When the cares of life crumble you, and everything you hold dear is dangling at the end of a rope, there is hope. You may not feel it, but it's true. Sometimes God breaks us to draw us closer to Him.
Brokenness is the condition whereby our will is brought into full submission to His will so that when He speaks, we put up no arguments or excuses. We obey the leading of the Holy Spirit and trust His guidance.
1 Peter 5:6,7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
BROKEN PIECES
Pick up the broken pieces and bring them to The Lord
Pick up the broken pieces, trust in his holy Word
He will put them back together and make your life complete
Just place the broken pieces at the Saviors feet
Ruby Kitchen & James Martin, Jr.
When the heart is in agony it suddenly knows how to pray. God hears the urgent prayers of mothers for sick or straying children.
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
God hears the prayers for cancer patients. Those who lose loved ones find comfort that only Jesus gives.
We must trust God with our agonies. That means wrap them up and hand them to Him. When we are weak, then are we made strong in Him.
Seventeen years ago, scared to death in a recovery room after cancer surgery, my agonizing prayer was simple. "Lord, what's going to happen to me?"
That's when I felt His tender arms wrap around me. That's when I said, "Lord, live or die, have Your way in my life." That's when peace and assurance filled me with hope.
Is God a mystery we can't comprehend? I may not understand why He sent His Son to die on a cross for someone as unworthy as me, but I know He loves me. Though His thoughts and ways are much higher than mine, I know a few things about Him.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.
God has warmth and understanding. He should be worshipped for who He is, but you can't help being in awe at what He has done.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him . .
God has no beginning or end. He is not dependent on humans, but humans are dependant on Him. He is accessible everywhere -- any time.
Psalms 33:11 The counsel of The Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
My favorite attributes are mercy and grace and love. Amazing grace how sweet the sound.
From the beginning of time skeptics have denied God the Creator. They reject that He is the all powerful, all present, all knowing ruler of the universe and redeemer of mankind.
Psalm 14;1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
But our God is alive, resurrected from the dead and not a graven image. Believers really do become a child of the King, an intimate relationship the world cannot fathom.
Acts 17;28,29 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then, as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone graven by art and man's device.
Many religious people are unfriendly toward any kind of doctrinal teaching, stating that religion should be based on feeling and good will. The scriptures put major emphasis on teaching the truth, and a large part of truth is doctrine.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Regardless of your denomination or non-denomination, if you truly want to know the truth, read God's Word from Genesis to Revelation, asking The Lord to reveal the truth. He will. You may come across scripture you never heard from the pulpit.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify The Lord God in your hearts . . .
How do you sanctify God in your heart? Snap your fingers? No. Will it by grit and determination? No.
To sanctify The Lord in your heart has everything to do with holiness, submission, and worship. It means to turn everything over to God, to live to please Him and glorify Him.
To sanctify The Lord in your heart means to fear displeasing Him rather than what people will say about you. It means being satisfied with nothing less than the will of God.
We may be tempted to give in to our fears. Make the right decision. Sanctify the Lord God in your heart.
The joy of the Christian life is abiding in Christ.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.
Abiding in Christ means to fellowship with Him so that He can work through us to produce spiritual fruit.
Abiding in Christ demands worship, study of God's Word, sacrifice, and service that will produce joy.
Through centuries of time and even today Christians are hated or persecuted because of the values of a world system that does not conform to the teaching of God. That doesn't matter when we are abiding in Christ.
There's a peace in my heart that the world never gave,
A peace it cannot take away:
Though the tri-als of life may surround like a cloud,
I've a peace that has come here to stay.
Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly abiding, rapture divine;
He never leaves me lonely,
Whispers, oh, so kind;
I will never leave thee -- Jesus is mine
Anne S. Murphy
