Daily Reading: Job 2:7-10
Am I Job or his nameless wife? Yesterday I passed the test and remained calm in midst of chaos. It was a close call. When my husband started ranting about problems in the past I so wanted to scream. Yet God opened a door for me. My husband made a statement towards the end of the evening that "If I had to put up with all you do from me, I'd leave. You just sit there taking it all and don't say a word."
My secret is my faith in GOD. A few weeks ago I had gotten tired of my husband's relentless repetition about a matter that he couldn't stand. I snapped at him and he blew up. He didn't speak to me for almost two days. I realized that as a Christian I have to set an example for my non Christian husband. So yesterday, I calmly sat there listening to everything he was saying.
I imagine Job did the same thing when his wife told him "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" I seriously doubt she said a mere two sentences. In my experience, when we get angry we don't simply state what is bothering us. Instead, we go on relentlessly until we feel another person understands us, we convince ourself that we are justified, or we simply can not think of any other way to state our frustration.
If I had told my husband "You are talking like a foolish man. Should we accept good from God and not trouble?" He most likely would have blown up even more. I imagine that Mrs. Job could have done that. Maybe she kept ranting about Job's misery, or maybe she listened to his wisdom and took heed of what he was saying.
Either way we can not control how people around us act and react. The only person we control is ourselves. When we feel we can no longer restrain ourselves we must quickly ask God to take over. Allow GOD to put HIS protective armor around us. Amazingly the more my husbanded ranted last night, the more I silently prayed, the more uplifted I felt. I went to bed last night happy to know that my faith in God and His protective armor had allowed me to weather the storm and find a safe haven in knowing He is always there.
Additional Readings: Ephesians 6:10-18 and 1 Peter 5:8-11
Showing posts with label storm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storm. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Perfect or Storm
Daily Reading: JOB 1:1-22 & MATTHEW 4:1-11
You know those days where everything seems absolutely perfect. The kids left for school on time and got their chores done. Every task I set out to do was accomplished quickly and smoothly. I feel like I am walking on air and it feels great! And then it hits.....
My husband walks in the door hollering mad because someone did something. My Fson calls to tell me its going to take him an hour to get home because he wrecked his bike. He admits that instead of being where he ought he went somewhere else and is hanging with an unsavory character. My son was annoyed by another student at school and may be expelled. My best friend's car broke down. It seems that the fire of God is raining down all around.
There are two choices that I see. First I can join in and start screaming and bellering. "Woe is me! Life is ruined. I'm so picked on! What a terrible day." The second choice is to sit quietly allowing everyone else to complain and belly ache.
Like Job we can choose to accept that we have been blessed by God. The things we have in life are not our own. Even when we work hard, GOD has provided us the ability and the opportunities to grow an abundant life. We must take our blessings and return them to GOD because they are not ours, only loaned to us.
When the storm is over we can thank GOD for giving us the good day and accept that life is never going to be perfect. Only Christ is perfect. Christ was tested in the wilderness by the Devil. He stood up against the Devil and never sinned. As Christians we must try to follow Christ's example. We are not perfect and we will slip up. We just need to be aware and try harder next time to behave as Christ would.
Prayer: God, thank you for this wonderful day with its ups and downs. Thank you for all the blessings you have given us. Thank you for the storms we are given, and the opportunity to choose to weather the storm as Jesus Christ would. May your name be praised and may I never curse against you. Amen.
You know those days where everything seems absolutely perfect. The kids left for school on time and got their chores done. Every task I set out to do was accomplished quickly and smoothly. I feel like I am walking on air and it feels great! And then it hits.....
My husband walks in the door hollering mad because someone did something. My Fson calls to tell me its going to take him an hour to get home because he wrecked his bike. He admits that instead of being where he ought he went somewhere else and is hanging with an unsavory character. My son was annoyed by another student at school and may be expelled. My best friend's car broke down. It seems that the fire of God is raining down all around.
There are two choices that I see. First I can join in and start screaming and bellering. "Woe is me! Life is ruined. I'm so picked on! What a terrible day." The second choice is to sit quietly allowing everyone else to complain and belly ache.
Like Job we can choose to accept that we have been blessed by God. The things we have in life are not our own. Even when we work hard, GOD has provided us the ability and the opportunities to grow an abundant life. We must take our blessings and return them to GOD because they are not ours, only loaned to us.
When the storm is over we can thank GOD for giving us the good day and accept that life is never going to be perfect. Only Christ is perfect. Christ was tested in the wilderness by the Devil. He stood up against the Devil and never sinned. As Christians we must try to follow Christ's example. We are not perfect and we will slip up. We just need to be aware and try harder next time to behave as Christ would.
Prayer: God, thank you for this wonderful day with its ups and downs. Thank you for all the blessings you have given us. Thank you for the storms we are given, and the opportunity to choose to weather the storm as Jesus Christ would. May your name be praised and may I never curse against you. Amen.
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