There is Beauty in the Battle
I was just reading through my last post and couldn't help but chuckle a little. I am continually amazed at how God works. Since writing last I was given a book called "Beautiful Battlefields" by Bo Stern. The verse that is talked about throughout the book is Romans 5:3-5...
"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame."
Some years back I remember sitting in a bible study where this verse came up and me being me said something like this, "if suffering is the only way to produce more character than I don't want anymore character!" This thinking took root. I began dreading any battle that came into my life...those I could see coming and those that knocked me sideways. While reading this book I realized it was time to pull out the weed with the really long root. Battles (suffering) in this life can be beautiful....it's all in my perspective. Here is the same verse from a different translation--another way of saying the same verse in different words--a different perspective...
"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hammered with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience (love that!) in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steal of virtue (endurance), keeping us alert for whatever God will do next (HOPE). In alert expectancy such as this, never left feeling short changed. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -The Message
I forget daily that God has seen my life from beginning to end. There is a chapter in the book called 'Every Minute'...when I first started reading it, I thought she was talking about how Jesus is with us every minute of our lives...one at a time. But it wasn't what she went on to describe. She says this...."I (Jesus) have already been to every minute you will ever face. I have been to your future and back and I have built provision in every minute where you will need it. You won't see it now, but it will be there when you get there." That's a whole new way for me to look at what confident hope means. Jesus isn't getting to my battles that fill me with fear at the same moment that I am. He's already been there and knows the best way through it so all I need to do is grab His hand and follow Him!
Psalms 18:35-36 says, "You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me, your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping."
This verse does not say that 'He will' or 'may support' or 'might widen'...it says He has ALREADY given me victory, support, and a firm place to stand. That is what I want to put my hope in. That is how I want to start each day so that I don't have to be in fear of anything that comes my way. Because my Jesus has already made a way!!!!
He is good all the time and I can trust Him!
"She radiates confidence born in battle." -Bo Stern
"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame."
Some years back I remember sitting in a bible study where this verse came up and me being me said something like this, "if suffering is the only way to produce more character than I don't want anymore character!" This thinking took root. I began dreading any battle that came into my life...those I could see coming and those that knocked me sideways. While reading this book I realized it was time to pull out the weed with the really long root. Battles (suffering) in this life can be beautiful....it's all in my perspective. Here is the same verse from a different translation--another way of saying the same verse in different words--a different perspective...
"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hammered with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience (love that!) in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steal of virtue (endurance), keeping us alert for whatever God will do next (HOPE). In alert expectancy such as this, never left feeling short changed. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -The Message
I forget daily that God has seen my life from beginning to end. There is a chapter in the book called 'Every Minute'...when I first started reading it, I thought she was talking about how Jesus is with us every minute of our lives...one at a time. But it wasn't what she went on to describe. She says this...."I (Jesus) have already been to every minute you will ever face. I have been to your future and back and I have built provision in every minute where you will need it. You won't see it now, but it will be there when you get there." That's a whole new way for me to look at what confident hope means. Jesus isn't getting to my battles that fill me with fear at the same moment that I am. He's already been there and knows the best way through it so all I need to do is grab His hand and follow Him!
Psalms 18:35-36 says, "You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me, your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping."
This verse does not say that 'He will' or 'may support' or 'might widen'...it says He has ALREADY given me victory, support, and a firm place to stand. That is what I want to put my hope in. That is how I want to start each day so that I don't have to be in fear of anything that comes my way. Because my Jesus has already made a way!!!!
He is good all the time and I can trust Him!
"She radiates confidence born in battle." -Bo Stern
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