For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:6–7 (http://harvest.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=4f108f827aed8d503b5fca9fa&id=02be2b56dc&e=3dd732485b)I don’t have neat, tidy little explanations for everything we face in life. If you had come to me when I first began preaching in my late teens and early twenties and asked me why something happened the way it did, I would tell you. But now that I’ve been preaching for a while, I don’t have all those answers.

There are things that happen that I cannot explain. But I do know that we can give thanks—not for the hardship but because God is still on the throne. And ultimately, God even can work all things together for good to those of us who love Him. We can give thanks that the word oops is not in God's vocabulary. We can give thanks that no matter what happens to us on this earth, we still have the hope of Heaven.

The Bible says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://2)) and to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). We are to give thanks, not for our problems but for the fact that God is still in control.

When we get sick, we pray that God will heal us, and many times He does. Yet sometimes He doesn’t. Why? Because there is something on this earth called sin, and we all live under the curse of it. We all have to die sooner or later. It’s a tragedy.

But here is the good news. As Christians, we will go to Heaven, no matter what. It may be hard. It may be difficult. But we will go to Heaven, we will see the Lord, and all of our questions will be answered

[Pine Baron]

"we will see the Lord, and all of our questions will be answered"
Some people just don't get this.
Thank you, rl.

[Boaz]

Good response Pine Baron ! I'll second that . Thank you rl69 .

[buckwheatpaul]

rl69 that a a great study as well explanation (We are to give thanks, not for our problems but for the fact that God is still in control.)! I have never thought of that explanation .... but upon reflection makes perfect sense.....Thanks brother for the daily post.....Paul

[USMC87]

Great lesson.

[Blackwater]

This is a difficult message to really, fully realize, and most of us struggle with it all or most of our lives. But it's true. God never said that everything we needed to learn would be easy, nor that we'd always like the answers from OUR mere mortal perspective. He sees much further and deeply than we ever will, as long as we wear these mortal bodies we now carry. Learning this vital lesson is one of our greatest challenges in this plane of existence. When we pass on to the next plane, I have a sense that it'll just be accepted fact. But while we're still here, it's awfully difficult for us to see very far past our OWN desires, and they then become a stumbling block to us, rather than an asset. Many things in this life can be both good and bad, depending on how they're used, etc., but this one's pretty much a constant for just about all of us. We want what WE want. God gives us what we NEED, despite what we may want at any particular time or place. And it's taken a very long time, but I've become very grateful for that. Our emotions serve some great purposes, but when we become trapped within them, we err. And it's really just that simple. That doesn't mean we ought not pursue our dreams, or ask God for what we want. It just means we need to constantly recognize that our wants, and God's plans for us, may not always be the same thing. And in the end, if we follow His will, we'll always come out at the end with more benefits, and fewer debits we have to pay for. Thank God that HE is in charge, and NOT us!