This gets a little lengthy but stick with it. I promise the end is worth the backlog.
"Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you; I'm ready to tell you all I know." Proverbs 1:22-23
Read this today in between classes. What a challenge Solomon gives in Proverbs. How long will we resist, and be simpletons, cynics, and idiots? How long will I refuse to learn? Turn around. God wants to revise my life. He wants to pour His spirit out on us. The purpose is presented later in the chapter. "Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy - you're in good hands." Proverbs 1:32-33 Why should we listen to God? Because we are in His good hands and that is how we have rest. Complicated things suddenly become simple. Stress becomes peace. All by us resting in His good hands.
Today in Chapel a girl here shared her testimony. She had struggled with sickness all her life but no doctor could tell her what was wrong. She would run a 101-102 degree fever everyday, faint at random times, and could not keep her food down. It wasn't until her first year here, that a doctor finally found out what was wrong. She had a tumor on her liver, which they later found out was cancerous, and it was the size of a football. They told her, "she would only live 6-12 months if they didn't remove the tumor and by the way, we can't remove it." No doctor would take her case. It was too risky. This turned her world upside down which is understandable! She trusted in the Lord to work in her benefit Thankfully her cancer was treatable by chemo. God gave strength. She made it through the chemo and soon they were able to do surgery to remove the tumor. 6 months later, she found out that the cancer had returned. Not only was it in the liver again, it was now in the lungs. They were out of options. She is still living and sharing her testimony of trusting in God even in the tough times in her life. It is amazing to see her faith.
There is one thing I want to focus on from Allie's story. While she had chemo, there was one point that she couldn't get out of the hospital bed for 2 weeks. The first time after two weeks she got out of bed, and into the hallway of the hospital, she heard a little girl screaming. This wasn't just crying. This was agony. Allie said she could hear and feel the pain of this little girl. The little girl was walking in the hall with a walker, her dad behind her. The little girl had surgery on her legs and was just learning how to walk again. She was about 4. She would take a few steps with the walker and stop and cry out, "Daddy, I can't take anymore. It hurts." Her dad had a choice. He could end her trial and sweep her up in his arms, or he could help her keep walking. He would hold her hands, and help her a few steps, and the girl would then keep on going. Allie said you could see the pain in the dad's eyes at the pain his daughter had to go through. But he kept her going, because otherwise his daughter would never walk again. Then it hit Allie. Just as much as the earthly dad had to keep his daughter going, despite how hard, her heavenly father was there, helping her to keep going. He was holding her hand, helping her walk. If God just removed the trial from her life, she would be spiritually dead, spiritually couldn't walk. This trial was teaching her to walk in God's grace and in this life. So, what is God using in your life to teach you to walk? Whatever it is remember:
"Now you can take it easy[rest] - you're in good hands."Proverbs 1:33
Rest in God's hands today!
"Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you; I'm ready to tell you all I know." Proverbs 1:22-23
Read this today in between classes. What a challenge Solomon gives in Proverbs. How long will we resist, and be simpletons, cynics, and idiots? How long will I refuse to learn? Turn around. God wants to revise my life. He wants to pour His spirit out on us. The purpose is presented later in the chapter. "Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy - you're in good hands." Proverbs 1:32-33 Why should we listen to God? Because we are in His good hands and that is how we have rest. Complicated things suddenly become simple. Stress becomes peace. All by us resting in His good hands.
Today in Chapel a girl here shared her testimony. She had struggled with sickness all her life but no doctor could tell her what was wrong. She would run a 101-102 degree fever everyday, faint at random times, and could not keep her food down. It wasn't until her first year here, that a doctor finally found out what was wrong. She had a tumor on her liver, which they later found out was cancerous, and it was the size of a football. They told her, "she would only live 6-12 months if they didn't remove the tumor and by the way, we can't remove it." No doctor would take her case. It was too risky. This turned her world upside down which is understandable! She trusted in the Lord to work in her benefit Thankfully her cancer was treatable by chemo. God gave strength. She made it through the chemo and soon they were able to do surgery to remove the tumor. 6 months later, she found out that the cancer had returned. Not only was it in the liver again, it was now in the lungs. They were out of options. She is still living and sharing her testimony of trusting in God even in the tough times in her life. It is amazing to see her faith.
There is one thing I want to focus on from Allie's story. While she had chemo, there was one point that she couldn't get out of the hospital bed for 2 weeks. The first time after two weeks she got out of bed, and into the hallway of the hospital, she heard a little girl screaming. This wasn't just crying. This was agony. Allie said she could hear and feel the pain of this little girl. The little girl was walking in the hall with a walker, her dad behind her. The little girl had surgery on her legs and was just learning how to walk again. She was about 4. She would take a few steps with the walker and stop and cry out, "Daddy, I can't take anymore. It hurts." Her dad had a choice. He could end her trial and sweep her up in his arms, or he could help her keep walking. He would hold her hands, and help her a few steps, and the girl would then keep on going. Allie said you could see the pain in the dad's eyes at the pain his daughter had to go through. But he kept her going, because otherwise his daughter would never walk again. Then it hit Allie. Just as much as the earthly dad had to keep his daughter going, despite how hard, her heavenly father was there, helping her to keep going. He was holding her hand, helping her walk. If God just removed the trial from her life, she would be spiritually dead, spiritually couldn't walk. This trial was teaching her to walk in God's grace and in this life. So, what is God using in your life to teach you to walk? Whatever it is remember:
"Now you can take it easy[rest] - you're in good hands."Proverbs 1:33
Rest in God's hands today!
