jesus.    

·        Much suffering comes because of our broken world and broken relationships, God has promised to use suffering for our good.

·        God promises that even when we experience pain or evil that seems to have no purpose, He will take the bad things that happen and make them work out for good; he will change them from meaningless to valuable. Everything will work to transform us to be more like Jesus [Romans 8:28], and to bring good for us, for God’s kingdom, and ultimately for God’s glory.

Therefore God wants us to be attached to him, he knows that what happens when things will not work well therefore ‘Never get too attached to anyone else rather than him; because attachments lead to expectations and expectations lead to disappointments’. But in HIM NO DISAPPOINTMENTS IT IS ONLY JOY ALTHOUGH YOU MIGHT PASS THROUGH HARD TIMES.

WHO HOLDS TOMORROW?

One old song explains that "I know who holds tomorrow". The chorus goes thus "... many things about tomorrow, I didn't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hands".

Why then we still have plans about tomorrow and we know by sure that we cannot live tomorrow? Who holds tomorrow and why?

In politics politicians are fighting for power, but regardless of who wins the election, do they hold tomorrow? The simple answer is not; then who holds tomorrow?

I know who holds tomorrow. It's not in the hands of a president, a governor, or any other leader of the nation. Even if we don’t have leadership, the world wouldn't come to an end without one of them leading us. But, without God in our lives, perhaps tomorrow wouldn't look so grateful.

Today, is where we belong, in our thinking we should be in today, not yesterday, not tomorrow? This day is the day in which we should live this is the only truth.

Yesterday is okay to be remembered from time to time. As a matter of fact, our minds will take us there. Without warning, most times. There were good times yesterday. We were happy then. We want to remember those positive times,

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. We should plan to be in it, but we are foolish when we try living it out in today. Matthew 6:34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." In order words, don't dwell on tomorrow.

James 4:13-16 Here, James tells us tomorrow is as uncertain as the wind, No one knows when there last day on earth will take place, The Bible says that we shouldn't make our plans out of God's will since we never know what tomorrow will bring, For someone to boast or brag about their future plans is evil because the Lord is the one who will ultimately decide if we will live to partake in those activities.  James advises us to say, "If it is God's will, then I will go...."

Joshua

"Be strong and of good courage; be neither afraid nor dismayed for the Lord is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

Job:

"In his hands are the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

The strings in the experiences of others may cause the strings in our experience to vibrate, and we find our hearts sympathizing or celebrating with them.

It is only the God Who Holds Tomorrow" is One, Who "was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7), who became one of us, who will take care of our future! Perhaps it is the reality that man does not have the ability to know or see the future that gives him the feeling of insecurity.

The lesson here is that we need to develop our “Faith” is about trusting what is unseen and uncertain (Hebrews 11:1) and so faith is the opposite of fear. This means that if we are having fear about the future, we are losing faith in God. We try to fill our fears with hard work and by securing our material needs. This suggests that ours fears are brought about by our dependence on our own strength or our trust in our own abilities rather than trusting in God.

If man can never know the future, there is one thing he can do to secure his future: trust in God who holds the future. The next question to answer after knowing whom to trust is "how can we trust God?" One definite answer is commitment. If we are to trust God, we must be able to have the commitment to entrust everything to Him without any reservation, without any dose of doubt. 

We are to trust God that He will provide us all our needs but it does not however mean that we should not be doing anything and that we will just wait for God' provision. It is our obligation to do our part as has been said, "do your best and God will do the rest." It is but necessary for man to plan and prepare for the future as with a student to study hard and for parents to work to earn a living. What makes things undesirable in the eyes of God is the fact that man oftentimes "robs" Him.

In order for us to completely trust God for our future, we must be able to know what direction we are to take and of course we must choose to follow the direction that God wanted us to take. Prayer is always the best weapon that man could have. God ensures us that prayers is so powerful because "it is the key that unlocks God's blessings, power and direction (I Thessalonians 5:17-18). When we pray, we communicate to God whatever things that come to our minds and hearts. 

We can trust that He is willing to listen and to answer all our prayers. We can trust Him that He understands our situations, He knows our needs and He knows how much we can endure. Let us trust that God will not give us trials that we cannot endure. Matthew 6:34 encourage us to trust God even on things that we cannot foresee and the things that we do not understand.

God knows the future and He holds it, therefore we do not have any excuse of doubting whether He can support us all throughout. Trusting should not be partial and with reservation. It should be complete and absolute and most of all it should only be in God. We never know what the future holds because time machines are but fantasies. We will never know what tomorrow will bring because foretellers are no more than ordinary individuals. What we know is that we have a God to whom we can entrust our future. Although” Sometimes when things are going well for us, we think we don’t need God, but He is the One who gives us our next breath.

This is special for those who were under surgery process on 23^rd of November, 2011 and God did a wonderful miracle of healing, thanks God

THIS SUNDAY MEDITATION

2 Kings 4:1-7 WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF YOUR ROPE

This Sunday let us Remind ourselves that when things can possibly get worse, they are very likely to start getting better, if you put only hopes in God.

Just ask yourself do you every feel trapped? Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? What do you do when you reach that point?

Simple solution to this statement may be;

·        Just tie a knot and hang on,

·        You might as well let go and never mind if it will get worse.”

·        Just tie another knot and keep on climbing.

When you look at all these three premises each of those has its merits but, in reality, WHAT can you do?

Let us look on the other side of coin;

1. What do you do when you are facing problems with your children that you cannot solve?

2. What do you do when your marriage is on the rocks and the crashing waves of hopelessness are unrelenting?

3. What do you do when there are problems at work and it seems that there is no way out?

4. What do you do when your heart is broken, your dreams are shattered and your hopes have been dashed to bits on the cruel rocks of reality?

For most us we are right now at the end of our rope. We don’t know what to do or where to turn. In our pain and our poverty the only thing we can do is turn to the Lord. When we are ready to do that, God comes through for us in a very big way.  

This verse teaches us the glorious truth that God has a plan for our problems. These verses show us that just as God took care of us no one else;

At some point, every person in our life is going to arrive at that low point of life. There will come a day when you will reach the end of your rope. Some have already been through it and can testify about it. Others are there right now and are looking for some help. Others will arrive there someday. We will all have our days of trouble and trial, Job 14:1; John 16:33.

When you reach that point, the world, the flesh and the devil are all going to tell you that God doesn’t see and that He doesn’t care. The fact is, He does see, Pro. 15:3; 2 Chr. 16:9.  He sees everything you are facing. Not a single thing is hidden from His view. And, He does care, Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 5:7. He cares more than you know about what you are facing.

These verses are designed to teach us that our problems, while they may appear to be insurmountable in our eyes, are really just God’s opportunities in disguise. Therefore, no matter what you are called on to face in this life, learn to turn to the Lord first for the help you need. He cares! He is able! He will work in your need;

God expanded our faith by teaching us trust, humility and obedience. He does the very same things in our life; Often God will use the trials, heartaches and burdens of life to bring us to the place where we can honestly see our need and our own inability to meet it.

Think about it, as long as we think we can handle things,

·  Why should we look to the Lord? If we have all the answers,

·        Why should we turn to Him with our questions?

Let us remind ourselves that When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and Bring your hopes the Almighty God; let Him amaze you with what He can do with your situation.

WHAT IS A GOOD FAMILY?

A Good Family is a Bridge to Success

Throughout human history, the family has been the foundation of society. Within a strong, well-functioning family we can fulfill our physical and emotional needs. Strong family ties provide us the love and security we need for a happy life which helps children grow into well-adjusted Chores, responsibilities and discipline.

A good family grows out of Unselfish love which is the "glue" that holds families together; as Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

A good family is tied with sounds of the children laughing, adults talking, babies crying, and mother taking care of

Respect between parents and children in the family are very important for a health family.  Bible teaches us about “Respect” "Honor your father and your mother." As one among greatest rule, still it's a two-way theory, to obey their parents and to honor them Ephesians 6:1-3. Obeying parents is the duty of children until they reach adulthood, but we are to honor our parents for a lifetime. God promises His blessings on those who honor their

Children should be taught to be respectfully to adults, school rules, traffic laws, and also other people's feelings.

Parents are still advised to valuing “their” children's talents, opinions, and feelings. Bible teaches us that Fathers are instructed to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord Ephesians 6:

To be a good parent is a challenging, demanding, draining, sometimes frustrating but yet a highly satisfying task. Unfortunately most prospective parents are not psychologically prepared to face this challenge. In order to bring up a child properly parents need to first understand their child. This is not easy considering the fact that every child is unique. As Proverbs 23:13-14 says Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from

Proverbs 22:6 says teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it.

Ephesians 6:4 and now a word to you parents. Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice

How blessed are we to have family which is fully of love in the understanding that A family needs love, open communication, sincerity, responsibility and respect among its members. Therefore In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS SUCCESS?

The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had means, time, influence and educational advantages; the question is what he will do with the things he has. The moment a young man ceases to dream or to bemoan his lack of opportunities and resolutely looks his conditions in the face, and resolves to change them, he lays the corner-stone of a solid and honorable success. - Hamilton Wright Mabie

What is success? Most people would define success in terms of achieving goals, acquiring wealth, and having prestige, favor, status, and power. "Successful" people enjoy the "good life" - being financially secure, emotionally secure, being surrounded by admirers, and enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Success is measured and defined differently by God. God's measure of success involves our obedience and faithfulness to Him, regardless of opposition and personal cost. His measure of success is whether or not we are being loyal to Him in our personal relationship with Him and in our life, and whether we are accomplishing His goals and purposes for our life

When I say that someone is responsible, I mean that I am declaring that person to be the primary cause of something. I am saying that they are the creator and author of it through their choices. I make no comment on the quality, usefulness, or advisability of that choice. 

Therefore;

• ·  You are totally responsible for your life and choices because, no one can live your life for you. You are in charge. No matter how hard you try to blame others for the events of your life, each event is the result of your choices.

Inspirational Quotes from Famous People

It takes 20 years to become an overnight success. - Eddie Cantor (1892-1964)  Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - Henry David Thoreau  Success is a journey not a destination." - Anonymous  You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. - Beverly Sills  The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows. - Aristotle Onassis  Behind every successful man there is a surprised woman. - Maryon Pearson  I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. - Bill Cosby  I'd rather be a flop at show business than to be a success at something I didn't like. - George Burns  There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell  If you want to succeed in the world, you don't have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier. - Leo Szilard  Prosperity is living easily and happily in the real world, whether you have money or not --Jerry Gellis  If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. - Dolly Parton