I Thessalonians 5:16-18; (16) Rejoice Evermore. (17) Pray without ceasing. (18) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Wow, my toes have been rolled over; especially after this past week.
What a roller coaster ride it has been, as was pointed out by a dear friend this week, this was a practice what you preach week. Satan gave me numerous opportunities to weaken, allowing the spiritual vessel to crack and leak the water of Life for all those around me to see.
He pushed my buttons through people, and because of some physical issues I began to wear down, life’s road was becoming very bumpy, and I was looking for a fast lane to by-pass it all. Christ knew perfectly when to intervene, who to place on my path, and what vehicle to use to calm the storms.
Through the kind words of truth, He used Mr. Fred to speak the Truth in love, reassuring the truths I had hidden away in my heart. Through kind deeds, He used Ms. Tracey to take my mind away from the stress of the bumpy road.
His Sovereignty this week was disclosed through His compassion for a child in distress. His grace is sufficient, but too many times we become so wrapped up in the events of our lives that we overlook or worse yet dismiss the very Hand that ushered us through the trials.
Rejoice Evermore!
Finding joy in life sometimes is a tall order walking in this flesh, yet Paul wrote this with great authority, as a commandment. He is reminding us of our heritage, that in Christ we are to live in the joy of the Spirit that lives within us. Remembering the Joy of the Spirit that lives in us can be tough when the storms of life are raging all around us, and the road becomes bumpy. It is when we remember our relationship to the King and who we are in Him that HE uses the trials to grow us and strengthen us.
This is not just a feeling – this is knowledge, foundational knowledge as kin to the King – Remember, Rejoice Evermore. Pray without ceasing! We must develop a state of God consciousness, a sense of Holiness, reaching for Righteousness, a spirit of prayer, communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit constantly through the day. Wow, this is such a change from the cursed flesh we walk in, yet we all know people like this.
Prayer warriors, the folks we looked up to when we were younger that you loved to be around, because they were close to God. This week, I lost touch with that sense of Holiness, and a few times Righteousness was not in the forefront of my mind.
These Study Verses – well; they rolled over my toes at just the time I needed to hear them. We must remember to yield our hearts to Him and develop a mind that Prays without ceasing. In everything give thanks!
OK, here is where I must inject the Spiritual lesson learned this week.
Last weekend as I was teaching my class, I began to feel like I had been dunked in 120 degree water, dumped into the washing machine, through the spin cycle and then run through a wringer. Physically I was fatigued, developed a fever, the sweats, achy and through the course of the day, developed swelling glands and lymph nodes. Being the Marine that I am, I complained a little, but kept going. I went to work Monday, as the day progressed, I began to feel like a Mack truck used me for target practice, then ran over me a couple more times just for good measure.
In the afternoon, Ms. Tracey called me up and ask if I would be interested in an early morning flight (O dark thirty). Anyone knowing me knows I would fly with one foot in the grave, so I obviously answered in the affirmative for the flight. The rest of the day went downhill, and one of the projects I was setting up was hitting a brick wall. People were not cooperating, schedules were being rushed, and I was not keeping the mental gymnastics all together.
Ah, 17:00 time to go home, but alas I had a house full of family, and I was in no condition physically or mentally to be cordial. I excused myself to the Hot Tub to try and relieve all the knots and aches. I was asked to please come to the dining room and at least sit with the kids since I had no appetite. Which, I prayed Lord, keep me upright long enough to visit with the kids and grand kids.
Well, I made it through dinner and that’s it. I am a guy that normally can run 18 hours on 6 hours of sleep. That night I fell into bed @ 18:00 and did not rejoin the conscious world until 04:30 Tuesday morning, early enough to make the flight. Well, as rotten as I felt – getting above all that in Gods beautiful early morning sky somehow made it all better.
It took no time at all until, I felt quite comfortable in that right co-pilot's seat. He filled a need without me knowing it, without me understanding it at the time or even giving Him credit for any of it until a few days later. He wiped the grim face of pain away and replaced it with a smile, and filled the frustrated heart with joy. As icing on the cake, Ms. Tracey gave me a second flight the next night out west, where I got some time with our “Chief Pilot” who is an amazing young man. There was more joy, peace and relaxation packed into those 4 hours than I can go into in this Blog post.
That night after I got home late, I sat down and HE filled my tired, sore and fatigued old body with a boat load of joy. Then I got it, from Sunday morning through Wednesday night the road got bumpy, I wanted to take the highway – but He said, no, we will take the bumpy old scenic route. Wednesday night, I sat here at the computer reflecting on the past four days, and the smile on my face from flying made it to my heart. He showed me what I have been preaching for 15 years really does work. I have always tried to offer words of encouragement to those hurting, to those broken hearted and to those sick and afflicted. I was stricken with a pretty funky virus that has me down yet… MY God, saw me, heard me, and reached down and used people on my bumpy road to calm my heart and offer encouragement, filling my heart to overflowing with joy.
IN ALL THINGS GIVE THANKS!
To Fred, Tracey and David my heartfelt thanks for all that you did for me last week. God used all three of you through your words and deeds to wipe my eyes from the dust of the road and see the bigger picture. Sometimes in midst of life’s little road bumps, we often find ourselves annoyed and irritated with the rough ride. We often look for an easier route or head for the highway, too hasty to know or even realize that God allowed those bumps in the road of life to slow us down. He gives us these times to pause, to look around, and watch for bystanders. To take in His blessings in this life, and to touch those He has placed on our path.
So the next time you feel the little bumps in this trek we call life, look around to see where you are and who you can help along the way.
My Dear Precious Father, Thank You for the powerful promises and Truth you have provided us in Your word. Forgive this tired old heart for missing your hand through this rough week Lord, I felt the bumps of life, but neglected to look for Your hand to deliver.
Thank You Father for giving such a friend in Fred, that I can trust his heart and accept counsel from this young man when I knew I needed to hear it. Thank You Father for this wonderful, joyful friend I have in Ms. Tracey. You have blessed her with a heart to see beneath the surface Father, something I truly needed this week, thank You Father for the vehicle you provided for her to get me back in the air.
Then Dear Lord, I want to thank you for dear David, what a wonderful young man, talented and knowledgeable and lots of good stories. Father, this kind and gentle man single handedly left me see your hand in the week. He brought smiles, laughs and peace Father – I truly see your hand in that evening. I walked that pilots lounge in pain, and he came over and took my mind away, with stories and memories of days gone by.
Thank You Dear Jesus for placing these kind, wonderful people in my path when the road was bumpy. Bless them as only You can this week Father, touch their hearts and lives and fill them to overflowing with the Joy of the Spirit. If any of them do not know You Father, or do not have a Saving knowledge of Your Son, then present them an opportunity do so, I pray Thee. In all things Father I will continually give you the Honor, the Praise and the Glory, in Your Strong Son’s Name I pray, in JESUS name. Amen
Wow, my toes have been rolled over; especially after this past week.
What a roller coaster ride it has been, as was pointed out by a dear friend this week, this was a practice what you preach week. Satan gave me numerous opportunities to weaken, allowing the spiritual vessel to crack and leak the water of Life for all those around me to see.
He pushed my buttons through people, and because of some physical issues I began to wear down, life’s road was becoming very bumpy, and I was looking for a fast lane to by-pass it all. Christ knew perfectly when to intervene, who to place on my path, and what vehicle to use to calm the storms.
Through the kind words of truth, He used Mr. Fred to speak the Truth in love, reassuring the truths I had hidden away in my heart. Through kind deeds, He used Ms. Tracey to take my mind away from the stress of the bumpy road.
His Sovereignty this week was disclosed through His compassion for a child in distress. His grace is sufficient, but too many times we become so wrapped up in the events of our lives that we overlook or worse yet dismiss the very Hand that ushered us through the trials.
Rejoice Evermore!
Finding joy in life sometimes is a tall order walking in this flesh, yet Paul wrote this with great authority, as a commandment. He is reminding us of our heritage, that in Christ we are to live in the joy of the Spirit that lives within us. Remembering the Joy of the Spirit that lives in us can be tough when the storms of life are raging all around us, and the road becomes bumpy. It is when we remember our relationship to the King and who we are in Him that HE uses the trials to grow us and strengthen us.
This is not just a feeling – this is knowledge, foundational knowledge as kin to the King – Remember, Rejoice Evermore. Pray without ceasing! We must develop a state of God consciousness, a sense of Holiness, reaching for Righteousness, a spirit of prayer, communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit constantly through the day. Wow, this is such a change from the cursed flesh we walk in, yet we all know people like this.
Prayer warriors, the folks we looked up to when we were younger that you loved to be around, because they were close to God. This week, I lost touch with that sense of Holiness, and a few times Righteousness was not in the forefront of my mind.
These Study Verses – well; they rolled over my toes at just the time I needed to hear them. We must remember to yield our hearts to Him and develop a mind that Prays without ceasing. In everything give thanks!
OK, here is where I must inject the Spiritual lesson learned this week.
Last weekend as I was teaching my class, I began to feel like I had been dunked in 120 degree water, dumped into the washing machine, through the spin cycle and then run through a wringer. Physically I was fatigued, developed a fever, the sweats, achy and through the course of the day, developed swelling glands and lymph nodes. Being the Marine that I am, I complained a little, but kept going. I went to work Monday, as the day progressed, I began to feel like a Mack truck used me for target practice, then ran over me a couple more times just for good measure.
In the afternoon, Ms. Tracey called me up and ask if I would be interested in an early morning flight (O dark thirty). Anyone knowing me knows I would fly with one foot in the grave, so I obviously answered in the affirmative for the flight. The rest of the day went downhill, and one of the projects I was setting up was hitting a brick wall. People were not cooperating, schedules were being rushed, and I was not keeping the mental gymnastics all together.
Ah, 17:00 time to go home, but alas I had a house full of family, and I was in no condition physically or mentally to be cordial. I excused myself to the Hot Tub to try and relieve all the knots and aches. I was asked to please come to the dining room and at least sit with the kids since I had no appetite. Which, I prayed Lord, keep me upright long enough to visit with the kids and grand kids.
Well, I made it through dinner and that’s it. I am a guy that normally can run 18 hours on 6 hours of sleep. That night I fell into bed @ 18:00 and did not rejoin the conscious world until 04:30 Tuesday morning, early enough to make the flight. Well, as rotten as I felt – getting above all that in Gods beautiful early morning sky somehow made it all better.
It took no time at all until, I felt quite comfortable in that right co-pilot's seat. He filled a need without me knowing it, without me understanding it at the time or even giving Him credit for any of it until a few days later. He wiped the grim face of pain away and replaced it with a smile, and filled the frustrated heart with joy. As icing on the cake, Ms. Tracey gave me a second flight the next night out west, where I got some time with our “Chief Pilot” who is an amazing young man. There was more joy, peace and relaxation packed into those 4 hours than I can go into in this Blog post.
That night after I got home late, I sat down and HE filled my tired, sore and fatigued old body with a boat load of joy. Then I got it, from Sunday morning through Wednesday night the road got bumpy, I wanted to take the highway – but He said, no, we will take the bumpy old scenic route. Wednesday night, I sat here at the computer reflecting on the past four days, and the smile on my face from flying made it to my heart. He showed me what I have been preaching for 15 years really does work. I have always tried to offer words of encouragement to those hurting, to those broken hearted and to those sick and afflicted. I was stricken with a pretty funky virus that has me down yet… MY God, saw me, heard me, and reached down and used people on my bumpy road to calm my heart and offer encouragement, filling my heart to overflowing with joy.
IN ALL THINGS GIVE THANKS!
To Fred, Tracey and David my heartfelt thanks for all that you did for me last week. God used all three of you through your words and deeds to wipe my eyes from the dust of the road and see the bigger picture. Sometimes in midst of life’s little road bumps, we often find ourselves annoyed and irritated with the rough ride. We often look for an easier route or head for the highway, too hasty to know or even realize that God allowed those bumps in the road of life to slow us down. He gives us these times to pause, to look around, and watch for bystanders. To take in His blessings in this life, and to touch those He has placed on our path.
So the next time you feel the little bumps in this trek we call life, look around to see where you are and who you can help along the way.
My Dear Precious Father, Thank You for the powerful promises and Truth you have provided us in Your word. Forgive this tired old heart for missing your hand through this rough week Lord, I felt the bumps of life, but neglected to look for Your hand to deliver.
Thank You Father for giving such a friend in Fred, that I can trust his heart and accept counsel from this young man when I knew I needed to hear it. Thank You Father for this wonderful, joyful friend I have in Ms. Tracey. You have blessed her with a heart to see beneath the surface Father, something I truly needed this week, thank You Father for the vehicle you provided for her to get me back in the air.
Then Dear Lord, I want to thank you for dear David, what a wonderful young man, talented and knowledgeable and lots of good stories. Father, this kind and gentle man single handedly left me see your hand in the week. He brought smiles, laughs and peace Father – I truly see your hand in that evening. I walked that pilots lounge in pain, and he came over and took my mind away, with stories and memories of days gone by.
Thank You Dear Jesus for placing these kind, wonderful people in my path when the road was bumpy. Bless them as only You can this week Father, touch their hearts and lives and fill them to overflowing with the Joy of the Spirit. If any of them do not know You Father, or do not have a Saving knowledge of Your Son, then present them an opportunity do so, I pray Thee. In all things Father I will continually give you the Honor, the Praise and the Glory, in Your Strong Son’s Name I pray, in JESUS name. Amen
1 comment:
That was very uplifting RC. It is encouraging to know that I am not alone in my struggles to maintain my faith when in the face of adversity. I will countinue to read your blog in hopes it will help me grow in my spirtual life so I can become a better christian and serve our Fathers will.
With love,
LSK.
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