"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end; 
they are new every morning; 
great is your faithfulness.
'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul,
'therefore I will hope in him.'" - Lamentations 3:22-24
 
Whenever we are knocked down, we may be tempted to lose hope. The prophet Jeremiah basically held a funeral for the city of Jerusalem. In the book of Lamentations, his words reflected the heart of God’s people who wept over the Babylonian capture of their great city. The verses above show the key moment when Jeremiah went from his lowest point of despair to the pinnacle of hope in God.

In today’s passage, the prophet told us that God’s compassion never fails. In fact, His compassionate acts of love are fresh and new every day. In light of that truth, Jeremiah declared God’s great faithfulness. God is reliable and trustworthy. Although we often see circumstances as harsh and even hopeless, that is not the whole truth. Only God can see and know the whole truth. Since He sees and knows all things and is faithful, we can place our trust in Him.
 
Jeremiah concluded by declaring that God is his “portion,” This means that God was enough for him. Is He your “portion?” Is He enough for you? If so, hope in Him.

“Love the LORD, all you his saints! 
The LORD preserves the faithful 
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. 
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, 
all you who wait for the LORD!” - Psalm 31:23, 24 
 
Hope implies that we are waiting for something in the future. These thoughts of the future can fill us with doubt, worry, and fear even though it is said that ninety-five percent of the things we worry about never happen. But what about the other five percent?

In Psalm 31, the Psalmist vacillated between doubt and faith. Although resolute to remain faithful to God during trials, the psalmist acknowledged that the Lord does not always solve problems instantly.  

The existence of hope implies there is something in the future we have yet to receive, and the “not yet received” implies waiting. None of us likes to wait. We live in a society that wants instant success, instant answers to prayer, instant relationships, and instant problem solving. Yet waiting is a constant theme of the Bible. And when we wait, we witness the faithfulness of God.

Our mandate is to remain faithful to Him, not only in times of trial, but also as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled.

Hebrews 10:36 teaches us, “ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Sometimes its not faith that we lack, but patience. Let’s wait on the Lord as we place our hope in Him.

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, 
on those who hope in his steadfast love,” - Psalm 33:22 
 
In our culture the word hope implies “wishful thinking.” We say’ “I hope it’s going to rain” or “I hope I get that job.” Biblical hope, however, is the future tense of faith. Hebrews 11:1 teaches, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for” or of what the future holds. Hope says, “I believe I am receiving the promise, and I am looking forward to getting it.” This anticipation changes how we live. The future we believe awaits us will greatly impacts the decisions we make today.

So, what do we believe awaits us? In what are we placing our hope? In Psalm 33, we find how God’s people should respond to their enemies. Most nations would trust in their numbers of troops and their ability to do battle. This Psalm is not about trusting our abilities, but about trusting God.  

It is fine to hope that something good will happen; I hope I find the right spouse or I hope I get that promotion. However, if we are not careful this hope can become or point of faith- believing these hopes will fulfill our lives. We can go from “hope that” to “hope in.”
 
We begin to place our confidence in that which we hope for, it becomes our future faith and, therefore, our object of faith. Knowing this the psalmist cried out that the Lord is his only hope. He realizes that placing our ‘hope in” is the same asplacing our “faith in.”

In what – Or whom- are you hoping?

“And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!’
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'” - Isaiah 6:3-5
 
The holiness of God is the foundation to our ability to place our faith in Him. If He is not  holy and perfect. He would not be reliable-He could simply change His mind or even go back on His word.
 
His holiness is also an attribute that greatly helps us see our standing with God. Dr. Bo Heflin once said, “The more we are drawn into the holiness of God the better we see ourselves.”
 
In my former church two teenagers--a brother and sister received Christ. Soon after the mom gave her heart to Christ as well. We worked on the dad, Mike, for quite sometime. Although he was faithful in  church attendance, his will would not budge. One Sunday morning, during the invitation, God reached down touched Mike’s heart. Mike came to the altar and cried uncontrollably. He finally was able to voice that he wanted to receive Christ. He later expressed that that morning he had felt a deep conviction about his sin. For the first time in his life, he felt he saw himself for who he was before God. Mike had been drawn into the holiness of God.
 
Have you been drawn into His holiness?  Away to test your heart is whether you truly see your self as God sees you, humbled before Him. In great need of Him everyday.

The moment you received Christ into your heart, you were born again. At that moment, God loved you as much as He ever will love you. Because His love is perfect, His love for you will never be any more or any less than at that instant you gave your life to Him. Yet, at times it is difficult to trust His love.

Some time ago, a lady came into my office, brokenhearted over marriage issues. In spite of her prayers, her husband left her for another woman. How could she cope? How could she ever trust another man? She blamed herself. She blamed God--why had He let it happen?
Like her, we have all wrestled with doubt. Often the performance of others, our own past performance, or the performance of God (an uncomfortable concept—but it’s how we often feel), leave us doubting God.

• Our past performance. Any time adversity strikes we tend to look inward. We ask ourselves, “What did I do wrong? What could I have done differently?” Yes, we have all sinned. Yes, we would have prevented tragedy if we could have seen into the future, but we cannot. We must ask for God’s forgiveness and move on, because when we hold on to past guilt, we actually cheapen the cross. As a result, we begin to live as if the cross was only a down payment for our sins and now we are paying off the balance. So why should God help us? Because He loves us and His grace is sufficient. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” God will not remember your sins—the past is the past. Our sins are forgiven at a high price, but, know the price has been paid.
• The performance of others. Many of our problems and prayers center on other people. Perhaps we have to deal with a rebellious child or a difficult supervisor at work. We cannot control what others do, but how can we place our faith in God when the trials we face concern others? Will God infringe on the free will of another person just to answer our prayers? No one can fully answer that question, but I will say He can if He wants to. He is God. I believe He can draw people to repentance and place the desire in people’s hearts that they will know it is better to follow Christ than go their own way. Nothing is impossible with God.
• God’s performance. Often our greatest struggles are the struggles we have with God. We expect attacks from Satan, but we feel our loving, heavenly Father should always come through for us. Many of our struggles have to do with our perception of God’s past performance in times of trial. Deuteronomy 8:2 teaches us that God humbles us and tests us, to see what is in our heart.  “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”  

Whatever God does in our lives is for our good and His glory. As He brings us through trials we are able to humble ourselves anew at the cross, we are able to turn our attention to Christ—depending only on Him.
 
What are your thoughts on this?

En el momento en que recibiste a Cristo en tu corazón, naciste de nuevo. En ese momento, Dios te amó tanto como te amará jamás. Porque Su amor es perfecto, Su amor por ti nunca será mayor ni menor que en ese instante en que le entregaste tu vida. Sin embargo, a veces es difícil confiar en Su amor.

Hace algún tiempo, una señora entró en mi oficina, con el corazón roto por problemas matrimoniales. A pesar de sus oraciones, su esposo la dejó por otra mujer. ¿Cómo podría sobrellevarlo? ¿Cómo podría volver a confiar en otro hombre? Se culpó a sí misma. Culpó a Dios, ¿por qué había permitido que sucediera?

Como ella, todos hemos luchado con la duda. A menudo, el desempeño de los demás, nuestro propio desempeño pasado o el desempeño de Dios (un concepto incómodo, pero es como nos sentimos a menudo), nos dejan dudando de Dios.

Nuestro desempeño pasado. Cada vez que la adversidad golpea, tendemos a mirar hacia adentro. Nos preguntamos: "¿Qué hice mal? ¿Qué podría haber hecho diferente?". Sí, todos hemos pecado. Sí, habríamos evitado la tragedia si hubiéramos podido ver el futuro, pero no podemos. Debemos pedir el perdón de Dios y seguir adelante, porque cuando nos aferramos a la culpa del pasado, en realidad abaratamos la cruz. Como resultado, comenzamos a vivir como si la cruz fuera solo un pago inicial por nuestros pecados y ahora estuviéramos pagando el saldo.

Entonces, ¿por qué debería ayudarnos Dios? Porque Él nos ama y Su gracia es suficiente. Hebreos 8:12 dice: "Porque seré misericordioso con sus iniquidades, y nunca más me acordaré de sus pecados". Dios no se acordará de tus pecados: el pasado es el pasado. Nuestros pecados son perdonados a un alto precio, pero, sabe que el precio ha sido pagado.

El desempeño de los demás. Muchos de nuestros problemas y oraciones se centran en otras personas. Quizás tengamos que lidiar con un hijo rebelde o un supervisor difícil en el trabajo. No podemos controlar lo que hacen los demás, pero ¿cómo podemos poner nuestra fe en Dios cuando las pruebas que enfrentamos conciernen a otros? ¿Infringirá Dios el libre albedrío de otra persona solo para responder a nuestras oraciones? Nadie puede responder completamente a esa pregunta, pero diré que Él puede si quiere. Él es Dios. Creo que Él puede atraer a las personas al arrepentimiento y poner el deseo en el corazón de las personas para que sepan que es mejor seguir a Cristo que seguir su propio camino. Nada es imposible para Dios.

El desempeño de Dios. A menudo, nuestras mayores luchas son las que tenemos con Dios. Esperamos ataques de Satanás, pero sentimos que nuestro amoroso Padre celestial siempre debería estar ahí para nosotros. Muchas de nuestras luchas tienen que ver con nuestra percepción del desempeño pasado de Dios en tiempos de prueba. Deuteronomio 8:2 nos enseña que Dios nos humilla y nos prueba, para ver lo que hay en nuestro corazón. "Y te acordarás de todo el camino por donde te ha traído Jehová tu Dios estos cuarenta años en el desierto, para afligirte, para probarte, para saber lo que había en tu corazón, si habías de guardar o no sus mandamientos".

Todo lo que Dios hace en nuestras vidas es para nuestro bien y Su gloria. A medida que Él nos lleva a través de las pruebas, somos capaces de humillarnos de nuevo en la cruz, somos capaces de dirigir nuestra atención a Cristo, dependiendo solo de Él.

¿Qué piensas sobre esto?

În momentul în care L-ai primit pe Hristos în inima ta, te-ai născut din nou. În acel moment, Dumnezeu te-a iubit la fel de mult pe cât te va iubi vreodată. Deoarece dragostea Lui este perfectă, dragostea Lui pentru tine nu va fi niciodată mai mare sau mai mică decât în acel moment în care I-ai dăruit viața ta. Cu toate acestea, uneori este dificil să te încrezi în dragostea Lui.

Cu ceva timp în urmă, o doamnă a intrat în biroul meu, cu inima frântă din cauza problemelor conjugale. În ciuda rugăciunilor ei, soțul ei a părăsit-o pentru o altă femeie. Cum putea să facă față? Cum ar putea să mai aibă încredere într-un alt bărbat? S-a învinovățit pe sine. L-a învinovățit pe Dumnezeu – de ce a lăsat să se întâmple asta?
La fel ca ea, cu toții ne-am luptat cu îndoiala. Adesea, performanța altora, propria noastră performanță din trecut sau performanța lui Dumnezeu (un concept inconfortabil – dar așa ne simțim adesea), ne lasă să ne îndoim de Dumnezeu.

Performanța noastră din trecut. Oricând lovește adversitatea, avem tendința de a privi în interior. Ne întrebăm: „Ce am greșit? Ce aș fi putut face diferit?” Da, cu toții am păcătuit. Da, am fi prevenit tragedia dacă am fi putut vedea în viitor, dar nu putem. Trebuie să cerem iertarea lui Dumnezeu și să mergem mai departe, pentru că atunci când ne agățăm de vinovăția trecută, de fapt ieftinim crucea. Ca rezultat, începem să trăim ca și cum crucea ar fi fost doar un avans pentru păcatele noastre și acum plătim restul.
Deci, de ce ar trebui să ne ajute Dumnezeu? Pentru că ne iubește și harul Lui este suficient. Evrei 8:12 spune: „Căci voi fi milostiv față de nelegiuirile lor și nu-Mi voi mai aduce aminte de păcatele lor.” Dumnezeu nu-Și va aminti de păcatele tale – trecutul este trecut. Păcatele noastre sunt iertate la un preț mare, dar, să știi că prețul a fost plătit.

Performanța altora. Multe dintre problemele și rugăciunile noastre se concentrează pe alți oameni. Poate că trebuie să avem de-a face cu un copil rebel sau cu un supervizor dificil la locul de muncă. Nu putem controla ce fac alții, dar cum ne putem pune credința în Dumnezeu când încercările cu care ne confruntăm îi privesc pe alții? Va încălca Dumnezeu liberul arbitru al unei alte persoane doar pentru a răspunde rugăciunilor noastre? Nimeni nu poate răspunde pe deplin la această întrebare, dar voi spune că El poate dacă vrea. El este Dumnezeu. Cred că El poate atrage oamenii la pocăință și poate pune dorința în inimile oamenilor ca ei să știe că este mai bine să-L urmeze pe Hristos decât să meargă pe propriul lor drum. Nimic nu este imposibil la Dumnezeu.

Performanța lui Dumnezeu. Adesea, cele mai mari lupte ale noastre sunt luptele pe care le avem cu Dumnezeu. Ne așteptăm la atacuri de la Satan, dar simțim că Tatăl nostru ceresc iubitor ar trebui să fie mereu alături de noi. Multe dintre luptele noastre au de-a face cu percepția noastră asupra performanței trecute a lui Dumnezeu în vremuri de încercare. Deuteronom 8:2 ne învață că Dumnezeu ne smerește și ne testează, pentru a vedea ce este în inima noastră. „Adu-ți aminte de tot drumul pe care te-a condus Domnul, Dumnezeul tău, în pustie în acești patruzeci de ani, ca să te smerească, să te încerce, pentru a cunoaște ce era în inima ta, dacă vei păzi poruncile Lui sau nu.”

Orice face Dumnezeu în viețile noastre este pentru binele nostru și slava Lui. Pe măsură ce ne trece prin încercări, suntem capabili să ne smerim din nou la cruce, suntem capabili să ne îndreptăm atenția către Hristos – depinzând doar de El.

Care sunt gândurile tale despre asta?

जिस क्षण आपने मसीह को अपने हृदय में ग्रहण किया, आपका नया जन्म हुआ। उस क्षण, परमेश्वर ने आपको उतना ही प्रेम किया जितना वह आपसे कभी भी करेंगे। क्योंकि उनका प्रेम सिद्ध है, आपके प्रति उनका प्रेम उस क्षण से कभी भी अधिक या कम नहीं होगा जब आपने अपना जीवन उन्हें समर्पित किया था। फिर भी, कभी-कभी उनके प्रेम पर भरोसा करना कठिन होता है।

कुछ समय पहले, एक महिला वैवाहिक समस्याओं के कारण टूटे हुए दिल के साथ मेरे कार्यालय में आई। उसकी प्रार्थनाओं के बावजूद, उसके पति ने उसे दूसरी महिला के लिए छोड़ दिया। वह कैसे सामना कर सकती थी? वह फिर कभी किसी दूसरे पुरुष पर कैसे भरोसा कर सकती थी? उसने खुद को दोषी ठहराया। उसने परमेश्वर को दोषी ठहराया - उन्होंने ऐसा क्यों होने दिया?

उसकी तरह, हम सभी ने संदेह के साथ संघर्ष किया है। अक्सर दूसरों का प्रदर्शन, हमारा अपना पिछला प्रदर्शन, या परमेश्वर का प्रदर्शन (एक असुविधाजनक अवधारणा - लेकिन हम अक्सर ऐसा ही महसूस करते हैं), हमें परमेश्वर पर संदेह करने के लिए छोड़ देता है।

हमारा पिछला प्रदर्शन। जब भी कोई विपत्ति आती है तो हम अपने भीतर झाँकने लगते हैं। हम खुद से पूछते हैं, "मैंने क्या गलत किया? मैं अलग तरीके से क्या कर सकता था?" हाँ, हम सबने पाप किया है। हाँ, अगर हम भविष्य देख पाते तो हम त्रासदी को रोक सकते थे, लेकिन हम नहीं देख सकते। हमें परमेश्वर से क्षमा माँगनी चाहिए और आगे बढ़ना चाहिए, क्योंकि जब हम पिछले अपराध बोध को पकड़े रहते हैं, तो हम वास्तव में क्रूस के महत्व को कम कर देते हैं। परिणामस्वरूप, हम ऐसे जीने लगते हैं जैसे कि क्रूस हमारे पापों के लिए केवल एक अग्रिम भुगतान था और अब हम शेष राशि चुका रहे हैं।

तो परमेश्वर हमारी मदद क्यों करें? क्योंकि वह हमसे प्रेम करते हैं और उनका अनुग्रह पर्याप्त है। इब्रानियों 8:12 कहता है, "क्योंकि मैं उनके अधर्मों पर दया करूँगा, और मैं उनके पापों को फिर कभी याद नहीं करूँगा।" परमेश्वर आपके पापों को याद नहीं रखेंगे - अतीत अतीत है। हमारे पापों को एक बड़ी कीमत पर क्षमा किया जाता है, लेकिन, जान लें कि कीमत चुका दी गई है।

दूसरों का प्रदर्शन। हमारी कई समस्याएँ और प्रार्थनाएँ दूसरे लोगों पर केंद्रित होती हैं। शायद हमें एक विद्रोही बच्चे या काम पर एक कठिन पर्यवेक्षक से निपटना पड़ता है। हम यह नियंत्रित नहीं कर सकते कि दूसरे क्या करते हैं, लेकिन जब हम जिन परीक्षणों का सामना करते हैं, वे दूसरों से संबंधित हों तो हम परमेश्वर पर अपना विश्वास कैसे रख सकते हैं? क्या परमेश्वर हमारी प्रार्थनाओं का उत्तर देने के लिए किसी अन्य व्यक्ति की स्वतंत्र इच्छा का उल्लंघन करेंगे? कोई भी इस प्रश्न का पूरी तरह से उत्तर नहीं दे सकता है, लेकिन मैं कहूँगा कि यदि वह चाहें तो वह कर सकते हैं। वह परमेश्वर हैं। मेरा मानना है कि वह लोगों को पश्चाताप की ओर आकर्षित कर सकते हैं और लोगों के दिलों में यह इच्छा डाल सकते हैं कि वे जानेंगे कि अपने रास्ते पर जाने के बजाय मसीह का अनुसरण करना बेहतर है। परमेश्वर के लिए कुछ भी असंभव नहीं है।

परमेश्वर का प्रदर्शन। अक्सर हमारे सबसे बड़े संघर्ष वे संघर्ष होते हैं जो हमारे परमेश्वर के साथ होते हैं। हम शैतान से हमलों की उम्मीद करते हैं, लेकिन हम महसूस करते हैं कि हमारे प्यारे, स्वर्गीय पिता को हमेशा हमारे लिए आना चाहिए। हमारे कई संघर्षों का संबंध परीक्षण के समय में परमेश्वर के पिछले प्रदर्शन के बारे में हमारी धारणा से है। व्यवस्थाविवरण 8:2 हमें सिखाता है कि परमेश्वर हमें विनम्र करते हैं और हमारी परीक्षा लेते हैं, यह देखने के लिए कि हमारे हृदय में क्या है। "तू उस सारे मार्ग को स्मरण रख, जिस पर तेरा परमेश्वर यहोवा तुझे इन चालीस वर्षों तक जंगल में ले गया, कि वह तुझे नम्र करे, तेरी परीक्षा ले, यह जानने के लिए कि तेरे हृदय में क्या है, कि तू उसकी आज्ञाओं को मानेगा या नहीं।"

परमेश्वर हमारे जीवन में जो कुछ भी करते हैं वह हमारी भलाई और उनकी महिमा के लिए है। जैसे ही वह हमें परीक्षणों से गुजारते हैं, हम क्रूस पर फिर से खुद को विनम्र करने में सक्षम होते हैं, हम अपना ध्यान मसीह की ओर मोड़ने में सक्षम होते हैं - केवल उन पर निर्भर करते हुए।

इस बारे में आपके क्या विचार हैं?

في اللحظة التي قبلت فيها المسيح في قلبك، وُلدت من جديد. في تلك اللحظة، أحبك الله بقدر ما سيحبك على الإطلاق. لأن محبته كاملة، فلن تكون محبته لك أكثر أو أقل من تلك اللحظة التي وهبت فيها حياتك له. ومع ذلك، في بعض الأحيان يكون من الصعب الوثوق بمحبته.
منذ بعض الوقت، دخلت سيدة إلى مكتبي، مكسورة القلب بسبب مشاكل زوجية. على الرغم من صلواتها، تركها زوجها من أجل امرأة أخرى. كيف يمكنها التأقلم؟ كيف يمكنها أن تثق برجل آخر؟ لقد لامت نفسها. ولامت الله - لماذا سمح بحدوث ذلك؟
مثلها، لقد صارعنا جميعًا الشك. غالبًا ما يتركنا أداء الآخرين، أو أداؤنا السابق، أو أداء الله (وهو مفهوم غير مريح - ولكنه ما نشعر به غالبًا)، نشك في الله.
أداؤنا السابق. في أي وقت تضربنا فيه الشدائد، نميل إلى النظر إلى الداخل. نسأل أنفسنا: "ماذا فعلت خطأ؟ ماذا كان بإمكاني أن أفعل بشكل مختلف؟". نعم، لقد أخطأنا جميعًا. نعم، كنا سنتجنب المأساة لو استطعنا رؤية المستقبل، لكننا لا نستطيع. يجب أن نطلب مغفرة الله ونمضي قدمًا، لأنه عندما نتمسك بالذنب الماضي، فإننا في الواقع نقلل من قيمة الصليب. ونتيجة لذلك، نبدأ في العيش كما لو أن الصليب كان مجرد دفعة أولى لخطايانا والآن نحن نسدد الرصيد المتبقي.
إذًا لماذا يجب على الله أن يساعدنا؟ لأنه يحبنا ونعمته كافية. يقول الكتاب المقدس في عبرانيين 8: 12، "لأَنِّي أَكُونُ صَفُوحًا عَنْ آثَامِهِمْ، وَلاَ أَذْكُرُ خَطَايَاهُمْ وَتَعَدِّيَاتِهِمْ فِي مَا بَعْدُ". لن يتذكر الله خطاياك - فالماضي هو الماضي. خطايانا مغفورة بثمن باهظ، ولكن، اعلم أن الثمن قد دُفع.
أداء الآخرين. تتمحور العديد من مشاكلنا وصلواتنا حول الآخرين. ربما يتعين علينا التعامل مع طفل متمرد أو مشرف صعب في العمل. لا يمكننا التحكم في ما يفعله الآخرون، ولكن كيف يمكننا أن نضع إيماننا بالله عندما تتعلق التجارب التي نواجهها بالآخرين؟ هل سيتعدى الله على الإرادة الحرة لشخص آخر فقط ليجيب على صلواتنا؟ لا أحد يستطيع الإجابة على هذا السؤال بالكامل، لكنني سأقول إنه يستطيع إذا أراد. هو الله. أعتقد أنه يستطيع أن يجذب الناس إلى التوبة ويضع الرغبة في قلوب الناس حتى يعرفوا أنه من الأفضل اتباع المسيح بدلاً من السير في طريقهم الخاص. لا شيء مستحيل على الله.
أداء الله. غالبًا ما تكون أعظم صراعاتنا هي الصراعات التي نخوضها مع الله. نتوقع هجمات من الشيطان، لكننا نشعر أن أبانا السماوي المحب يجب أن يكون دائمًا بجانبنا. العديد من صراعاتنا تتعلق بتصورنا لأداء الله السابق في أوقات الشدة. يعلمنا سفر التثنية 8: 2 أن الله يذلّنا ويختبرنا، ليرى ما في قلوبنا. "وَتَتَذَكَّرُ كُلَّ الطَّرِيقِ الَّتِي فِيهَا سَارَ بِكَ الرَّبُّ إِلهُكَ هذِهِ الأَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فِي الْقَفْرِ، لِكَيْ يُذِلَّكَ وَيُجَرِّبَكَ، لِيَعْرِفَ مَا فِي قَلْبِكَ: أَتَحْفَظُ وَصَايَاهُ أَمْ لاَ؟"
كل ما يفعله الله في حياتنا هو لخيرنا ومجده. بينما يقودنا عبر التجارب، نكون قادرين على إذلال أنفسنا من جديد عند الصليب، ونكون قادرين على تحويل انتباهنا إلى المسيح - معتمدين عليه وحده.
ما هي أفكارك حول هذا؟

No momento em que você recebeu Cristo em seu coração, você nasceu de novo. Naquele momento, Deus o amou tanto quanto Ele jamais o amará. Porque o Seu amor é perfeito, o Seu amor por você nunca será maior ou menor do que naquele instante em que você entregou sua vida a Ele. No entanto, às vezes é difícil confiar no Seu amor.

Há algum tempo, uma senhora entrou no meu escritório, com o coração partido por problemas conjugais. Apesar de suas orações, seu marido a deixou por outra mulher. Como ela poderia lidar com isso? Como ela poderia confiar em outro homem novamente? Ela se culpou. Ela culpou a Deus - por que Ele permitiu que isso acontecesse?

Como ela, todos nós já lutamos com a dúvida. Muitas vezes, o desempenho dos outros, nosso próprio desempenho passado ou o desempenho de Deus (um conceito desconfortável, mas é como muitas vezes nos sentimos) nos deixam duvidando de Deus.

Nosso desempenho passado. Sempre que a adversidade ataca, tendemos a olhar para dentro. Nós nos perguntamos: "O que eu fiz de errado? O que eu poderia ter feito de diferente?" Sim, todos nós pecamos. Sim, teríamos evitado a tragédia se pudéssemos ter visto o futuro, mas não podemos. Devemos pedir o perdão de Deus e seguir em frente, porque quando nos apegamos à culpa do passado, na verdade desvalorizamos a cruz. Como resultado, começamos a viver como se a cruz fosse apenas um pagamento inicial por nossos pecados e agora estamos pagando o saldo.

Então, por que Deus deveria nos ajudar? Porque Ele nos ama e Sua graça é suficiente. Hebreus 8:12 diz: "Pois serei misericordioso com as suas iniquidades e dos seus pecados não me lembrarei mais." Deus не se lembrará dos seus pecados — o passado é passado. Nossos pecados são perdoados por um preço alto, mas saiba que o preço foi pago.

O desempenho dos outros. Muitos de nossos problemas e orações se concentram em outras pessoas. Talvez tenhamos que lidar com um filho rebelde ou um supervisor difícil no trabalho. Não podemos controlar o que os outros fazem, mas como podemos depositar nossa fé em Deus quando as provações que enfrentamos dizem respeito a outros? Deus infringirá o livre arbítrio de outra pessoa apenas para responder às nossas orações? Ninguém pode responder completamente a essa pergunta, mas direi que Ele pode, se quiser. Ele é Deus. Acredito que Ele pode atrair as pessoas ao arrependimento e colocar o desejo no coração das pessoas para que saibam que é melhor seguir a Cristo do que seguir seu próprio caminho. Nada é impossível para Deus.

O desempenho de Deus. Muitas vezes, nossas maiores lutas são as lutas que temos com Deus. Esperamos ataques de Satanás, mas sentimos que nosso amoroso Pai celestial deveria sempre nos ajudar. Muitas de nossas lutas têm a ver com nossa percepção do desempenho passado de Deus em tempos de provação. Deuteronômio 8:2 nos ensina que Deus nos humilha e nos testa, para ver o que está em nosso coração. "Lembrar-te-ás de todo o caminho pelo qual o Senhor teu Deus te guiou no deserto estes quarenta anos, para te humilhar, para te provar, para saber o que estava no teu coração, se guardarias os seus mandamentos ou não."

Tudo o que Deus faz em nossas vidas é para o nosso bem e para a Sua glória. À medida que Ele nos conduz através das provações, somos capazes de nos humilhar novamente na cruz, somos capazes de voltar nossa atenção para Cristo — dependendo somente d'Ele.

Quais são seus pensamentos sobre isso?

“There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. ‘We find nothing wrong with this man,’ they said. ‘What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’" - Acts 23:9-11

Paul is experiencing great spiritual warfare. Often Satan uses people in his quest to discourage and even destroy the people of God. Ironically, most of those involved in this endeavor believe they are doing the Lord’s work. Such was the case of the forty who wanted to take Paul’s life. However, God had other plans. Paul would eventually be sent to preach the gospel to Rome. God came to Paul’s rescue and protected his life until his work was finished. God stands by you. As long as you are in His will, nothing can happen to you unless God wills it to happen. …being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…Philippians 1:6. Get in God’s will. It’s the safest place on earth.

“As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?’” - Acts 22:23-25

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God has a plan for every believer. God’s plan for Paul was that of a pioneer missionary to the Gentiles. As Paul revealed his witness of Christ to those who wanted to take his life, one would expect a happy ending. That is, those hearing would repent and give their hearts to Christ. However, the same sun that softens the wax also hardens the clay. Tragically, the linchpin of Paul’s speech was that God would offer the same salvation to the Gentiles that He would to a Jew. This greatly offended the crowd. In their way of thinking, only the Jews were “chosen.” All others were unworthy of salvation. In truth, none of us deserve salvation—it is all of grace (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Yet, the chosen people of the Old Testament were kept from salvation because of their prejudice toward Gentiles and loyalty to their traditions.

God has a personal plan for you. We all have a niche in which we best bring glory to God. He has given us talents, gifts, experience and burdens that point the way to His special will for our lives. We need to set aside preconceived ideas and traditions to embrace His plan for us. What is God’s plan for you? What will give you a future and a hope?

“The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’” - Acts 21:33-36

As we serve the Lord, we are often misunderstood. When Paul entered into Jerusalem he did so with Gentile companions that he had brought to Christ. Wrong reporting and gossip began and soon blossomed into accusations that Paul was bringing Gentiles into the holy place of the temple—accusations that were not true. This rumor led to an emotional upheaval with the Jews demanding Paul’s death.

Paul’s heart was in the right place. He was trying to reach the Gentiles with the gospel while not offending the Jews. However, just as in the case of Christ, we can often be misunderstood in the ministry. Paul’s answer to this conflict was to boldly proclaim the gospel. Like Paul, we need to understand that the world will misunderstand us; that their hearts and minds are sometimes blinded to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4), but our mandate to share the good news remains the same. We need to love them as Jesus loves them. When misunderstood, we need to find common ground, as Paul did, and show people the love of Christ by sharing Jesus and His Word—even in the face of mistreatment.

“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.'” - Acts 21:10-14

It’s amazing how the writer, Luke, parallels the upcoming experiences of Paul with that of Jesus. After the prophesy of verse 11, it appeared Paul would be arrested and put to death in Jerusalem. Luke knew that death would not come; yet the journey and outlook for Paul was similar to that of Jesus. There would be a Jewish plot, a handing over to Gentiles, a prediction of his suffering and then, as in the Garden of Gethsemane, a strong resolution to do the will of God regardless of the consequences.

What courage! What faithfulness! What is the secret? Faithfulness grows out of our faith. Just as in Adam we all sin; Adam’s way was “my will be done.” With that we lost our way. Jesus’ heart was – “not my will; Your will be done.” This is the resolution that set us free. The key to Paul’s courage is that he had already resolved in his heart (v 14) that, without reservation, God’s will must be done in his life.

What about you? The essence of salvation is surrendering your will to God. It’s exchanging gods—from you to Jehovah God. When we live this, we then begin to realize, by faith, that we can trust His will as we trust His heart.

“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.’" - Acts 20:17-24

I believe we see the heart of Paul very clearly in this passage. Out of necessity he had to leave the church he loved in order to go and take the gospel to those that had never heard.

Paul poured out his life with all humility (v 19) to testify of the gospel of grace. Why the dedication? The passion? Perhaps it was because Paul never got over his salvation. The same humility that brought him to the foot of the cross on the Damascus Road compelled him to stay near that cross, to embrace the gospel (v 20) and finish well. Paul said. "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14)

What about you? Where is your passion? I believe you will find it at the foot of the cross.

“About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: ‘You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.’ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.” - Acts 19:23-29

Few of us have ever been attacked by a mob like Alexander in Acts 19. However, it is very likely you’ve experienced a relational conflict and have even felt attacked by those you love and trust.

Churches are often known more for strife than for service. With relationships comes conflict. None of us are immune to being hurt by others. When this hurt comes from someone who appears to be making you a target, it is especially distressing.

When we feel attacked, we want to handle the situation ourselves. If we can peaceably reconcile, we should. If we cannot, we should, however, never seek revenge. "Getting even" will take its toll on our lives. Hebrews 12:15 says, "...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…" An angry, bitter attitude will hurt us and negatively affect all of our relationships.

When we seek revenge or even aggressively defend ourselves at the expense of others, we demonstrate a lack of faith in God. Romans 12:19 teaches us, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves... for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

God came to the rescue of the disciple in Acts 19, and He will defeat your enemies as well. God is able to defend you and will eventually make all things right. It is God’s prerogative to punish sin and it’s His pleasure to protect and defend us.

You want to move forward with courageous faith. When you have the strength and spiritual balance you need, you begin to have the courage to do something. The problem arises when we don’t do what we need to do—right now! Whether it’s beginning a new ministry or business, serving others, or simply spending time with God, chances are, if you procrastinate, you will never do it. In my book, Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo, I address several reasons why we need to begin today.

• Life is short. “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)
• Life is measured by time.  The Bible teaches that we need to measure our days that we may present a heart of wisdom. “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) To put this in perspective, pretend life is measured like a clock—if you are 20 years of age, it is only 6:00 a.m., if you are 40 years of age, the clock reads noon, if you are 60 years of age, then it’s 6:00 at night. If I live to be 80, I have 6,590 days left to live, serve Christ, and to make a difference in the lives of others.
• Your life has value. “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:14-16)
• We must use time wisely. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16)

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul is soon going to die. He writes to Timothy, his son in the faith, to come to him “before winter.” Why before winter? Because, once winter set in the docks would be closed and Timothy would be unable to go. There was a sense of longing and heartache in Paul’s voice as he wrote. The Bible never tells us if Timothy made the journey on time.  

What do you need to do right now? Is there someone you need to visit, share your faith with, forgive, or express your love or gratitude toward? A few years ago, I was in a shopping mall near my hometown, and I noticed my dad talking to a man. Later, when dad entered the store, he told me the man he was speaking with was Brother Bob, my childhood pastor. I had not seen Bob in several years. Since that time, I had become a pastor of a large church in Florida—much larger than he had pastored. I wondered how Bob measured his ministry—had he accomplished what he planned to do for God? Could I be an encouragement to him? Now was my chance! But I froze—what would I say? I reasoned that I should have called him years ago and now it would just be embarrassing. By the time I finally found the courage to talk to him, he was gone, and though I promised myself I would call him, I never did. I just kept putting it off and sadly a few months later, Bob passed away. I lost my opportunity to thank him for being a good pastor to me.

What are you putting off? Know this—if you do not do what God leads you to do right away, the chances are high that you never will.  

Do it right now!

“Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.” - Deuteronomy 4:39-40

As Moses is about to reintroduce the Israelites to God’s law, he remembers what God has done. He says there is no one like God. No one has done the things that God has done. He looks at creation (Deuteronomy 4:32); God speaking from a fire (v 33); taking a nation (Israel) from the midst of another nation (Egypt). Why? So that the people would know that the Lord is God (v 39). The question then is how do we receive the blessings from this almighty God? The answer is obedience (v 40).

I like to think of God’s will for our lives as being a path of blessing. As we stay on this path; we receive all the blessings God has for us. If we veer off into the wilderness, we will miss those blessings.

Obedience is required to walk the path of blessing. Obedience is always made in the atmosphere of struggle. The key is to realize that every step of obedience is a step of faith. God speaks to us through His Word. We then either believe it or disbelieve it. If we truly believe, we take action to obey. Each time God asks us to do something, a question arises in our hearts: “Am I better off obeying God than going my own way?” The answer to that question will determine if we enter (or stay) in God’s path of blessing for our lives or if we begin to wander from that path. Never be offended by God’s Word. Always receive it. The promises for obedience are countless. It is all dependent on us listening, believing and responding in obedience.

The next time God convicts your heart to act – just trust Him and obey.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit today. I know I have not arrived. I know You want to speak into my life as I read Your Word. Help me to love You enough to listen and trust You enough to obey.

                  
أنت تريد المضي قدمًا بإيمان شجاع. عندما تمتلك القوة والتوازن الروحي الذي تحتاجه، تبدأ في امتلاك الشجاعة للقيام بشيء ما. تبرز المشكلة عندما لا نقوم بما يجب علينا القيام به - الآن! سواء كان ذلك بدء خدمة جديدة أو عمل تجاري، أو خدمة الآخرين، أو مجرد قضاء وقت مع الله، فالاحتمال الأكبر هو أنك إذا ماطلت، فلن تفعل ذلك أبدًا. في كتابي "التغلب على الدوار الروحي" (Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo)، أتناول عدة أسباب تدفعنا للبدء اليوم.
الحياة قصيرة. "لأَنَّكُمْ لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ مَا يَكُونُ غَدًا! لأَنَّهُ مَا هِيَ حَيَاتُكُمْ؟ إِنَّهَا بُخَارٌ، يَظْهَرُ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ يَضْمَحِلُّ." (يعقوب 4: 14)
تُقاس الحياة بالوقت. يُعلّمنا الكتاب المقدس أننا بحاجة إلى حساب أيامنا لكي نُؤتى قلبًا حكيمًا. "إِحْصَاءَ أَيَّامِنَا هكَذَا عَلِّمْنَا فَنُؤْتَى قَلْبَ حِكْمَةٍ." (مزمور 90: 12). لوضع هذا في المنظور الصحيح، تخيل أن الحياة تُقاس كالساعة - إذا كان عمرك 20 عامًا، فالساعة هي 6:00 صباحًا فقط، وإذا كان عمرك 40 عامًا، فالساعة تشير إلى منتصف النهار، وإذا كان عمرك 60 عامًا، فالساعة إذن هي 6:00 مساءً. إذا عشت حتى سن الثمانين، يتبقى لي 6590 يومًا لأعيشها، وأخدم المسيح، وأحدث فرقًا في حياة الآخرين.
حياتك لها قيمة. "أَحْمَدُكَ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنِّي قَدِ امْتَزْتُ عَجَبًا. عَجِيبَةٌ هِيَ أَعْمَالُكَ، وَنَفْسِي تَعْرِفُ ذلِكَ يَقِينًا. لَمْ تَخْتَفِ عَنْكَ عِظَامِي حِينَمَا صُنِعْتُ فِي الْخَفَاءِ، وَرُقِمْتُ فِي أَعْمَاقِ الأَرْضِ. رَأَتْ عَيْنَاكَ أَعْضَائِي، وَفِي سِفْرِكَ كُلُّهَا كُتِبَتْ يَومَ تَصَوَّرَتْ، إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهَا." (مزمور 139: 14-16)
يجب علينا استخدام الوقت بحكمة. "فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ تَسْلُكُونَ بِالتَّدْقِيقِ، لاَ كَجُهَلاَءَ بَلْ كَحُكَمَاءَ، مُفْتَدِينَ الْوَقْتَ لأَنَّ الأَيَّامَ شِرِّيرَةٌ." (أفسس 5: 15-16)
في رسالة تيموثاوس الثانية 4، بولس على وشك الموت قريبًا. يكتب إلى تيموثاوس، ابنه في الإيمان، أن يأتي إليه "قَبْلَ الشِّتَاءِ". لماذا قبل الشتاء؟ لأنه بمجرد حلول فصل الشتاء، ستُغلق الموانئ ولن يتمكن تيموثاوس من الذهاب. كان هناك شعور بالشوق وحسرة القلب في صوت بولس وهو يكتب. لا يخبرنا الكتاب المقدس أبدًا ما إذا كان تيموثاوس قد قام بالرحلة في الوقت المحدد.
ما الذي تحتاج للقيام به الآن؟ هل هناك شخص تحتاج إلى زيارته، أو مشاركة إيمانك معه، أو مسامحته، أو التعبير عن حبك أو امتنانك له؟ قبل بضع سنوات، كنت في مركز تسوق بالقرب من مسقط رأسي، ولاحظت والدي يتحدث مع رجل. لاحقًا، عندما دخل والدي المتجر، أخبرني أن الرجل الذي كان يتحدث معه هو الأخ بوب، قس طفولتي. لم أرَ بوب منذ عدة سنوات. منذ ذلك الحين، أصبحت قسًا لكنيسة كبيرة في فلوريدا - أكبر بكثير من تلك التي كان يرعاها هو. تساءلت كيف يقيس بوب خدمته - هل أنجز ما خطط للقيام به من أجل الله؟ هل يمكنني أن أكون مشجعًا له؟ الآن كانت فرصتي! لكنني تجمدت - ماذا سأقول؟ فكرت أنه كان يجب عليّ الاتصال به منذ سنوات، والآن سيكون الأمر محرجًا فقط. بحلول الوقت الذي وجدت فيه أخيرًا الشجاعة للتحدث معه، كان قد رحل، وعلى الرغم من أنني وعدت نفسي بأنني سأتصل به، إلا أنني لم أفعل ذلك أبدًا. واصلت التأجيل، ومن المؤسف أنه بعد بضعة أشهر، توفي بوب. لقد فقدت فرصتي لشكره على كونه قسًا صالحًا لي.
ماذا تؤجل؟ اعلم هذا - إذا لم تقم بما يقودك الله للقيام به على الفور، فالاحتمالات كبيرة بأنك لن تفعله أبدًا.
افعله الآن!

आप साहसी विश्वास के साथ आगे बढ़ना चाहते हैं। जब आपके पास आवश्यक शक्ति और आध्यात्मिक संतुलन होता है, तो आपमें कुछ करने का साहस आने लगता है। समस्या तब उत्पन्न होती है जब हम वह नहीं करते जो हमें करने की आवश्यकता है—अभी! चाहे वह एक नई सेवकाई या व्यवसाय शुरू करना हो, दूसरों की सेवा करना हो, या केवल परमेश्वर के साथ समय बिताना हो, यदि आप टालमटोल करते हैं, तो बहुत संभावना है कि आप इसे कभी नहीं कर पाएंगे। अपनी पुस्तक, 'ओवरकमिंग स्पिरिचुअल वर्टिगो' में, मैंने ऐसे कई कारणों पर चर्चा की है कि हमें आज ही शुरुआत करने की आवश्यकता क्यों है।

जीवन छोटा है। "तुम नहीं जानते कि कल तुम्हारा जीवन कैसा होगा। तुम तो बस भाप के समान हो जो थोड़ी देर के लिए दिखाई देती है और फिर गायब हो जाती है।" (याकूब 4:14)

जीवन को समय से मापा जाता है। बाइबल सिखाती है कि हमें अपने दिनों को गिनना चाहिए ताकि हम बुद्धिमान हृदय प्राप्त कर सकें। "हमें अपने दिनों को गिनना सिखा, ताकि हम बुद्धिमान हृदय प्राप्त कर सकें।" (भजन संहिता 90:12) इसे परिप्रेक्ष्य में समझने के लिए, मान लें कि जीवन को एक घड़ी की तरह मापा जाता है—यदि आप 20 वर्ष के हैं, तो सुबह के केवल 6:00 बजे हैं; यदि आप 40 वर्ष के हैं, तो घड़ी में दोपहर है; यदि आप 60 वर्ष के हैं, तो रात के 6:00 बजे हैं। यदि मैं 80 वर्ष तक जीवित रहता हूँ, तो मेरे पास जीने, मसीह की सेवा करने और दूसरों के जीवन में बदलाव लाने के लिए 6,590 दिन बचे हैं।

आपके जीवन का मूल्य है। "मैं तेरा धन्यवाद करूँगा, क्योंकि मैं भयानक और अद्भुत रीति से रचा गया हूँ; तेरे काम अद्भुत हैं, और मेरा प्राण इसे भली-भांति जानता है। जब मैं गुप्त में रचा जा रहा था, और पृथ्वी के नीचे के स्थानों में कौशल से बनाया जा रहा था, तब मेरा आकार तुझसे छिपा नहीं था; तेरी आँखों ने मेरे बेडौल तत्व को देखा; और तेरी पुस्तक में वे सब दिन लिखे हुए थे जो मेरे लिए ठहराए गए थे, जबकि उनमें से एक का भी अस्तित्व नहीं था।" (भजन संहिता 139:14-16)

हमें समय का बुद्धिमानी से उपयोग करना चाहिए। "इसलिए सावधानी से देखो कि तुम कैसे चलते हो, निर्बुद्धियों के समान नहीं बल्कि बुद्धिमानों के समान, अवसर को बहुमूल्य समझकर क्योंकि दिन बुरे हैं।" (इफिसियों 5:15, 16)
2 तीमुथियुस 4 में, पौलुस जल्द ही मरने वाला है। वह विश्वास में अपने पुत्र तीमुथियुस को लिखता है कि वह "सर्दियों से पहले" उसके पास आए। सर्दियों से पहले क्यों? क्योंकि, एक बार सर्दियाँ शुरू हो जाने पर बंदरगाह बंद हो जाएंगे और तीमुथियुस जा नहीं पाएगा। जब पौलुस ने लिखा, तो उसकी आवाज़ में एक लालसा और दिल का दर्द था। बाइबल हमें कभी नहीं बताती कि क्या तीमुथियुस ने समय पर यात्रा की।

आपको अभी क्या करने की आवश्यकता है? क्या कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति है जिससे आपको मिलने, अपना विश्वास साझा करने, क्षमा करने, या उसके प्रति अपना प्यार या कृतज्ञता व्यक्त करने की आवश्यकता है?
कुछ साल पहले, मैं अपने गृहनगर के पास एक शॉपिंग मॉल में था, और मैंने देखा कि मेरे पिता एक व्यक्ति से बात कर रहे थे। बाद में, जब मेरे पिता स्टोर में आए, तो उन्होंने मुझे बताया कि वह व्यक्ति ब्रदर बॉब थे, जो मेरे बचपन के पादरी थे। मैंने बॉब को कई सालों से नहीं देखा था। उस समय से, मैं फ्लोरिडा में एक बड़ी कलीसिया का पादरी बन गया था—उनकी कलीसिया से कहीं अधिक बड़ी। मुझे आश्चर्य हुआ कि बॉब ने अपनी सेवकाई को कैसे मापा होगा—क्या उन्होंने वह पूरा कर लिया था जो उन्होंने परमेश्वर के लिए करने की योजना बनाई थी? क्या मैं उनके लिए एक प्रोत्साहन बन सकता था? अब मेरे पास मौका था! लेकिन मैं सुन्न रह गया—मैं क्या कहूँगा? मैंने खुद से तर्क दिया कि मुझे उन्हें सालों पहले ही फोन कर लेना चाहिए था और अब यह सिर्फ शर्मनाक होगा। जब तक मुझे उनसे बात करने की हिम्मत मिली, वे जा चुके थे, और हालाँकि मैंने खुद से वादा किया था कि मैं उन्हें फोन करूँगा, लेकिन मैंने कभी नहीं किया। मैं बस इसे टालता रहा और दुख की बात है कि कुछ महीनों बाद, बॉब का निधन हो गया। मैंने मेरे लिए एक अच्छे पादरी होने के लिए उन्हें धन्यवाद देने का अपना अवसर खो दिया।

आप क्या टाल रहे हैं? यह जान लें—यदि आप तुरंत वह नहीं करते जो परमेश्वर आपको करने के लिए प्रेरित करता है, तो इसकी बहुत अधिक संभावना है कि आप उसे कभी नहीं करेंगे।
इसे अभी करें!

Você quer seguir em frente com uma fé corajosa. Quando você tem a força e o equilíbrio espiritual de que precisa, começa a ter coragem para fazer algo. O problema surge quando não fazemos o que precisamos fazer — agora mesmo! Seja iniciar um novo ministério ou negócio, servir aos outros ou simplesmente passar tempo com Deus, as chances são de que, se você procrastinar, nunca fará isso. Em meu livro, Superando a Vertigem Espiritual, abordo várias razões pelas quais precisamos começar hoje.

A vida é curta. "Digo-vos que não sabeis o que acontecerá amanhã. Porque, que é a vossa vida? É um vapor que aparece por um pouco, e depois se desvanece." (Tiago 4:14)
A vida é medida pelo tempo. A Bíblia ensina que precisamos medir nossos dias para que possamos apresentar um coração de sabedoria. "Ensina-nos a contar os nossos dias, para que alcancemos coração sábio." (Salmos 90:12). Para colocar isso em perspectiva, imagine que a vida seja medida como um relógio — se você tem 20 anos, são apenas 6:00 da manhã; se tem 40 anos, o relógio marca meio-dia; se tem 60 anos, então são 6:00 da tarde. Se eu viver até os 80 anos, tenho 6.590 dias restantes para viver, servir a Cristo e fazer a diferença na vida dos outros.

Sua vida tem valor. "Eu te louvarei, porque de um modo assombroso, e tão maravilhoso fui feito; maravilhosas são as tuas obras, e a minha alma o sabe muito bem. Os meus ossos não te foram encobertos, quando no oculto fui feito, e entretecido como nas profundezas da terra. Os teus olhos viram o meu corpo ainda informe; e no teu livro todas estas coisas foram escritas; as quais em continuação foram formadas, quando nem ainda uma delas havia." (Salmos 139:14-16)

Devemos usar o tempo com sabedoria. "Portanto, vede prudentemente como andais, não como néscios, mas como sábios, remindo o tempo; porquanto os dias são maus." (Efésios 5:15, 16)

Em 2 Timóteo 4, Paulo está prestes a morrer. Ele escreve a Timóteo, seu filho na fé, para ir até ele "antes do inverno". Por que antes do inverno? Porque, uma vez que o inverno começasse, os portos seriam fechados e Timóteo não conseguiria viajar. Havia um sentimento de saudade e dor no coração na voz de Paulo enquanto ele escrevia. A Bíblia nunca nos diz se Timóteo fez a viagem a tempo.

O que você precisa fazer agora mesmo? Há alguém que você precise visitar, com quem compartilhar sua fé, perdoar ou a quem expressar seu amor ou gratidão? Alguns anos atrás, eu estava em um shopping perto da minha cidade natal e notei meu pai conversando com um homem. Mais tarde, quando meu pai entrou na loja, ele me disse que o homem com quem ele estava falando era o Irmão Bob, meu pastor de infância.

Eu não via Bob há vários anos. Desde aquela época, eu havia me tornado pastor de uma grande igreja na Flórida — muito maior do que a que ele havia pastoreado. Eu me perguntava como Bob avaliava o seu ministério — ele havia realizado o que planejava fazer para Deus? Eu poderia ser um encorajamento para ele? Agora era a minha chance! Mas eu congelei — o que eu diria? Pensei que deveria ter ligado para ele anos atrás e agora seria simplesmente constrangedor. Quando finalmente encontrei coragem para falar com ele, ele já tinha ido embora e, embora eu tivesse prometido a mim mesmo que ligaria para ele, nunca o fiz. Fui adiando e, infelizmente, alguns meses depois, Bob faleceu. Perdi minha oportunidade de agradecê-lo por ter sido um bom pastor para mim.

O que você está adiando? Saiba disto: se você não fizer o que Deus o leva a fazer imediatamente, as chances são grandes de que você nunca o fará.

Faça isso agora mesmo!

Vrei să mergi înainte cu o credință curajoasă. Când ai puterea și echilibrul spiritual de care ai nevoie, începi să ai curajul de a face ceva. Problema apare atunci când nu facem ceea ce trebuie să facem — chiar acum! Fie că este vorba de începerea unei noi slujiri sau a unei afaceri, de a-i sluji pe alții sau pur și simplu de a petrece timp cu Dumnezeu, sunt șanse mari ca, dacă amâni, să nu o mai faci niciodată. În cartea mea, Depășirea vertijului spiritual, abordez câteva motive pentru care trebuie să începem astăzi.

Viața este scurtă. „Și nu știți ce va aduce ziua de mâine! Căci ce este viața voastră? Sunteți un abur, care se arată puțintel, și apoi piere.” (Iacov 4:14)

Viața se măsoară în timp. Biblia ne învață că trebuie să ne numărăm zilele pentru a căpăta o inimă înțeleaptă. „Învață-ne să ne numărăm bine zilele, ca să căpătăm o inimă înțeleaptă!” (Psalmul 90:12). Pentru a pune acest lucru în perspectivă, imaginați-vă că viața este măsurată ca un ceas — dacă aveți 20 de ani, este abia ora 6:00 dimineața; dacă aveți 40 de ani, ceasul arată amiaza; dacă aveți 60 de ani, atunci este ora 6:00 seara. Dacă voi trăi până la 80 de ani, mai am 6.590 de zile de trăit, de a-L sluji pe Hristos și de a face o diferență în viețile altora.

Viața ta are valoare. „Te laud că sunt o făptură așa de minunată. Minunate sunt lucrările Tale, și ce bine vede sufletul meu lucrul acesta! Trupul meu nu era ascuns de Tine, când am fost făcut într-un loc tainic, țesut în chip ciudat în adâncimile pământului. Când nu eram decât un plod fără chip, ochii Tăi mă vedeau; și în cartea Ta erau scrise toate zilele care-mi erau rânduite, mai înainte de a fi fost vreuna din ele.” (Psalmul 139:14-16)

Trebuie să folosim timpul cu înțelepciune. „Luați seama deci să umblați cu băgare de seamă, nu ca niște neînțelepți, ci ca niște înțelepți. Răscumpărați vremea, căci zilele sunt rele.” (Efeseni 5:15, 16)

În 2 Timotei 4, Pavel urmează să moară curând. El îi scrie lui Timotei, fiul său în credință, să vină la el „înainte de iarnă”. De ce înainte de iarnă? Pentru că, odată cu venirea iernii, porturile aveau să fie închise, iar Timotei nu ar mai fi putut călători. A existat un sentiment de dor și de durere în vocea lui Pavel în timp ce scria. Biblia nu ne spune niciodată dacă Timotei a făcut călătoria la timp.

Ce trebuie să faci chiar acum? Există cineva pe care trebuie să-l vizitezi, cu care să-ți împărtășești credința, pe care să-l ierți sau căruia să-i exprimi dragostea ori recunoștința? În urmă cu câțiva ani, mă aflam într-un centru comercial din apropierea orașului meu natal și am observat că tatăl meu stătea de vorbă cu un bărbat. Mai târziu, când tata a intrat în magazin, mi-a spus că bărbatul cu care vorbise era Fratele Bob, pastorul copilăriei mele. Nu-l mai văzusem pe Bob de câțiva ani. De atunci, devenisem pastorul unei biserici mari din Florida — mult mai mare decât cea pe care o păstorise el. Mă întrebam cum își măsura Bob slujirea — reușise oare să realizeze ceea ce și-a propus să facă pentru Dumnezeu? Aș fi putut să fiu o sursă de încurajare pentru el? Acum era șansa mea! Dar am înghețat — ce aș putea să-i spun? M-am gândit că ar fi trebuit să-l sun cu ani în urmă și că acum ar fi fost pur și simplu stânjenitor. Până când mi-am găsit în cele din urmă curajul de a vorbi cu el, plecase și, deși mi-am promis că-l voi suna, nu am făcut-o niciodată. Am tot amânat și, din păcate, câteva luni mai târziu, Bob a murit. Am pierdut ocazia de a-i mulțumi pentru că a fost un pastor bun pentru mine.

Tu ce anume amâni? Să știi acest lucru — dacă nu faci imediat ceea ce te îndeamnă Dumnezeu să faci, șansele sunt mari să nu o mai faci niciodată.

Fă-o chiar acum!

Quieres avanzar con una fe valiente. Cuando tienes la fuerza y el equilibrio espiritual que necesitas, comienzas a tener el valor para hacer algo. El problema surge cuando no hacemos lo que debemos hacer: ¡ahora mismo! Ya sea comenzar un nuevo ministerio o negocio, servir a otros o simplemente pasar tiempo con Dios, lo más probable es que, si procrastinas, nunca lo harás. En mi libro, Superando el vértigo espiritual, abordo varias razones por las que necesitamos comenzar hoy.

La vida es corta. "Sin embargo, no sabéis cómo será vuestra vida mañana. Solo sois un vapor que aparece por un poco de tiempo y luego se desvanece". (Santiago 4:14)
La vida se mide por el tiempo. La Biblia enseña que debemos contar nuestros días para que podamos presentar un corazón sabio. "Enséñanos, pues, a contar nuestros días, de tal modo que traigamos al corazón sabiduría". (Salmo 90:12). Para poner esto en perspectiva, imagina que la vida se mide como un reloj: si tienes 20 años, son solo las 6:00 a. m.; si tienes 40 años, el reloj marca el mediodía; si tienes 60 años, entonces son las 6:00 de la tarde. Si vivo hasta los 80, me quedan 6.590 días para vivir, servir a Cristo y marcar una diferencia en la vida de los demás.

Tu vida tiene valor. "Te daré gracias, porque asombrosa y maravillosamente he sido formado; maravillosas son tus obras, y mi alma lo sabe muy bien. No estaba oculto de ti mi cuerpo, cuando en secreto fui formado, y entretejido en las profundidades de la tierra; tus ojos vieron mi embrión, y en tu libro estaban escritos todos los días que me fueron dados, cuando no existía ni uno solo de ellos". (Salmo 139:14-16)

Debemos usar el tiempo sabiamente. "Por tanto, tened cuidado de cómo andáis; no como insensatos, sino como sabios, aprovechando bien el tiempo, porque los días son malos". (Efesios 5:15, 16)

En 2 Timoteo 4, Pablo pronto va a morir. Le escribe a Timoteo, su hijo en la fe, que vaya a él "antes del invierno". ¿Por qué antes del invierno? Porque, una vez que comenzara el invierno, los puertos se cerrarían y Timoteo no podría ir. Había un sentido de anhelo y dolor en el corazón en la voz de Pablo mientras escribía. La Biblia nunca nos dice si Timoteo hizo el viaje a tiempo.

¿Qué necesitas hacer ahora mismo? ¿Hay alguien a quien necesites visitar, compartirle tu fe, perdonar o expresarle tu amor o gratitud? Hace unos años, estaba en un centro comercial cerca de mi ciudad natal y noté que mi padre hablaba con un hombre. Más tarde, cuando mi padre entró a la tienda, me dijo que el hombre con el que estaba hablando era el hermano Bob, el pastor de mi infancia. No había visto a Bob en varios años. Desde entonces, me había convertido en pastor de una iglesia grande en Florida, mucho más grande que la que él había pastoreado. Me preguntaba cómo medía Bob su ministerio: ¿había logrado lo que planeaba hacer para Dios? ¿Podría yo ser un estímulo para él? ¡Era mi oportunidad! Pero me paralicé: ¿qué le diría? Razoné que debería haberlo llamado hace años y que ahora sería simplemente vergonzoso. Para cuando finalmente encontré el valor para hablar con él, ya se había ido, y aunque me prometí a mí mismo que lo llamaría, nunca lo hice. Simplemente lo seguí posponiendo y, tristemente, unos meses después, Bob falleció. Perdí mi oportunidad de agradecerle por haber sido un buen pastor para mí.

¿Qué estás posponiendo? Ten esto en cuenta: si no haces lo que Dios te guía a hacer de inmediato, hay muchas probabilidades de que nunca lo hagas.

¡Hazlo ahora mismo!

“For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.” - Deuteronomy 4:32, 35

It’s been said the quickest way for a mother to get the attention of her children is to sit down and look comfortable. In the book of Deuteronomy, the knowledge of God sprang from God revealing Himself through events. Without the Bible, the Israelites were dependent upon God’s revelation through miracles. Two such miraculous events were the Exodus and the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. These two events became the framework for Israel’s early theology. Moses declared that through of all history (to that point) there had never been a greater and more observable miracle than Sinai. God performed this great miracle so that Israel would know that Jehovah God was the one true God. This was a one-time event. It was not normal. Otherwise, it would have not received Israel’s attention.

God often uses the extraordinary to speak to us today. These include a special word from the Bible – perhaps a particular verse that grips you. It may be through a sermon from your pastor. Sometimes it’s a rebuke from a loved one. If you are like me, it is quite often times of adversity. I remember a few years ago, I was taking my wife to the doctor for a report on her biopsy. The doctor called Pam to give her a warning that the tumor was cancerous. When she told me, I drove the car in silence for twenty minutes. I was shocked. You never think it will happen to you or someone you love. God had my attention. Thankfully, as I write this, she is cancer free.

Is God trying to get your attention? If so, why? What do you need to correct? Have you been taking your fellowship with God for granted? Is there something you need to change?

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to live a life that You always have my attention. I pray You will not need to place adversity in my path. However, when You do need to get my attention, please do what You must do. I do not want to stray from Your will.

“For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” - Psalm 139:13-14

It is said that “no one is irreplaceable.” However, as far as God is concerned, everyone is irreplaceable. The Psalmist has already declared that God knows everything (vv 1-6); that He is everywhere (vv 7-12). Now in verses 13 and 14 He declares that in His wisdom, He created you. God’s wisdom is seen in that He created your innermost parts. His love is demonstrated in that He made you special — “one of a kind.” You have been particularly “woven” by God while still in your mother’s womb. This is a Hebrew expression for “embroidering.” We were sewn together by the Lord by His hand for a particular purpose. The Psalmist concludes that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

What can we see from this passage?
(1) That God gave us life the moment that we were conceived (Job 3:16; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41).
(2) That God knew we would be here and not surprised at our strengths or our weaknesses (Psalm 139:16).
(3) That we are special. We have our own DNA, our own fingerprints and our own purpose in life.

Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Even our weaknesses are woven into God’s plan. Years ago a friend of mine related to me on how God has used a facial deformity in his life. He said, “Dwayne, I know that I am so prideful, that if God had not given me this challenge, I do not believe I would ever have been humble enough to receive Christ.”

God has a plan for you. You are special to God and to the world. You are irreplaceable.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that You knew us even before we were born. Thank you that with all our challenges, You can bring forth something great for our lives. Help me to draw close to You today. Help me to feel Your touch on my life and lead me to touch the lives of others. Make me irreplaceable today.