"When the believer learns to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for him." -Warren Wiersbe

Scripture is full of examples of those who ran ahead of God. Abraham with Haggar; Moses murdered a man in Eygpt; and Peter almost killed a man. All because of impatience.

God wants us to be patient because it is a key to every other blessing.

Don't put the cart before the horse! Be patient, God will see You through!

-Dennis

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Maturity is a Process

Romans 5:3-4 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

Warren Wiersbe writes, "In the Bible, patience is not a passive acceptance of circumstances. It is courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty."

Hebrews 6:12 "Be….followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

-Dennis

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"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45

What do we, as Christians, know that makes it easier to face difficulties and trials and benefit from them?

God always tests us to bring out the best; Satan tempts us to bring out the worst. "The Bible teaches us that the testing of our faith proves we are truly born again." -Warren Wiersbe

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, thank You for the Holy Spirit's ability to teach us.

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"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." - C.S. Lewis

I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. 2 Cor. 7:4

Lord Jesus, I am so encouraged by Your people! I can so see You working in them through the difficulties they are facing and the way they are doing life!

-Dennis

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King David writes in Psalms 63:3-7 (ERV) “Your faithful love is better than life, so my lips praise you.  By my life, I will praise you. In your name, I lift my hands in prayer. When I sit down to satisfy my hunger, my joyful lips hunger to praise you!  I remember you while lying on my bed. I think about you in the middle of the night. That is because you are the one who helps me. It makes me happy to be under your protection.”

Difficulties come into our lives to teach us to value God’s blessings. Our carnal mind tells us to value the world and the things of the world. Our flesh tells us to value pleasure and ease. But trials can cause us to value, through faith, spiritual things of God: His word, His care, His provisions, His strength and most of all, His salvation!

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis. May I always remember the words recorded for us in Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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One purpose of difficulties in life for the Christian is to remind us of our eternal hope. Paul the apostle said it this way in:

1 Corinthians 15:19 (KJV) “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

I like the words of this song we sung at Hoyt (community I was raised in):

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. 

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

-Dennis

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2 Corinthians 12:7 (AMP) "Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me-to keep me from exalting myself!"

Sometimes difficulties come our way to remind us that we have a tendency to be spiritually satisfied. We (I) sometimes think that it's about us and not Him. Paul says that he was given this "thorn in the flesh...to keep me from exalting myself!"

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, You and only You, deserve, honor, glory and praise!

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Exodus 16:4 Version (NIV) Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

2 Chronicles 32:31 (NIV) (Speaking of King Hezekiah) But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

God is omniscient, He already knows what we will do in any situation; but we don't.

Did your momma or daddy ever tell you that you were getting too big for your britches?

Sometimes I wonder if God uses troubles and difficulties that come my way to show me the truth about my faith in Him.

-Dennis

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"My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be." James 1:2-4 (ERV)

The Bible lists several reasons that God allows troubles or trials into a Christian's life. One of them is to test the strength and/or validity of our faith. The appearance of bitterness, self-pity, and resentment cause us to realize that we are weak in faith. When we face difficulties on our knees asking for God's help and His presence, the appearance of joy shows us our faith is growing stronger.

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis. You and I can handle this!

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Hebrews 5:12 (CEB) ^"Although you should have been teachers by now, you need someone to teach you an introduction to the basics about God's message. You have come to the place where you need milk instead of solid food."

I remember Thanksgiving 1975. We were playing football in the front yard when something happened to my knee. One of brothers said get off the field, you big baby! I drug myself over by the house and the game continued on without me!

In my family if you were sick or hurt you were supposed to crawl off, lick your wounds, get well and then come back later without mention of it (at least that was my take).

My parents never taught me to count by saying 1… 2… waiting on me to obey. If my dad told me to do something a second time it was with a belt or a kick in the _ _ _ t!

I was taught that "delayed obedience was disobedience!"

I wish I could say that I always act in a mature way, but I'm afraid James and the author of Hebrews were talking to me.

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, and I know You're talking to me!

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