But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Day 20: Life Happens

In case you weren’t prepared by those who raised you allow me to inform you: Life happens! Bones sometimes break as do hearts. Not every road leads to success. Not every friend is golden. And even those who follow the cross have issues that make the journey rough.

So don’t think that because you have problems that there is something wrong with you!!!! Life happens! Some children struggle in school while others breeze through. Some marriages end in divorce. Some illnesses are unto death. Some promises aren’t kept: either by us or by those close to us.

And so we must not question whether we are loved by God because we are going through some pain or difficulty.

In John chapter 9 we read a story of a conversation between Jesus and His disciples. Coming across a man blind from birth the disciples asked who sinned, this man or his parents. Jesus response is for us today as well. He wasn’t blind because someone sinned. Life happens.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

John 9:1-7 NIV

So know that God loves you whether you are blind or can see. Whether you are overweight or fit. He is with you whether you are sick in the hospital or preparing to run your 7th marathon.

I heard a song that brought me great comfort. It was recorded by Mali Music end it spoke deeply to me. I come from a two parent home. My mom was a nurse and my father was a preacher and teacher. We grew up in a middle class home with several loving communities to nurture us. But today my world doesn’t look like the one I grew up in. Life happens. And so we begin to heal when we accept that life happens and we aren’t perfect but God still loves us anyway. Please listen to the song. I think it will encourage you.

Today I acknowledge that life happens and let go of the weight of the woes.

www.journeytoworship.com — Don’t Miss Your Moment

I’m honest enough to publicly admit a major shortcoming in my character. I’ve been waiting. But I think I’ve been waiting a bit too long.

I like to be very thorough when I study a subject. And if I’m attempting a project, I like to plan in detail so I am able to succeed. But I don’t like to start until I feel confident that I’m prepared. Spiritually I’ve been waiting for God to prepare me to do great things for Him. But it seems as I’ve grown older that God has been waiting for me to take action.

There has always been the idea in my head that if you pray long and hard enough God will reveal His will to you. Then, once you have your marching orders you are set. Now you can go out into battle. But what if you’ve been waiting 20 years and no marching orders have come? Does that mean God isn’t ready yet? Or does it mean God is waiting for us to take action?

Let’s consider this series of questions. What if she hadn’t touched the hem of his garment? What if his friends hadn’t lowered him down through a roof to see Jesus? What if she hadn’t had the boldness to enter the throne room of the king uninvited waiting for the approval of his extended scepter? Would her people have been saved? Would he have been healed? Would her bleeding have stopped?

It seems that God has some things that he will only give to us if we take an action first. The action is our demonstration of faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, ” But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Asking, seeking, knocking or even reaching can be our sign of faith that pleases God. He in turn blesses our faith action with a favorable result. But what if we never took that leap of faith?

I believe that the stories of the bible reveal consequences both of taking action and of refraining. The 5 foolish virgins don’t get to go to the wedding. The servant who hid his one talent gets it taken away from him. There were two thieves at the cross with Jesus. One reached for life and got it. The other simply missed his moment. Please don’t miss your moment!