In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
When the storm hits, we are quickly asking how bad things are with the situation. How much damage was caused, is anyone hurt? This scripture redirects my thoughts back to the condition of our faith. "Hoe strong is your faith?" should be the question we're asking. Paul didn't ask the Thessalonians how many times they were beaten or why did they do that, no; he wanted to find out what their level of faith was at. When we encounter struggles and touch times we need to look deeper into the situation and check the status of our faith. This faith will triumph any storm.
I look at people's struggles and round me, my own struggles and I wonder if I've been focusing on the wrong things. Am I just bailing out water instead of fixing the leak in the boat? Actually, it's not even about the leak, it's about trusting in the design of the boat and materials and tools used that it will fix the leak. Trusting that even as the boat appears to be singing, progress is being made just by faith. I know it seems like I'm going off on tangents here but the bible is making me consider how powerful faith can be, even as a mustard seed. I need to be an encourager of faith and not devising ways to avoid storms.
Help me LORD to build a vessel capable of withstanding any storm the treacherous seas tries to overwhelm me with. LORD, You are the Master designer of me so I know I can withstand anything the world throws my way with the Holy Spirit guiding this boat. I pray that I always look at my own structure to find ways to strengthen and not how to contain the winds & seas; I trust You're in control of that. And the Holy Spirit to guide me, the boat, in the right patterns that I can handle right now. I love You LORD, please comfort my brothers and sisters in their storm today. In the awesome name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
1 Thessalonians 3:4-5
When the storm hits, we are quickly asking how bad things are with the situation. How much damage was caused, is anyone hurt? This scripture redirects my thoughts back to the condition of our faith. "Hoe strong is your faith?" should be the question we're asking. Paul didn't ask the Thessalonians how many times they were beaten or why did they do that, no; he wanted to find out what their level of faith was at. When we encounter struggles and touch times we need to look deeper into the situation and check the status of our faith. This faith will triumph any storm.
I look at people's struggles and round me, my own struggles and I wonder if I've been focusing on the wrong things. Am I just bailing out water instead of fixing the leak in the boat? Actually, it's not even about the leak, it's about trusting in the design of the boat and materials and tools used that it will fix the leak. Trusting that even as the boat appears to be singing, progress is being made just by faith. I know it seems like I'm going off on tangents here but the bible is making me consider how powerful faith can be, even as a mustard seed. I need to be an encourager of faith and not devising ways to avoid storms.
Help me LORD to build a vessel capable of withstanding any storm the treacherous seas tries to overwhelm me with. LORD, You are the Master designer of me so I know I can withstand anything the world throws my way with the Holy Spirit guiding this boat. I pray that I always look at my own structure to find ways to strengthen and not how to contain the winds & seas; I trust You're in control of that. And the Holy Spirit to guide me, the boat, in the right patterns that I can handle right now. I love You LORD, please comfort my brothers and sisters in their storm today. In the awesome name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
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