Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob. . . . I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. (Isaiah 41:14–15)

Could any two things be in greater contrast than a worm and a threshing tool with sharp teeth?  A worm is delicate and is easily bruised by a stone or crushed beneath a passing wheel.  Yet a threshing tool with sharp teeth can cut through rock and not be broken, leaving its mark upon the rock.  And almighty God can convert one into the other.  He can take an individual or a nation, who has all the weakness of a worm, and through the energizing work of His own Spirit, endow that person or nation with strength enough to make a profound mark upon the history of their time.

Therefore a “worm” may take heart.  Almighty God can make us stronger than our circumstances and can turn each situation to our good.  In God’s strength we can make them all pay tribute to our soul.  We can even take the darkest disappointment, break it open, and discover a precious jewel of grace inside.  When God gives us an iron will, we can cut through difficulties just as an iron plowshare cuts through the hardest soil.  As He said in the above verse, “I will make you. . . .” Will He not do it? John Henry Jowett

Christ is building His kingdom with the broken things of earth.  People desire only the strong, successful, victorious, and unbroken things in life to build their kingdoms, but God is the God of the unsuccessful—the God of those who have failed.  Heaven is being filled with earth’s broken lives, and there is no “bruised reed” (Isaiah 42:3) that Christ cannot take and restore to a glorious place of blessing and beauty.  He can take a life crushed by pain or sorrow and make it a harp whose music will be total praise.  He can lift earth’s saddest failure up to heaven’s glory. J. R. Miller

“Follow Me, and I will make you . . .” Make you speak My words with power, Make you vessels of My mercy, Make you helpful every hour.

“Follow Me, and I will make you . . .” Make you what you cannot be— Make you loving, trustful, godly,

Make you even just like Me.

Source taken from Stream in the desert

Praise God for the furnace

Testing is difficult, but the result is often a deeper relationship with God.  Those who endure the testing of their faith will experience God's great rewards in the end.

Despair or misfortune is a great opportunity to test whether your faith is genuine or not. 

"The water is hot - put in the tea bag - "did this tea lose its taste because it went inside the hot water?  no, it probably revealed its true taste by being in the hot water. "

"Do not try to be strong in the midst of temptation."    Know your weakness.  The reason you are tempted is because you are weak.   In Scripture, it does not say to fight temptation, but to flee from or get out of it.

Christians mistakenly believe that when things go well, they are in God's will, but when things do not go well, they are not.  Remember, for every testimony of victory, transformed lives, and deliverances, there are ten more about martyrdom, anguish, and loss.

Just because God does not answer our prayers the way we think He should does not mean He is any less compassionate, loving, or sovereign.  Ultimately, it is not primarily about victory over your particular situation, but about His glory over the earth.

A.W. Tower once said, "Whom God would use greatly, He will hurt deeply."

God does not send trials to take away our joy but to increase our joy.

Just as fire purifies silver in the smelting process, trials refines our character.   They bring us a new and deeper wisdom, helping us discern truth from falsehood and giving us the discipline to do what we know is right.

Trials help us realize that life is a gift from God to be cherished not a right to be taken for granted. - Psalm 66:10-12

In God's hand

When we release our children into the Father's hands and acknowledge that He is in control of their lives and ours, both we and our children will have greater peace.

Recently, I had to release my son into God's hands again, this time as he steps into the working world.  God teaches us to release him 5 years ago when he left for college and started his varsity life.  He started in Miri, Sarawak and then extended to Perth, Australia in the later part of his semester.

Releasing our children to God does not mean that they will not experience pain.  They will, because pain is a part of life in this fallen world.

We were reminded of the words in Isaiah 55:12    You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

God assured us that the initial pain of releasing our children there comes joy and peace, both for them and us.  Because we know that no matter what stage of life our children are in, when we release them to God, they are in good hands. 

The Right Kind of FAITH

My faith is not in my ability to control my own destiny.
My faith is not in my good name and good living.
My faith is not in my church or its ceremonies.
My faith is not in my ability to improve myself.
My faith is not in my ability to push all negative thoughts out of my life.
My faith is not in my own sincerity.
My faith is not in my power to tap some inner, godlike resources.
My faith is in Jesus Christ.

[This excerpt is taken from Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith? 2001 RBC Ministries.
Read it online at www.discoveryseries.org/q0603]

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of London's Westminster Chapel said: "Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties..... Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith look at God..... Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God.

F.A.I.T.H.

When affliction strikes us, how do we react? Are we embittered, or do we trustfully appropriate God's sustaining grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9 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.

I was reminded of this verse when a young believer and his family encountered trials and challenges in their walk with the Lord. I was wondering how I might lift their spirit and encourage them to cling to God's promise of Romans 8:28. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Faith in Christ is not about safety and caution But about believing Jesus and trusting Him no matter what. It's about taking up a daily cross [Luke 9:23] and living for the Saviour. - Dave Branon