Sometimes We Just Need To Be Comforted

 

We don’t always feel like we are on top of the world. There are times when we feel down. Perhaps we lose someone close to us through death. Maybe you are facing challenges in your family or at work. The bottom line is, right or wrong, life’s circumstances can bring us down.

In the Bible you might recall a man who faced some very serious challenges in life. The man’s name was Job. Job was a righteous man whose life had been abundantly blessed by God. Then came the tough times. In a very short period of time Job lost everything he owned. He next received word each of his children had died. Job even lost his own health. He had three friends and his wife left. These so-called friends told him he must have sinned against God and was being punished. In fact they hounded him about this and wouldn’t let it go. His own wife told him he would be better to curse God and die. He refused to do so  and was willing to accept the bad along with the good God had given him  

What Job really needed was words of comfort as opposed to words of condemnation. There was no one there willing to offer him these words of comfort. Instead, his “friends” and even his wife judged him on the circumstances he found himself in and condemned him. How sad.

Even the great prophet of God, Elijah, found himself down and out facing depression. This happened after a great victory. God used Elijah to challenge the prophets of Baal and the prophets of the grove to pray down fire from heaven. God answered Elijah’s prayer and this resulted in a great number of people turning to God. It also resulted with Elijah receiving a death threat from Jezebel. This caused Elijah to run. At this point he was depressed and feeling sorry for himself. God sent an Angel with some wonderful words of comfort. God gently reminded Elijah He was still there and he wasn’t alone. God even provided food and water for Elijah. I would encourage you to read 1 Kings chapters 17-19. 

Perhaps you have been facing some down time in your life - a period of depression. If you are a Christian, be encouraged! Let me leave you with some Scriptures to meditate on. You should find great comfort in these verses  

Hebrews 13:5-6 CSB

[5] Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. [6] Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

1 Peter 5:7 CSB

Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

2 Timothy 1:7 CSB

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

Hebrews 4:16 CSB

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

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God Uses Broken Things

 

In this world, broken things are despised and thrown out. Anything we no longer need or want we simply throw away. Damaged goods are rejected, and that often includes people. The world is full of people with broken hearts, broken spirits and broken relationships. 

Who among us hasn’t felt broken in some area of life at times? The Bible has some things to say about brokenness.

Psalm 34:18 CSB

The LORD is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

God keeps Himself accessible to the broken-hearted and is always on hand to rescue the crushed in spirit. There is something about reaching a breaking point that causes us to seek God more sincerely.

King David was once a broken man, and he prayed:

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me…The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God (Psalm 51:10,17 CSB).

The Believers Bible Commentary puts David’s thoughts from these two verses this way, “Looking back, I realize that the trouble all started in my mind. My thought-life was polluted. I entertained evil thoughts until at last I committed the sins. So now I ask that You create in me a clean mind. I know that if the fountain is clean, the stream flowing from it will be clean as well. Yes, Lord, renew my entire inner self so it will be steadfast in guarding against future outbreaks of sin. I come to You with a broken heart - that is the sacrifice You require. You will not despise this shattered and contrite heart that I bring to You.”

There are some things in our lives that need to be broken. Things such as pride, self-will, stubbornness, attitudes and sinful habits, for example, all need to be broken and removed from our lives. When we are broken, God responds accordingly.

Isaiah 57:15 CSB

For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: "I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.

The God who dwells in the high and holy place also dwells in the humble and contrite heart. When we humble our hearts to God in genuine brokenness He hears us. He revives us and brings us back to a useful place in Him.

It’s wonderful to know that God has a history of using broken things as well as broken people. If, like me, you feel there are times in your life you feel broken for one reason or another - have hope. You are never too broken where God can’t find all the pieces and put you back together. You are something special in the eyes, mind and plan of God. He specializes in taking the broken and making something beautiful.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

Check out my website at www.rayspellbrink.com

Don’t Compare Your Journey With Someone Else’s

Too often we gage our success or failure on others. We compare ourselves to others in various ways. We look at others and see their career paths, houses, cars, personal belongings and often think we fall short. 

The mistake we make is in comparing ourselves with others. We each have our own lives that take us on our own journey. There is no true yardstick to measure the journey we are on. 

I, personally, know folks who have little by way of material goods. They love life and enjoy their journey. On the other hand, I know folks who have everything you can imagine yet they are not truly satisfied with their journey.

It’s not about possessions. It’s not about things. It’s about the journey, itself. I am on a great journey. I have a wonderful wife who loves me in spite of my idiosyncrasies - and there are many.🙄 I have a wonderful son and daughter-in-law who have given us two wonderful grandchildren. I have a sister who loves and adores her handsome older brother.😉 I have some especially close friends who enrich my life and share my journey. My relationship with Jesus is imperative for my journey. Yes…I do enjoy my journey.

I want to encourage you not to compare yourself or your journey to others. Live your life. Walk your journey. Live life to the fullest. After all Jesus said, A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10 CSB). 

Walk in the abundant life God has for you. Don’t allow the thief to steal it away.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

Check out my website at www.rayspellbrink.com

Don’t Quit!

Life has a way of becoming discouraging at times. Let’s face it, things happen in this life that sometimes make us want to throw up our hands and quit. It may be family, friends, problems at work or even life situations that bring this sentiment front and center.

I want you to know that quitting is not the answer. I once heard a sermon where the preacher said, “It’s always too soon to quit!”  I believe this is a good life lesson. It is certainly a good rule to live by. 

In anything worthwhile in life you will encounter obstacles. There may also be naysayers who say you can’t do it or you should just give up. Don’t give up. Keep pressing on toward your goal.

There may even be some failures along the way. If I had quit every time I failed or every time something didn’t go as planned I would never had done anything in life. 

I want to share a very profound statement with you. “The difference between success and failure is determined by what it takes to stop you.” Think about that for a bit.

I don’t believe anyone sets out to fail. Failure comes when the work is too hard, you get your eyes off the goal, things don’t go as planned and discouragement and disappointment come.

I say to you today don’t quit! Don’t quit! Don’t quit! This is good advise for both this life as well as your spiritual journey.

I want to leave you with a poem that has meant a lot to me over the years.

 

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

Check out my website at www.rayspellbrink.com