Hardships....

1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Remember what God has taught you in times of hardship and trials. Remember how the Lord has proved Himself faithful time and time again. These are stepping stones to a faith that will be required in your life in future hardships. 
Remembering how God has brought you through difficult times is a form of worship, it brings glory and honor to His Name as we remember how He has taken action on our behalf in the past.
God is not going to drop us by the wayside now. As He has faithfully carried us in the past, He will continue to hold our hand and to carry us step by step.  He is faithful to carry us through - nothing is too hard for the Lord. He is able, He is willing to come to our aid at all times!
Praise God!!

Hebrews 2:18  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hope for the Disappointed Heart...

Disappointment. It comes to all of us in varying degrees in all stages of our lives. Recently I was getting groceries in our small local grocery store where the owners and cashiers know everyone who shop there. The cashier made small talk asking how I was doing. Then I also asked her how she was and her response was "not too bad for a Monday, I guess" she said.  Simply stated she was struggling with some sort of disappointment that had occured in her life, possibly over the weekend. Feelings of discouragement on a Monday is sometimes even referred to as the "Monday blues".
Disappointment comes in all different forms and in varying degrees. A farmer might be discouaraged when the weather is unfavorable to his growing crops. One might become discouraged due to loss of a job or a business deal lost but probably most often discouragement come from our relationships with people. People disappoint one another and that can be really hard.
Sometimes we become discouraged when we try to do good for another person or persons and they do not even acknowledge it even with a small word of thanks. Perhaps they may even treat us with scorn for having tried to do good to them. We feel that we have put time and energy into our effort to bless that person  and now we feel we have been rejected or have been taken for granted. It is at a time such as this that it is important to remember that all we do as a Christian is really done unto the Lord and guess what?? - He saw it all! and because He saw it and we did it for Him anyway - our time and efforts are not wasted!! Or if we have been treated in an unfair or unkind way, God sees that also. In His quiet whisper he reassures us that He has not forgotten us and He sees our pain and He will take care of it. We must leave the outcome to Him.
Colosians 3:17 says: ¹⁷ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
and  Matthew 10:42 says-
⁴² And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

So we see that our reward is in Heaven, and if our efforts are not appreciated here, we need not be discouraged or disappointed. God sees and God knows and He will make things right in the end. The reward that God will give us is better by far than any human recognition or reward. So we must wait for Him and entrust ourselves to Him.

In the school that our children attend, there is a poster that says: It's okay to be mad but not to be mean. Sometimes disappointments can make us upset as we can read from the life of David in the Bible.

In the life of King David, we see how he experienced a disappointing situation in 1 Samuel 25 and 26. David and his servants had been watching over David's sheep in the wilderness and at the same time had also been providing security and safety for the servants and flocks of a man named Nabal. Under the watchful eye of David and his men, no harm had come to any of Nabal's servants or sheep. So at the time of sheep shearing, David sends his men to Nabal and requests that Nabal give something to him in exchange for his efforts of protecting Nabal's sheep. Nabal rejects David's request and refuses to give any good thing to David and his men. David is very upset. So David and 400 of his men prepare for battle with Nabal. When Nabal's wife hears what is going on she quickly prepares a gift of food for David, which she brings to him before David and his men of war can arrive at Nabal and Abigail's farm.
1 Samuel 25: ¹⁸ Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
¹⁹ And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
David accepts the gifts of food from Abigail and conflict is avoided. But God is not done with Nabal and so in the morning Abigail tells Nabal what she did. God showed his displeasure of Nabal's behavior. Even though David was satisfied with Abigail's reconciliation efforts, God was not and He took it a step further. God took care of Nabal and it says " the LORD smote Nabal that he died."
³⁷ But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
³⁸ And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

We don't ever need to wonder whether God sees what is happening to us. He sees. He knows. He cares. He will take care of us in our disapppointing situations of life and years down the road we will look back and it is then we will be able to see how He carried us.

The song " God will Take Care of you" says it well:

Original Trinity Hymnal, #696

Be not dismayed whate'er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you;

God will take care of you;
Through ev'ry day, o'er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

All you may need he will provide,
God will take care of you;
Trust him and you will be satisfied,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon his breast,
God will take care of you.

The LORD is my Shepherd!

Psalm 23 is a favorite of many many people. It has brought much comfort to many people grieving the loss of a loved one. But I would like to suggest that the comfort and assurance that it brings is what we need for our everyday lives. So let's consider Psalm 23.
Psalm 23... ¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
 ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

First of all I notice that the word LORD is in all capital letters which indicates that it refers to the name of God Himself, (YHWH ) God who is has no beginning and has no end, God who created the universe, the planets, the earth, people, animals, everything. The only true and living God!. That is who we are talking about here.
The LORD is my shepherd -  He is my personal shepherd. I am one in His fold, I am in His care, He takes the responsibility upon Himself to watch over me.
I shall not want. - He will supply what I really need. He is the giver of every good thing, however large or small, it is a gift from Him. He has given good to me way beyond what I deserve. ( As a sinner, I deserved hell but He came and rescued me and saved me from that). What good thing do we really possess  that does not come from the Hand of the LORD? Whether it be health, our homes, family, our abilities such as being able to breathe, work, walk, sing , speak, read, write, drive, see, smell, taste, hear, sleep, - I mean the list is pretty much endless. Glory to the LORD for these wonderful gifts.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters -my good Shepherd provides for me. A sheep that would lie down in green pastures has all needs met. I can depend on the LORD to provide all. He provides all and in His care I am secure.
I notice that He restores my soul, leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name sake.  As followers of Christ we are separate from the world. There is a difference between us and the non-Christians in our goals, lifestyles and values. God has set forth the standard what is right and what is sin. He wrote the handbook for living and it is the Bible. In Christ we are saved by grace and then from then on we seek to live a God honoring life as decribed in the Bible. So when God says it is sin to commit murder, lie, steal, live in drunkenness or commit adultery we believe Him and do things His way. He says marriage is only between one man and one woman and that for life, and that the marriage bed is to be kept undefiled, God  says fornication which is sex outside of marriage is sin, we believe Him and live accordingly. If we claim His name "Christian" we have an obligation to live like Christ would have us live. We should be careful to not drag His Holy name in the dirt.  Hebrews 12:14 -Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord
The valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil - The valley of the shadow of death could well mean our own passing through death but the "shadow of death" could also be an illness that we or a  loved one is experiencing, or the death of someone close to us.  The LORD holds us in life and in death. And we need not be afraid when He is with us. It says "Thou art with me". I believe that nothing can come into our lives (as believers) except that God gives the OK so to speak for it to come. If a hardship comes into our lives, He is not taken by surprise and He already knows how He plans to use it for good  in us if we will allow Him to. Satan plans for hardships to  destroy us but God uses hardships in us to teach us to trust Him more and more and to make us stronger in Him.
He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies - we look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb when we as His bride will be in His presence for eternity. Overflowing blessing will be there for those who remain faithful to Him to the end.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
What a blessed hope we have that He is preparing a home for each of us in Heaven that someday when our life is over down here we will go to dwell with Him forever. That is the most exciting thought ever!
John 14: 2-3
²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
 ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Amen!