From: takeaminute+noreply@googlegroups.com
Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:24:03 +0000
Subject: Take a Minute Digest for takeaminute@googlegroups.com - 1
Message in 1 Topic
To: Digest Recipients <takeaminute+digest@googlegroups.com>
=============================================================================
Today's Topic Summary
=============================================================================
Group: takeaminute@googlegroups.com
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/topics
- -- Thursday, 7/8/10 -- THIS IS JUST A TEST -- Judges 3:1-4 [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/t/39682e23ae84d8d0
=============================================================================
Topic: -- Thursday, 7/8/10 -- THIS IS JUST A TEST -- Judges 3:1-4
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/t/39682e23ae84d8d0
=============================================================================
---------- 1 of 1 ----------
From: "J.R. & Bonnie Ricks" <j-r-and-bonnie@dogwoodministries.org>
Date: Jul 07 06:53PM -0500
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/msg/91f99408efdec88f
Take a Minute is a daily devotional ministry of
Dogwood Ministries, Inc.
If you need prayer. contact our partners in ministry.
SJ Ministries - Ministry of Prayer <http://sjministries.co.uk/>
Or simply send your request to SJMinistries@aol.com
All other requests, please see the end of the devotional
for Dogwood Ministries addresses
THIS IS JUST A TEST -- Judges 3:1-4 NIV
These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not
experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to
the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle
experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the
Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal
Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether
they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their forefathers
through Moses.
God had delivered Israel. Our human logic says that, in the process, He
would drive out all of Israel's enemies. After all, the pagans were the
ones who were causing Israel to fall into temptation. If God threw the
pagans out, there would be no more temptations, and the people of Israel
could follow God with ease. Right? Wrong! After God taught Israel a
lesson, He left the pagans there to continue to test Israel's faith and her
faithfulness.
You lose your job... and things go along pretty well. Sure it's scary, but
you have a little money put back. enough to get you by for a few months.
Plus, your resume is outstanding, and you've never had any problem finding
work before. So you start looking for a job, absolutely certain you'll find
one immediately. Weeks pass, then months. and no job. Your money is gone.
The only thing you have to depend on is Jesus. And you depend on Him with
all your heart. Each day He shows you His faithfulness by providing for
your needs. usually in miraculous ways. After a few months of this, you
calm down. Your faith has grown so strong, you are unshakeable! "Now," you
think. "Now that I realize that I am totally dependent on my Lord for
everything. now that I'm totally peaceful about this situation. now is when
He will deliver me out of this unemployment." Right? Maybe. Maybe not.
Perhaps He will leave you unemployed a while longer, testing whether what
you just said is true.. testing your faith and your faithfulness. But the
test isn't for God to learn something. He already knows what you'll do
before you do it. No, it's for your benefit, so you can see whether what
you say is what you really believe or whether you're just giving your faith
lip service.
You and I have lives that are filled with all sorts of temptations,
difficulties, trials. If we are listening to Jesus, each situation in our
lives teaches us something about Him. about His character. about how we can
grow to be more like Him. You and I plow through the trials, hoping we get
good "grades" on our performance so we don't have to repeat them! But God
doesn't operate that way. Once we finish a learning experience for the
Lord, many times He lets us get right back into the same type of
situation... just as a test. just to let us see what we really learned or
didn't learn. just to let us see whether the lesson took or not. just to
teach us to persevere.
We are like coal. the longer coal stays under pressure in the ground, the
more valuable it becomes. the longer we persevere under our trials, the more
valuable we become in God's kingdom. So, the next time God says, "This is
just a test," rejoice!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything." James 1:2-3 NIV
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~-
-
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"TakeAMinute" group.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
takeaminute-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute
General correspondence or to subscribe to Take a Minute:
J-R-and-Bonnie@dogwoodministries.org
Donations to Dogwood Ministries: http://www.dogwoodministries.org
<http://www.dogwoodministries.org/>
Personal correspondence to Bonnie Ricks: bonnie@dogwoodministries.org
Personal correspondence to J.R. Ricks: j-r@dogwoodministries.org
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~-
-
No comments:
Post a Comment