Hello, John and Doves,
Why doesn't God help me when I need Him the most?
In the face of exhaustion, desperately desiring to finish, Gabrielle Andersen-Scheiss ran and staggered her way to finish 37th in the first ever Women’s Olympic Marathon.
http://www.clipsnation.com/2012/6/30/3128607/memorable-olympics-moments-gabrielle-andersen-schiess-finishes-the
I am sure you have read,
I
discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be
disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT
Well might Jim Peters of Marathon fame have agreed with that statement.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEUQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsporttudomany.hu%2FHirlevel%2Fpdf%2F14%2FJim_Peters.pdf&ei=vs_nUobKG9KGogTL1IDwAg&usg=AFQjCNEfsgBFKaVgzn0GAGp10MKslkealQ&bvm=bv.59930103,d.cGU
Again, I am sure you have read,
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the
world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.
1 Corinthians 1:26 NLT
And yet, it is written,
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.7Behold,
he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those
who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail
on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:4-8 ESV
_______________________________________________________________
With all that going for you, sometimes life hits you head-on or from behind.
http://news.sky.com/story/1200141/boy-run-over-by-car-praises-miracle-from-god
This is a hard saying:
And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with
Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory,
we must also share his suffering.
Romans 8:17 NLT
And yet, it is written,
The Hope of Eternal Life
3All
praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great
mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from
the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4and we
have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for
you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5And
through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you
receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day
for all to see.
6So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7These
trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire
tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than
mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it
will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus
Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT
Indeed, Rabbi Shaul says,
35Can
anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer
loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry,
or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No
power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all
creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is
revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 NLT
Again, it is written,
10In
bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for
whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of
their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both
the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the
same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.12He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
13And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
14Since
the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so
that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of
death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them,
fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement
for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:10-18 NIV
In fact, you have often prayed to your Abba [Daddy] in Heaven,
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in
your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8 NLT
Indeed, you share the thoughts of King David when he writes,
1You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways….
11If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well….
19If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:1-3, 11-14, 19-24 NIV
Thus, it is written,
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15 KJV
So then, as well, it is written,
The Hope of the Resurrection
13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14For
since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also
believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the
believers who have died.
~Blessings,
Mike