Day 12

I have had a rather easy week so far this week, but I have quite a bit to do the rest of the week so I am praying that God will help me through it and provide the time I need to do well on a midterm as well as continue to work for his glory. I cannot imagine these last two weeks without this time that I am spending with him. I was starting to spiral but I had reached out and let him catch me before I made it to the ground. I continue to pray daily and to work at being 100% dedicated to him everyday even when I am with my friends. It is definitely a tough task but I know he is there with me when I need his strength.

In speaking about hard times, I thought of Paul and Silas today and thought it would be good to examine that story and how I can apply it to my life. The story is found in Acts Chapter 16 verses 16-40. The story begins with Paul casting out a spirit from a slave girl who predicts the future for money that benefits her owners, this came after the girl followed them for days and mocked them from behind. The slave owners are not thrilled about this casting out though and have Paul and Silas flogged and beaten in front of the town. Then they are thrown in prison. Let me stop here and make an observation, Paul and Silas were working for the glory of God and they are put in prison and beaten because they did something good? I would think that at this point they would abandon God and just apologize and try to go on their way. This was not the case however, when midnight came about, Paul and Silas began praising God with prayer and the singing of hymns, the other men in the cells were listening and soon an earthquake came and the cells opened and the chains fell off of all the men. The guard was about to kill himself because he thought prisoners had escaped but Paul and Silas assured him that everyone was still there and he was safe. Long story short, they ended up leading this man and his family to Christ and were released the next day with a public apology from the Magistrates and were given an escort out of the city.

How does a story about two men who were imprisoned and then released apply to me today? Well, I am glad you asked. God wants all his people to know that doing his work is not an easy task and you will be looked down upon because of it. He wants to assure us though that as long as we remain faithful, he will take care of us and reward us (either sentimentally or with eternal life). I know it is hard for me to stand up for others when they get picked on but that is because I do not know how people react when I speak up. Sure it is just fun to them and if the person does not know they are talking about them then what harm is it? The problem is that it is a big deal, you are degrading someone and pointing out flaws even when you might not know them. Jokes can be hurtful and can lead to self-image issues for a person. Sitting back is better than joining in, but stopping it all together is the best move in the situation. I am guilty of this today, but I was the one making a joke. I was talking about a girl I had never even met and said that she must "go to another guy when she leaves the one she is with"  all because she was wearing a short skirt when it was 35 degrees outside. I know it is not normal or appropriate you could say for someone to wear a skirt when it is that cold, but what difference does it make to me what clothes she wears? The point I am trying to make here is that God wants us to serve him in every aspect of life and he will be pleased with us. 

We need to stand up for our faith and try to bring people to Christ without being afraid of persecution or humiliation. Remember that God was humiliated when he was beaten and killed. People spit on him and mocked him, what is the worst that can happen to us? Maybe someone will not be your friend? Well that is their choice and a rather poor choice to pick friends solely on religious beliefs. Maybe people will start making fun of you? Well, you are stronger and will persevere because God is on your side and he will handle the situation. It is going to be tough but do not lose hope for your reward is near. Step out of that comfort zone and start to invest in people instead of having an empty relationship. It goes back to your relationship with God, you can know him and just go through the motions or you can know him and seek his plan for you and give your all to him. Your friendships should be the same way, work in people's lives and for those in which it is good for people to invest in you, let them do so.  

My prayer is this "I cannot do this on my own Lord, give me strength and guide me as I seek to build your Kingdom. You have given me so much and I can never thank you enough for what you have done but I can serve you and show love to you as a start.

Amen"

Please do not hesitate to take me up on any of my offers, they are all still on the table and if you want to leave comments that give your take on what I am saying, do not be afraid, I love to discuss things and grow. Criticism is okay too, I am not perfect and want to know what you think.

Joseph Robinson.