Struggles•

    As people living in the world, we tend to face hard times and struggles. What we do in these times is what really matters. Do we let them win or do we persevere. There are two types of people, the people who let the positive and reach for the light and hold on to the good. Then there are the type that lay down and give up. They think there is no hope and things could never get any worse. They find the darkness and stay there, and they cling to the negative.

     What type are you?

   There are many things that we can hold on to when we go through struggles. There is only one that really matters and that is God. We can read from the Bible, and listen to songs as well about how God is going to be there through everything through the good and the bad.

    One of my all time favorite songs is "Through all of it ", by Colton Dixon. If you have never heard it before I suggest that you go and listen to it. When I hear this song it reminds me that God's got my back. That no matter what I do or what happens in life, Gods going to be there, because God is constant and will never leave. He will ALWAYS be there through the struggles.

   The Bible tells us in Psalm 46:1, That God is a safe place when we are in times of trouble. God is our shelter through the storm and he will give us the strength to persevere and get through it.

" God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. "(psalm 46:1)

   The Bible also tells us in Isaiah 12:2 that we should not be afraid because God is our strength and our defense.

"Surely God is my salvation  I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense he has become my salvation.” ( Isaiah 12:2)

 Jeremiah 17:7 tells us that we have to trust God and have confidence in him.

 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." (Jeremiah 17:7)

    Some of you may ask why does this have anything to do with struggles. Well think about it. When we go through struggles do we have confidence in God knowing he will do what is needed to be done or what is best? Do we have confidence that he will give us strength and help us, and comfort us is our struggles? Or do we trust God, trust him that he knows what he is doing and trust that God will not fail us.

Another verse that is good for us to look back on in our times of struggle is Jeremiah 29:11.

" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"." (Jeremiah 29:11)

   This verse tell us that God does not want to harm us, and that every trial that he puts us through is for a reason. God wants to make us better not break us. He loves us with a love far greater than anything that we could find in this world. God wants to give us hope not discourage us.

   The last verse that I will leave you with will be psalm 23:4.

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4) 

  We go through dark and trying times but we are never alone we have God through everything. Because God is with us we should not fear. We should take comfort in knowing that God is going to be there to catch each tear that is shed, and he will hear each cry that is cried. God is not only going to be there to love and comfort us in the good times, but he will be there through the dark times as well.

   One more truly amazing song to listen to if you are going through a hard time is " Near to me ", by I Am They. This song speaks so much truth. It talks about in our darkest times God can make them light as dawn. It tells us that when we loose everything we have God and he will be there for us. We will never be alone and we will never have nothing, because we will always have God.

   So what type of person are you? Are you going to lift your head and worship God and find your hope in God, in your times of trouble? Or are you going to stay down and cling to the negative and push God away.

          Thank you for reading!

Patience

    Patience... do we have enough. Are we patient with everyone or just the people we love. We have to be patient with everyone and everything.
    Sometimes we are impatient at the wrong times. Like when we are impatient with God or someone and their salvation. But we have to realize that this is God’s time and not ours.
    The Bible tells us that those who become impatient will become angry and foolish. Why because anger can make us do foolish things. And to be patient is of the lord.

Ecclesiastes  7:9 

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”

    The word of God also tells us that we are to be humble and patient with one another for this will show love to one another.

Ephesians 4:2 

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love”

    We need to patient with God, but often we are not. The Bible says that we are to stand before God and be in patience. We are supposed to be patient when people go in wicked ways and reframe from evil and those who have hope in God will inharret his land.

Psalm 37:7-9

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

    The last thing that I am going to  mention is that love is kind and patient and if we are to show love we are to be to be kind and patient, not to be jealous or boastful.

1 Corinthians 13:4 

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant”