a door

If you feel you have to open a particular door, open it, otherwise all your life that door will haunt your mind!”

Necessity of Suffering Jan 30, 2017

READ: Psalm 105:17-43 He brought His people out of Egypt with joy, His chosen ones with rejoicing (Psalm 105:43). A chrysalis was hanging from a branch. Inside, a butterfly seemed to be struggling. Curious to witness its emergence, an observer waited. Time passed, however, and the insect was still trapped in its self-made prison. So the person made a small tear in the chrysalis—hoping to relieve the butterfly’s struggle and suffering. It soon died, for the struggle to be free is essential to making a butterfly strong enough to survive. Without adversity, it won’t achieve maturity. When we first read Psalm 105, it appears to be a joyful account of praise and worship, remembering all the things God had done for His people Israel. And it is! But if we look closer, we see that the events described were neither fun nor happy—quite the contrary. Joseph, used by God to deliver Israel, was first sold into slavery and dragged off in chains (Psalm 105:17-18). God’s chosen people were later mistreated and enslaved in Egypt (Psalm 105:25). It couldn’t have been easy for the Israelites to see all the plagues of Egypt erupt around them while the Egyptians’ hate turned white hot against them (Psalm 105:28-38). Even the accounts of Moses striking a rock to produce water and the arrival of quail in the desert were times of intense trial and stress for God’s people (Psalm 105:40-41). Whole families—exhausted, thirsty, hungry—wandered in a foreign desert. This is the way God works: providing in the midst of our suffering in order to develop and mature us. By doing so, He brings honor to His name and leads us to worship Him for who He is, not simply because life is going well. Struggles present opportunities to praise Him even as our faith is being tested. And His power provides what we need during our times of necessary suffering. —Russell Fralick NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 49:1-33 MORE: Read Hebrews 5:5-9 and consider what Jesus experienced through suffering. NEXT: Can you ask God to make you thankful for your current challenges? What has He taught you through past trials to equip you to help others as they struggle today?

Bricking it

 I need the following as I am bricking it and I need to do something that will require courage.

Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood--because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. Isaiah 7:4

I am with you

We don’t need to linger in discouragement or doubt, for God says, “I am with you.” He told His people, “Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

My Lighthouse with lyrics (Rend Collective)

Breathe on me breath of God

Do not be afraid

I feel that there is a distance between D and myself that was not there before and I am trying to find a way to close that gap.  I need to open up emotionally.  This morning as I was praying I told God that I was afraid of losing her and when I switched my phone on there was a message from Colin.  He quoted from Isaiah who said, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you says the lord".  I trust he is with me for D means the world to me.  I love her.