My Devotion

[lingjanet]

When Lauren was during her junior year. She was devastated by the news that her parents were going to divorce. Although she was surrounded by a solid Christian brothers and sisters in Christ but she was still felt hurt and pain in its.

Few years later, a friend of Lauren came to her broken into tears and shared that her parents had announced they were going to divorce, at this times, Lauren was able to comfort as no one else could because her ability to understand and comfort came from her experience in suffering.



In 2Corinthians

1:6 ~ beside, if we suffer, it brings you comfort and salvation.

1:7 ~ we know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort

1:9 ~ …..but we suffered so that we would stop trusting out selves and learn to trust God, who bring the dead back to life.



Difficulties cause us to worry. The bigger the difficulty, the more we worry. When difficulties surround us, it is our opportunity to trust God more than to worry.



God can use our suffering by giving us opportunities to comfort others who share that same pain. I used to be my friends comfort throughout the year because god has given me an opportunity to rely on HIM. I been surrounded by suffering and difficulties and my difficulties will never end.



I used to ask God why that HE gave me such and suffering and difficulties? I used to ask God, do HE really Love me? If HE do love me and why HE gave me infinity difficulties?

I used to be very angrily told God that, God where are you to listen to my prayer. I never request for anything. I just request that God You make my life simple and full with peace and happiness. But God now you let me to go through suffering and difficulties.



In this time, I knew, I learn from suffering. Friends always like to come to me when they need comfort all because I have been through so many experiences that God have given me. From suffering and difficulties, I learn to be strong and I learn to grown in HIS days. For what HE gives, it actually in returns given me eternal, peace, joyful and happiness life.



Alots of things we will know be able to receive or see immediately. You got to understand it and experience it all by yourself.

Some youth told me that, how will God answer my prayer and some will yield that God never answer their prayer. One thing I always told them and remind them was "READ YOUR BIBLE AND PRAY EVERYDAY" this is where you will find your answer from your prayer and this is where God answer your prayer.



Sometime suffering and difficulties will pull us down and lost faith in God. It happens to me also although I do always keep in mind that what 2 Corinthian have said. For what the most important is, you must have your brothers and sisters in Christ surrounded by you. You should feel free to share your unhappiness with them. They are who will keep you in mind that God IS WITH YOU ALL THE TIMES.



I’m very grateful that God always pull be back to HIS side whenever I’m far away from HIM. I did once turn against God. But GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIMES. HE makes me alerts of my misdoing and repents.

 

[lingjanet]

I'm talking about forgiveness and the freedom it brings into our lives when we learn to really forgive people who have wronged us. Jesus used a strong illustration in one of His parables to reinforce how important it is for us to forgive other people. It's found in Matthew 18, where Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive—maybe up to seven times?

This was four more than the Jewish tradition required, so I'm sure Peter felt he was being very generous. Jesus told him not seven times, but 77 times! And then He told the parable about a servant who owes his king 10,000 talents, which was a sum so large that it would have been impossible for him to repay in his entire lifetime. But the king is gracious and merciful and cancels the debt.

Then, this servant who has been forgiven this huge debt, goes to a fellow-servant who owes him the equivalent of about $20, a small debt, and refuses to give him time to pay the debt. In fact, he had him thrown into prison for not paying that measly amount.

Jesus draws an analogy for us that we cannot miss. We are the ones who have been forgiven a great debt. God has freely forgiven us of our sins—a debt we could never repay, like the servant in the parable. And in comparison to that great mercy shown to us by God, any forgiveness required of us toward others is small indeed.

But the real punch in this parable comes in the final sentence. The unforgiving servant is turned over to the jailers to be tortured, and Jesus says in closing, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." This statement is so strong that frankly, I don't understand the full implications. But this much I know: a person who refuses to forgive after she or he has been freely forgiven by God is asking for misery.

I believe this parable is directed toward Christians who know they should forgive, but refuse to do so. If that's where you are, you're undoubtedly experiencing some mental and emotional torture, and you probably feel as though you're in a prison. Your fellowship with God is broken and your sense of His forgiveness is uncertain.

I trust you will soon—very soon—this very minute, acknowledge your unforgiving spirit, and determine by God's grace to forgive those who have wronged you. No, it won't be easy. But it's so much easier than the turmoil you now know. And it will release you from your prison of unforgiveness.