Sometimes hard times fall on us all. Sometimes we walk through difficult seasons in life times in which we wonder if we will ever pull out of. This past week as I helped my wife's family lay her grandfather to rest I had the opportunity to spend time with her family and see God bring a new sense of hope and purpose. Only God is able to bring purpose to pain. Only God is able to empower the broken. This week I walked through one of the lowest, hardest valleys with them as well as for myself. Yet at the same time experienced one of the most rewarding and healing times. For the follower of Christ the deeper the valley the greater the victory. Through the death of my wife's grandfather her entire family was able to spend time together all in one place for a weekend for one of the first times in decades. Though the hard times God brought healing, joy, and fellowship. Only God can do that.
As I spent time with them at there family getaway in the hills of the Ozarks I had the chance to do one of my favorite past times, hiking. I spent a good 3-4 hours out in the woods praying and talking with God. As I climbed up those steep, rocky Ozark mountains, I was reminded of the passage of scripture I had read one day earlier at the funeral. The Lord is my shepherd. "Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death i will fear no evil." It was rugged terrain. As a climbed the final peak, known as inspiration point the path grew steeper, more difficult, and at points hard to follow. There was no turning back once you set out though. Yet as difficult a climb as it was the view from the top made the journey all the more worth it.
In the same way, as we go though seasons in our life of hardship we can find strength in knowing that, though suffering may last the night Joy comes with the morning. Even through the difficult seemingly impassable moments in life God is greater. Do not give up in the hard times for we will enjoy a great harvest if we do not give up.
Are we willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel? Are you willing to sacrifice your hopes, dreams, and fears to follow after Christ? Jesus calls out to us to follow Him. We are not given a crystal ball into the future that predicts every detail of our lives. Yet we are given a precious promise that God will be our source of refuge and if we trust Him he will save us from our fate.
The message of the gospel is clear. Jesus and the apostles w clear in their message: You are all sinner, for you have fallen short of God’s standards, no one is righteous and able to rely on their good works to get them to Heaven. Truth is truth it is not relative. Just like Elemilech and his Sons, because of foolish pride and wrong decisions we have ended up in a land of famine, and if we remain it will destroy us. Do not remain in sin and disobedience to God. Confess your sins, declare Jesus as Lord! Repent, and be Baptized because of what God has done for you.
There is a time to be silent, it is not enough to believe these things to be true you must speak it out. There is a time to take action because the harvest is coming to an end. Soon it will be too late. If you have not publicly made it know your relationship with Christ you need to do so. Jesus said if you are ashamed of me among men I will be ashamed of you before my Father. If we will not publicly follow Christ through confessing him as our Lord and following that action with Baptist you are not saved.
God has prepared a place for those who love him and publicly follow him in paradise; yet if we do not confess Him as our Lord our fate is secured in the Lake of Fire. What will you choose? Life and death are before you this day you might not get another. Choose wisely do not put this off. The harvest is drawing near the day of judgment is fast approaching are you ready? Will your life end with new life or death?
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