“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
“Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” ― Walt Disney
“Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” ― Walt Disney
PSALM 50-52
10Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.(46:1-3)
ACTS 27:1-25
21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
JOURNAL
The difference between guilt and shame is seen clearly in David's prayer. He understands his wrong and his sin yet he asks God to "restore to me the joy of your salvation". David understands that God loves him. David understands that he has done something horrible, yet David trusts in God's restoration.
Paul a prisoner, is encouraging those keeping him captive. What a scene and what an example of God's spirit and how we are to live our lives. This whole idea of joyful suffering is so foreign in our world...yet it is what we are called to do. It is easier and much harder than it seems. Easier in respect to the fact that once you accept it...you get encouragement and energy to keep going in ways you never imagined. Yet it is harder sometimes to trust that God will keep sustaining. The fear of the unknown and how things will play out is a monster that is hard to sometimes face. It is hard because we have this innate fear of rejection. Thousands of years ago...rejection meant certain death, but human rejection is not eternal. The fear of that rejection is also a projection, not a certainty or fact.
That is why it is so crucial to trust God in facing today and today only. Tomorrow is out of my control. My tomorrow's are in God's hands, the joy of my salvation is found in today. I can make plans and have goals, yet these are only guide's that ultimately are in the hands of God. Taking confidence in this and trust in God is what ultimately gives me peace. It is what ultimately gives me joy to face today fully, completely and without reservation.
Paul a prisoner, is encouraging those keeping him captive. What a scene and what an example of God's spirit and how we are to live our lives. This whole idea of joyful suffering is so foreign in our world...yet it is what we are called to do. It is easier and much harder than it seems. Easier in respect to the fact that once you accept it...you get encouragement and energy to keep going in ways you never imagined. Yet it is harder sometimes to trust that God will keep sustaining. The fear of the unknown and how things will play out is a monster that is hard to sometimes face. It is hard because we have this innate fear of rejection. Thousands of years ago...rejection meant certain death, but human rejection is not eternal. The fear of that rejection is also a projection, not a certainty or fact.
That is why it is so crucial to trust God in facing today and today only. Tomorrow is out of my control. My tomorrow's are in God's hands, the joy of my salvation is found in today. I can make plans and have goals, yet these are only guide's that ultimately are in the hands of God. Taking confidence in this and trust in God is what ultimately gives me peace. It is what ultimately gives me joy to face today fully, completely and without reservation.
20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
MATTHEW 17:20
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