pbj Archives - Page 25 of 36 - EG Ministries INC.

Weary traveler

Have you ever wakened in the morning after a great night’s rest, maybe a full 8 hours, sat up on the side of the bed and thought…..

I can’t do this.

Not again.

I want to lay back down and sleep.

I want to lay back down and not face the day.

I want to lay back down and Just. Stay. Here.

The world in general has changed so much in the past 2 years.

Maybe your world has changed even more.

We get weary, discouraged, sometimes disgruntled.

We hurt for friends who have experienced loss.

We feel depressed.

We’re afraid.

We feel unloved and not worthy of God’s love.

We feel overwhelmed.

In moments like these, remember God is still there with you. He’s not going anywhere.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

With faith in Jesus, you can overcome the obstacles in your life.

God has a plan for you, even if your current circumstances are proving difficult.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Dealing with sadness or depression can be scary, but Isaiah 41:10 reminds you that with God on your side, there’s nothing to fear. You’ll find the strength you need to weather the storm by placing your trust in Him.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Weary traveler, restless soul

You were never meant to walk this road alone.

It’ll all be worth it so just hold on

Weary traveler, you won’t be weary long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfYmGJ81Hhc

Change!

That’s what happens in the fall. Things change.

Take a piece of paper and write down all of the things in your life that change in the fall.

For me some of those things are, starting back into the Explorer Girls’ clubs, seeing the leaves change color, feeling the cooler temperatures in the evening and the morning, and turning the clocks back.

Some people like change.

It can be fun. Something different from the regular schedule that you keep can bring excitement and variety to your life.

Others don’t like change.

They want everything to be the same all of the time. For them, doing the same thing all of the time makes it easier for them to accomplish tasks that they have to do.

Neither person is right or wrong.

It all comes down to the response we give. You can be angry when things change or you can realize that God has brought that thing into your life for a reason. The correct response to change is found in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

What Would Jesus Do, should always be the way we respond to each situation that comes our way.

Would He be angry?

Would He forgive?

Would He lend a helping hand?

Would He walk away from the sinful action or thought?

What would He do?

Whatever we do should be done in Jesus’ name and always with a heart of thanksgiving to God.

Now look at your list of changes again.

Ask yourself, “Am I responding correctly about these things in Jesus’ name and with thanksgiving to God?”

If your answer is “Yes”, then keep on keepin’ on in everything you do.

If your answer is “No”, than you need to ask God to help YOU to CHANGE your response.

1 John 3:1-2

We live in a fallen, sinful world. Therefore, nothing is ever perfect, no matter how much time, energy or money we invest in trying to make it so. We were created with an internal desire for perfection and with the ability to conceive of how we should act as a perfect spouse, parent or friend, how our house should look as a perfect home, how we should function as a perfect church member, how we should work as a perfect employee… However, this side of glory, we are unable to attain that perfection even for a single moment. So we live in a constant state of frustration because we can’t accomplish what we can imagine.

That’s the bad news, but the good news is that someday when we get to heaven, we will stand in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and when we see Him face to face we will be like Him, for we shall see him as he is. That is a glorious hope!

So while you are trying to cook that perfect meal that every member of your family will love (even the picky eater), or compose that perfect email response to a parent who is complaining about the same thing for the tenth time (and won’t accept any responsibility for the problem), or clean every inch of your home perfectly (knowing that the minute your kids or grandkids arrive it will look worse than before you started)…remember that someday that desire for perfection will be a reality. But then our focus won’t be on these earthly temporal things but rather on the author of perfection, our heavenly Father and his precious, perfect Son, Jesus.

Jody Puckett

Crowds

Zacchaeus was vertically-challenged.

Caught in a crowd of people surrounding Jesus, he came up with a clever idea – run ahead and climb a tree. From his high vantage point, he did get a clear view, clearer than he expected.

What kinds of crowds are we caught up in?

Crowded family life?

Crowded schedules?

Crowded church life?

Maybe, like Zacchaeus, we need a new perspective.

When Jesus called him down, he went from a high point, to a low point at Jesus’ feet, recognizing himself as a sinner in need of a savior.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” Luke 19:1-10

What’s been lost in your life because of the crowds?

Get a clearer perspective. Come away from your busy schedules and take time to meet with the Savior.

If we do, we’ll be refreshed and ready to go out to serve others more needy than ourselves.

Mary Jo Russell

Refiner’s Fire

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” Malachi 3:3

As you read this, think what it says about the character and nature of God. In the process of refining silver (or gold), the silversmith must hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest to burn away all the impurities. And as this verse says, the silversmith has to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time that is it in the flames. If the silver is left a moment too long, it would be destroyed.

How does the silversmith know when the silver (or gold) is fully refined…when he sees his image in it! If you, like me are feeling the heat of the fire, the trials of life, we need to remember that God has His eye on us and will keep watching until He sees His image in you.

What a challenge then for us to ask God for the courage and strength to go through the refining needed so that we might reflect Christ’s image to those around us.

Ginny Crapser