Why Is This Happening To Me?

How many times in your life do you ask the Lord, "Why is this happening? I'm a good person, I try to do what's right. I just don't understand why you're not blessing me Lord? Why do I continually go through struggles and trials?

I know I've felt this way. When I began to dig in deep, reading the scriptures daily, praying throughout the day, in all situations...more things were thrown at me. This seemed so unfair, especially when I truly felt that I'd turned my life around and was seeking my Heavenly Father's will daily.

Then I began reading about Joseph. When he was young, he told his older brothers that he had a dream and they would one day bow down to him. As you can imagine, this didn't go over too well. So they threw him into a pit to die, but then had a change of heart and sold him into slavery. They told their father, Jacob (Israel), that he'd died. Joseph however continued to trust in the Lord during his trials. He was given favor as a slave. But his master's wife continued to make passes at him. When he refused, she told her husband that Joseph had come after her to bring shame on her. The master had him thrown into prison for years. All the while Joseph continued to trust in the Lord.

Can you imagine? Our trials are nothing compared to Joseph's, and yet so often, we are ready to give up in the face of them and even get angry with God.

But Joseph trusted in what the Lord had promised him. He eventually became head over all of Egypt, just under the Pharaoh. Joseph was directed by God to save food during their 7 years of prosper, which eventually sustained them when the famine came. Years later, his brothers eventually came to Egypt, seeking food and bowed down before him, just as the Lord had promised Joseph in his youth. When they apologized, Joseph said, "And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." Genesis 45:5
Joseph didn't know God's complete and total plan during his hardships. Just as we don't understand why things are happening to us. But Joseph did know that God had a plan for his life. He wasn't given the complete picture, he couldn't understand what was going on, but I'm sure during those difficult times, God was working out some character flaws, some pride issues, just as He's doing with all of us.

Don't quit, don't give up before you see the glory of all that the Lord has promised you through His living word. He's given us many examples. Most importantly, sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can be free from our sins to fulfill our purpose. Today, in the face of your trials, remember the Lord promises, "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

Faith Beyond Reason

Is there something in your life that you feel is beyond hope? You can't begin to imagine that anything could ever change it, fix it, or heal it? Is there something going on that makes it so difficult to even make it through the day?

There was a woman who was in just such a situation. She had a terrible problem for 12 years. She used every bit of her money, went to several different doctors, and instead of getting better, she grew worse.

It seemed hopeless...no one could stop her bleeding.

If anyone had a valid reason to lose hope, I think this woman would have every right to...and yet she was able to have faith beyond reason.

The woman heard about Jesus & knew in her heart that if she could only touch His cloak, she would be healed.

So, instead of standing silently in the crowd, making up excuses, feeling sorry for herself because she had suffered so much, wondering, "Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" This woman followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit, then she took a step of faith.

She squeezed and pushed her way through the crowd. Slowly, inch by crowd suffocating inch, until she was barely close enough to reach out her hand and touch the cloak of Jesus. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she had been freed from her suffering.

Jesus told her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (read Mark 5:25-34)

If you have something going on recently in your life or for many years and have lost hope, pray that you can have the kind of faith that this woman had.

Pray today for this type of , "FAITH BEYOND REASON."

The Eagle

Every morning I make sure and do a half hour bible study, then turn on the t.v. to watch Joyce Meyer's at 8:00 a.m. I turn it up really loud so I can hear it while I'm in the bathroom getting ready for work. She told a GREAT true story about Eagle's that I wanted to share.

As an Eagle ages, his feathers start to wear down, his beak gets covered with barnacles and his claws are worn and not quite as sharp. As he fly's low to swoop upon his prey, his feathers make a loud whistling sound and scares away his food.

After a while, the old Eagle decides to take drastic measures to survive. He flies high into the sky...higher and higher, getting as close to the sun as possible. Once he finds a perfect spot, he begins the painful process of plucking out every feather, one by one, all two thousand of them. The Eagles skin is raw and swollen, he has gone through a painful process.

As he waits for forty days for his new, re-growth, he doesn't waste time, he begins to rub his worn, barnacled beak against a rock. Scraping day by day, refining it to a stronger form. He begins to also sharpen his claws on the rocks. For forty days he continues to prepare. He knows that this process is for his own good. He endures the time of waiting with careful preparation. Each day is spent growing, strengthening and becoming stronger. When his new feathers appear he is now ready to start fresh. With vibrant new sleek feathers, a stronger beak and claws...he is prepared.

Notice that it took forty days for the feathers to regrow. Jesus spent forty days and forty nights being tempted and tried by satan. God often uses our difficult times to pluck, reshape and refine us for his purpose. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the only perfect person to ever walk the earth was also put through severe pain, struggles and even death.

The next time you ask the question, "Why me God? What have I done that I have to go through this?" Remember, without the trials we would not grow. God did not even spare Jesus, his only begotten son from trials and pain.

He is getting ready to use you for his ultimate purpose for your life!

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like Eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.
2 Thessalonians 1:11