Tag: Trials

How to Really Have a Faith to Overcome Adversity

 

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” Luke 8:22-26 (NKJV)

Where is your faith when everything seems to come crashing in around you? How do you hold on when facing cancer, loss, heartbreak, trials, and suffering in this world? We look around us and see the evil effects of sin surrounding us. We look within and see the effects of evil lurking there within our own hearts, always crouching near (selfishness, pride, anger, desires and our inability to love God as we should). Where can we find the faith to overcome adversity? How do we know hope, joy and peace in the midst of life’s storms?

crashing waves

We who might think ourselves skilled navigators upon this sea of life are taken by surprise by the raging waters and find ourselves drowning. We cry out for help to God. Jesus speaks. The raging storm stops as He asks, “Where is your faith?” Once more we tremble as we realize that we don’t even know, as we cry out concerning Jesus, “Who can this be?” We, the followers of Jesus, don’t know Him as the one who spoke the world into being nor the one whose very words hold the world’s existence in place.

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How to Face This Pain, Today With Strength and Hope

I awoke this morning with a sudden, severe pain in the low back. I realized it was there the moment I tried to turn over and worse when I tried to stand. I tried to remember if I had done anything different to trigger this; but, could not remember anything. It comes from time to time; fortunately, not too often. Perhaps a reminder of an old injury in which I had been violently kicked in the low back. To add to my dilemma, I awoke with a mind that is blank. Perhaps it would be a writer’s suicide to confess, that I write my post the morning of my posting it. Oh, many times the scriptures on which I will be writing have been playing day and night in my head as I spend the hours in prayer—waiting for a word, a thought, and a whisper from God’s Spirit within me. When the post is ready to upload; often, I have failed the final edit (lack of time) as I scurry off to my day job. Yet, that is the reality of my life. Perhaps the reality of most lives. We could wish that we were more polished, the perfect post which has been reviewed and refined. We wish we never had the blank mind when our friends ask for advice. We wish we weren’t bogged down at times by the pain of an old scar, an injury that tears at our heart.

Perfect plan

As we move now into the final chapter of John in this series which we began back in August, we find Peter fishing. Jesus had appeared to the apostles twice before. Yet, neither time had Jesus brought up the one thing pressing on the mind of Peter—the denial. Had he been forgiven? What were they to be doing next? So, in the meantime—Peter had gone to do what he knew best. He went fishing. He did not sit idle while awaiting his assignment. He went about the business of fishing. This way he could provide for himself, his family and even to help feed the apostles. Life continued. Now they knew that Jesus had risen from the dead and they had yet to be commissioned to spread the gospel. Still life on this earth goes on. So what do we do when pain makes every movement difficult? Or when doubt tries to fill our spirits? Or when, our mind is blank awaiting that next inspiration?

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Poetry Sunday—An Act of Grace

Sometimes, God’s greatest Acts of Grace come to us wrapped in pain, sorrow, or trials.  You might at first, say, “How? Why would that be an act of grace?”  There would perhaps have been a time, I would have wanted to agree with you.  But you see, as I look back over my life; I realize that it was through those darkest of nights that I sought God with all my heart and soul.  It was the lonely broken heart fighting to make sense of abuse, cancer, illness, and loneliness which searched longingly in the scripture.  There in the early hours before dawn as I searched for answers; I found God’s Grace sufficient.  In those early morning hours, I found hope, joy, peace, and love enough to sustain me for another day.  It is a ritual I long for each morning, just to sit in His presence.  Oh, yes, life will bring its trials, its pains, its fears; but, they cannot destroy the hope and the joy that I have found.  In Christ, I may weep for a moment over the sorrows of this world; but, I will awaken before the dawn to sit a little while with Him.  There I am restored.  There I have hope.  There I know how much I am loved.  In Him, is fullness of joy evermore.  broken

An Act of Grace

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

As I look back over my life

Remembering the pain and strife

There were those nights of bitter tears

When I awoke heart full of fears

To stumble then to find my chair

Where I would sit alone in prayer

 

My Bible opened there I’d read

Of hope, of love, of all I need

Your songs of joy poured over me

Salvation’s song had set me free

And suddenly I saw a light

A thought that brought such pure delight

The pain had been Your act of Grace

To Cause this heart to seek Your face

And find in You, my love, my friend

This hope and joy will never end

 

And now, Dear Lord I know it’s true

All that I need I find in you

I leap to rise before daylight

To sit with You, my pure delight

And talk with You about each day

That I might find Your will, Your way

 

My Bible opened there I read

Of hope, of love, of all I need

Your songs of joy pour over me

Salvation’s song has set me free

And as each day with dawning light

New trials come as is life’s plight

Whatever comes it is Your Grace

Allowing me to seek Your face

I find in You, my love, my friend

This hope and joy will never end

The picture is used with permission of Ronald Barba, the artist.  It is protected under copyright and can only be copied or reproduced with permission.  To obtain copies you may go to http://fineartamerica.com/featured/broken-and-contrite-heart-ronald-barba.html

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Can My Heart Ever Really See God’s Wondrous Glory?

Can My Heart Ever Really See God’s Wondrous Glory?

This journey of life has taken me through dark and treacherous valleys at times. So, often I have searched to find the heart of God; desiring to know and understand His will. Sorrows, pains, trials come and toss me about on this sea of life. Each time I am tossed by the storms,  I find myself trusting more firmly in the only anchor that can hold me fast in the midst of the storms. I find myself searching and seeking to know God more. I search to see His Glory, His Love, and His Joy. I find that out of the darkness: I become filled with Joy in the midst of sorrow, love in the midst of broken heartedness, and that hope arises out of despair. It is in those dark valleys that God’s Glory shines brightest. Quite the opposite of what my heart would have thought it desired. I really would prefer that His Glory present itself toward me in prosperity. Yet, in my own humanity; my thoughts turn away from God and toward me when all is going well. As though an all righteous, just God would be so pleased with my own accomplishments of righteousness. Yet, God’s Glorious attributes include His perfect Love as well as His perfect Justice.  Both are blended into His Splendor.  He knows what is best for me.  He knows all that is needed in my heart to prepare me for the greatest pleasure in Him and in His Glory.

 

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[bctt tweet=”God knows the only hope for my heart to see glimpses His Glory in a broken world is to allow storms”] Could I understand His power and might were it not for the storms in my life?  Would I even search for God, were there no storms?  God’s heart breaks with mine every time mine is broken. Yet, He knows that unless mine is broken; I can never feel the depth of His love. I would never be able to truly love anything or anyone; had my heart never been broken.  In that broken state, I found God’s love which filled me to overflowing.  Only then could I learn the truth of love.  If I had never known sorrow; could I really know the depth of Joy I have found in God?

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HOW TO ACTUALLY REJOICE IN HOPE WHILE FACING TRIBULATIONS

HOW TO ACTUALLY REJOICE IN HOPE WHILE FACING TRIBULATIONS

Rejoice in hope while facing tribulations? How can that even be possible? Yet, that is precisely what Paul and Peter called us to. In the midst of our darkest moments, we are told to do just that. Yet, without at least a glimmer of hope; how does anyone get up and even put one foot in front of the other to face the day? Without a glimmer of hope, when facing dark, treacherous valleys; a person would be lost in despair and loneliness. Hope then is a good thing without which we just die to life itself.

There were many years in which I faced so many trials. Year after year in which illness, pain, loneliness, and valleys of trials were present. That was when I wrote Mountaintop Experiences in the Valley with all the raw emotions of those valleys. I am now rewriting the third edition to provide even more insight into how I survived those years and continue to face the trials that arise along this journey of life. One thing that remained although at times very dimly was a ray of hope.

HOPE HAS A NAME

[bctt tweet=”That ray of hope however dim it began was the light that kept me going forward toward JOY!!”]

Let us look at some scripture which will guide.

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