Thursday, July 27, 2006

sharper then any double-edged sword

Here's a couple verses that I just happened to read as the lightning, thunder and rain poured last night...

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm...

Job 38:22-25


I have also recently had some trials in my life and these verses have encouraged me greatly:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

To keep me from becoming conceited because of thes surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Cor. 12:7-10

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body...Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Cor. 4:7-11, 16-18

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

And to end with a quote...

"When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time you become aware that God is enough."

~Maude Royden

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey hun (its maria), I loved this post!!! It's so comforting... I know you have been going through alot, i'm sure these verses were great to read:) As I've been telling Hannah, God's got everything in control and He's doing everything the way it should be done;) I also just wanted to say that I loved the quote too.. :) I'm praying for you!
I love u!

Heather said...

I love the Bible. Is't it just full of wisdom? Must have been written by a guy : )

Amy said...

Yeah, right! Like girls don't have wisdom too! But yes, you had a good guess (oh gosh I'm rhyming), it was written by men!

Jonathan Roberts said...

Hey Ames.

That was a powerful storm the other night. Funny, I actually ended up having a quiet time of my own during the storm as well. It's comforting to know that God's grace is sufficient, and that He cares for us. I hope and pray that no matter how many trials you are going through at the moment, you will always "lift your eyes up to the mountains" to see that your help comes from Lord of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121)

And yes, I too have experienced the difficult truth that "a man must first be shattered before God heals him." You never understand His supreme suffiency until He tears your world apart.

I'm praying for you.