Teaching through Trial

I am a terribly slow learner. And I'm no were near "arriving", but I'm thankful that God is teaching me.  Here are a few of my "lightbulb" moments lately...

"He has made everything beautiful in his time."  Ecclesiastes 3:11

I don't need to be in control of everything (which is a ridiculous illusion).  God is. 

What I have said, that I will bring about;

    what I have planned, that I will do.  Isaiah 46:11

I live each day with God in my midst.  In every room I'm in, God is there.  In my mind, God is there.  In my heart, God is there.  When I'm outside, God is there.  When I'm going to sleep, God is there.  When I'm daydreaming, God is listening.  When I act, God sees.  When I speak, God hears.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Psalm 111:10

 I desire now more than ever to live a holy and reverent life.  I think God is teaching me the beginning is an ever awareness of him and his holiness.  Everywhere we are, HE IS.

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good."  Titus 2:3

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Psalm 96:9

There is power in words.  Yes, simple words.  The words I'm typing.  This one.  That one.  Every word that I say, or type, or text... is important and should be thoughtfully discerned before spoken.  This is a hard one.  Really hard one.  God is teaching me this, but right now, I'm more often noticing AFTER I've spoken things I shouldn't have, that those words weren't wise.

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Proverbs 15:28

A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

 Proverbs 12:23

He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 13:3

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 18:27

He is also teaching me, Prayer does make a difference.

I'll just quote my favorite theology book (Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem),

"Prayer is one specific kind of action that has definite results and that does change the course of events.  God has also ordained that prayer is a very significant means of bringing about results in the world.  When we earnestly intercede for a specific person or situation, we will often find that God has ordained that our prayer would be a means he would use to bring about the changes in the world."

Jesus told his disciples the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow so that they should

  "always pray and not give up."  See Luke 18:1-8

Friend, we're on a journey.  Sometimes it seems like we've been going uphill through brambles, and jagged rocks, and worn out shoes, and pouring rain, and searing heat, with a lack of food, with parched throats, for longer than we can remember and it seems like we will never get to the top.  But be encouraged...

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32

So we press on! I'm so thankful to be a child of God, loved by him, forgiven, and to have the privilege of knowing that God will complete the work he began in me.  This is the confidence we have as believers in Christ!

... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  

Philippians 1:6