When confusion abounds

When confusion abounds

My mornings always begin with first feeding our cats breakfast, brewing the morning coffee and then sitting down with my cup of java in front of my computer to read my Bible before posting a devotional on this blogspot.

This foggy Saturday morning I decided to read "Voices of the Faithful" Inspiring Stories of Courage from Christians Serving Around the World with Beth Moore. Lucky me last weekend actually discovered a copy of this book in my local library. This is a wonderful little daily devotional book that was published in 2005 by Integrity Publishers. And just in case your interested copies are available on Amazon.com for a very reasonable price!

The cover jacket reads: "The nearly 300 missionaries in this book have give up everything to be on the front lines of the faith and make a difference in their corner of the world. They encounter God in dramatic--and daily--with each life restored, each fear overturned, each prayer answered, each miracle witnessed. And in return, God keeps building their courage, their fire, their full-throttle devotion to Him."

"With His help they are changing the world one child, one neighbor, one co-worker, one farmer, one mother, one community leader at a time. Here are some of their most amazing experiences from life on the edge, to clue you in to what God is doing today around the world. To provoke you to do something in your corner of the world. "to call you to your own life of extreme devotion and heroic faith,"

Beth Moore and Kim P. Davis have compiled devotionals into twelve monthly topics: God's Character, God's Word, Prayer, God's Grace, Witnessing, Persecution, God Working, God Contentment, God Before Me, Spiritual Warfare, Compassion and Christmas Around the World.

This morning one of the devotionals that I read was titled "When confusion abounds" that started with the bible verse:

"Therefore, since through God's mercy, we have this ministry, we do not lose heart . . . We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair . . . Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:1,8,16 (NIV)

The topic of this devotional was about all the different choices that we have in life can sometime bring confusion causing us to be tempted to quit out of fear of making the wrong choice. At the end this missionary from the Pacific Rim writes that:

"God has given us a glimpse of His vision clearly stated in Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands" (NIV).

It is God's vision that no one should perish, but that everyone should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And it' s the power of God's vision and His grace that sustains us and keeps us focused on our calling. So in spite of the chaos and confusion, don't give up!" --Ann, Pacific Rim

Too often (me included) we tend to rely on help from family and friends instead of waiting for God's help. Because sometimes things don't always happen in God's time frame often making us feel uncomfortable. Waiting in not always easy especially when your feeling vulnerable.

Yesterday, Shirah posted a comment to the article titled "Is there Faith On Earth" written by J.R. Hall. And her comments actually tie into today devotional. She writes:

These are prophetic times that continue to come to pass at a very rapid rate!

The diagnosis that is gripping the Body of Messiah in this hour is Lust. Lust of the eye, the flesh and the pride of life. Subsequently the Body's temperature has become--lukewarm.

Toxic waste and foreign mixtures called "worldliness and deceitful distractions" have entered into Body like free radicals-- which are destroying God's sense of urgency in the heart of His Body in this hour.

Signs are WISDOM to the righteous.

Signs are to give WARNING to the world.

Be STRONG-- Righteous Remnant! :)

Shirah http://www.shmoozenwithshirah.blogspot.com/

As the clock of tribulation continues to count down, did you notice that both Ann, the missionary from the Pacific Rim and Shirah comments ended with the words Be STRONG and Don't Give Up! Let remember that the "God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV) This is a spiritual promise of restoration from our Lord and Savior.

Prayer Heavenly Father, please give me strength and grace to live for You and to die to my own selfish desires. Encourage me to forget what is behind and help me to stop worrying about things that are out of my control. I pray Heavenly Father that I will not carry those things that deter me from being conformed to the image of your one and only Son, Jesus Christ who You sent to bring eternal life to all who believe. Lord reveal in me what you would have me to do. In your Holy Name. Amen.

Book quotes from "Voices of the Faithful" with Beth Moore and friends who put their lives on the line for God. Complied by Kim P. Davis, Integrity Publishers, ISBN #1-59145-356-X