Being so sick the past 2 months (3.5 weeks in Haiti and now
3.5 weeks in the states)…being taken away from the ministry God called me to in
Haiti has been a tough reality. The first 2 weeks back in the states I had a
really hard time accepting the reality…I let Fear grip me…I let all the
questions run through my head…I dwelt on the past and future instead dealing
with the reality of the present. I was not living or embracing my situation as
God calls us to embrace our trials. I just wanted to take a few minutes to
share what God has been teaching me the past few weeks…How He has been so
FAITHFUL to me comforting me, revealing scriptures for me to hold fast to, and
speaking to me through worship music. God has been so GOOD to me showing up and
reminding me that EVERYTHING happens for a reason and that ALL things work for
the good of those who LOVE him.
WHAT GOD HAS BEEN TEACHING
ME….
1. Nothing will ever happen to me that God
does not already know about
·
“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. You
discern my going out and lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before
a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” Psalm 139:1-4
When I Don’t Know What To Do
Song By: Tommy Walker
Lord I surrender all
To your strong and
faithful hands
In everything I will
give thanks to you
I’ll just trust your
perfect plan
When I don’t know
what to do…I’ll lift my hands
When I don’t know
what to say…Lord I’ll speak your praise
When I don’t know
where to go…I’ll run to your throne
When I don’t know
what to think…I’ll stand on your truth
LORD I’ll surrender
all though I’ll never understand.
All the mysteries
around me but I’ll just trust your perfect plan.
As I bow my knee send
your perfect peace
As I lift my hands
let your healing come.
2. Nothing will ever happen to Me that is a
mistake
·
“All
the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to
be.” Psalm
1139:16
You Are For Me
Song By: Kari Jobe
So faithful…So
Constant…So Loving…
So True…So powerful
in all you do.
You fill me…you see
me…you know my every move
I know you are for
me…
I know you will never
forsake me in my weakness
3. Nothing will ever happen that I cannot
handle by God’s power and grace!
·
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s
sake, I delight in weakness, in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2
Corinthians 12:9-10
Everything I need
Song By: Kutless
“You
are strength in my weakness and
you
are the refuge I seek.
You
are everything in my time of need
You
are everything I need!”
Lift Me Up
Song By: The Afters
You lift me up when I
am weak
Your arms wrap around
me
Your love catches me
so I’m letting go.
You lift me up when I
can’t see
Your heart is all
that I need
Your love carries me
so I’m letting go.
4. Nothing will ever happen to me that will
not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in life
·
“And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Nothing Wasted
Song By: Jason Gray
“Nothing
is wasted…Nothing is wasted.
In the
hands of our redeemer, nothing is wasted.”
5. Nothing will ever happen to me without
God’s presence
·
“Surely I am with you always to the very end of
the age.” Matthew 28:20
Your Hands
By: JJ Heller
“When my world is
shaking heaven stands
when my heart is
breaking I never leave your hands.
When you walked upon
this earth
you healed the broken
lost and hurt.
I know you hare to
see me cry
One day you will set
all things right.
Your hands that
shaped the world are holding me!”
6. God is my HEALER
·
“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me
and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” Jeremiah
17:14
Healer
By: Kari Jobe
“You hold my every
moment…you calm my raging sease
You walk with me
through fire…and heal all my disease
I trust in you…I
trust in you
I believe you’re my
healer…I believe you are all I need
I believe you’re my
portion…I believe you’re more than enough for me
Jesus you’re all I
need
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
FOR YOU…YOU HOLD THE WORLD IN YOUR HANDS
Jesus you’re all I
need!”
7. God is our COMFORTER in times of suffering
and our suffering eventually becomes a ministry tool
·
“God comforts us in our times of trouble, so
that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have
received from God. For just as the suffering of Christ overflows into our
lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” 2
Corinthians 1:4-5
Whatever You’re Doing
Song By: Sanctus Real
Whatever your doing
inside of me
It feels like chaos
but somehow there is peace.
And it is hard to
surrender to what I can’t see
But I’m giving into
something heavinly.
I am still yours
By: Kutless
“If I lost it all,
would my hands stay lifted
To the God who gives
and takes away.
If you take it all,
this life you’ve given
Still my heart will
sing to you.
Even if you take it
all away
You’ll never let me
go
You can take it all
away but I still know
That I’m yours…that
I’m still yours.”
8. My faith is strengthened when I recall how
God brought me through my trials, how he taught me on the mountains and in the
valleys of life.
·
“I will remember your miracles of long ago, your
deeds O LORD. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty
deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12
We Will Remember
Song By: Tommy Walker
We will remember…we
will remember the works of your hands
We wills top and give
you praise for great is thy faithfulness
You’re the creator,
our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort,
or joy.
Throughout the ages
you’ve been our shelter
Our peace in the
midst of the storm.
With signs and
wonders you’ve shown your power
With precious blood
you showed us your grace
Your’ve been our
helper, our liberator
The giver of life
with no end
When we walk through
life’s darkest valleys
We will look back at
all you have done
And we will shout,
our God is good
And he is the
faithful one
I still remember the
day you saved me
The day I heard you
call out my name
You said you loved me
and would never leave me
And I’ve never been
the same
9. That I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who
STRENGTHENS me!
·
“I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens Me.” Philippians 4:13
In Me
Song By: Casting Crowns
I’ll go but I cannot
go alone
Cause I know I am nothing
on my own
But the power of
Christ in me makes me strong
Cause when I am weak,
you make me strong
When I’m blind you
shine your light on me
Cause I’ll never get
by living on my own ability
How refreshing to
know you don’t need me
How amazing to find you
want me
So I’ll stand on your
truth,
I’ll fight with your
strength until you bring the victory
By the power of
Christ in Me
The other day when I woke up from a nap I noticed a notecard
in my handwriting on my headboard of my bed at my parents house. I probably
wrote it when I was in high school or early college when I was dealing with all
my health problems related to my Jaw. The card was entitled “suffering” the
following was written on it
·
Christians should rejoice when they suffer, for
in their own suffering they will in some way experience what it meant for Jesus
to suffer for there sins (1 peter 4:12,13)
·
In addition to drawing people closer to Christ,
suffering can also help them grow in faith.
·
God uses suffering to improve his people and
shape them into better Christians. In fact, suffering should be though of as a necessary pain that accompanies
spiritual growth
·
Suffering produces perseverance which in turn
produces Christian character (Rom 5:3-4, James 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:6)
·
It is important to encourage 1 another in
suffering
·
God comforts us in our times of trouble, so that
we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received
from God. For just as the suffering of Christ overflows into our lives, so also
through Christ our comfort overflows.” 2 Corinthians 1:4-5
·
Comfort Means: strength, endurance and hope to
deal with our trouble
·
The more we suffer the more God gives us comfort
·
If you are feeling overwhelmed let God comfort
you
·
Remember that every trial you endure will help
you comfort other people who are
suffering similar trials.
I really felt like this notecard was a “gift” from God…these
words were a powerful reminder to me that our suffering is not in vein…God has
a reason…a purpose…and a Plan!
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