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For Such A Time As This

10/29/2014

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By Josie Siler

Ebola. This one small word has struck fear in the hearts of men, women, and children around the world. This outbreak has taken many lives – too many. It’s tragic. It’s frightening, not just for the people of western Africa, but around the world. Ebola has jumped continents. It has reached as far as the United States. Americans are used to watching outbreaks like this from a safe distance. An unfamiliar disease and the ease of travel have caused fear to spread.

I am on staff at my church. A couple of weeks ago we had a discussion about the Ebola outbreak. What would we do if someone in our community became sick with this deadly disease? Would the pastors visit them? Would we disband the greeting time during church services, or cancel them completely? I sat there listening to the conversation between my coworkers before I finally spoke. “You know, these are the things that people with chronic illnesses have to deal with every day.”

I went on to explain that every flu season, every time a friend or family member gets sick, every time a virus spreads through our town, we ask ourselves these same questions. Will I hide in the bathroom during greeting time this week? Will I skip church? Should I visit my sick grandparent in the hospital? Can I risk going to the grocery store this week? I need toilet paper, but what if the person in front of me in line sneezes on me?

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not making light of the Ebola outbreak in any way. It is a terrible thing, and I am praying that it will come to an end yesterday. What I am saying is that every day people with chronic illnesses have to make the choices that are new to others. Friends, we are well-equipped to help others trust God and learn how to live with the possibility of catching something that could kill us. Our faith has been put into practice.

Think about the things you have learned over the years. You’ve become good at using hand sanitizer, washing your hands, politely declining shaking someone’s hand, and not touching the railing of the escalator in the mall. You have learned how to adapt so that you can live a full life without isolating yourself in fear. You have also learned that there are times when taking extra precautions are necessary. There have been a few winters where I had to wear a surgical mask every time I left the house. My immune system was so compromised that it was the only way I could live life well. But I lived. I put that mask on, smiled with my eyes when people stared at me, and refused to live in fear.  

I am reminded of the story of Esther. Esther was a young Jewish girl who, through the unlikeliest of circumstances, became queen. One day Haman, one of the king’s men, devised a plot against the Jewish people. He convinced the king to destroy all of the Jews. The king, not knowing Esther was Jewish, agreed. When the decree was sent out, informing all the people when the Jews would be destroyed, Esther was devastated. Her uncle Mordecai, the man who had raised her, sent her a message - words that have become a challenge to men and women throughout the ages. We find these words in Esther 4:13-14 (ESV).
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Friends, this is your time. God has shown you how to embrace life, how to live an abundant life. Every day you live with the possibility of catching a sickness that could kill you, yet you don’t live in fear. You have learned how to take the proper precautions and still live life joyfully. Could God have taught you that for such a time as this? If there is anyone who can help others to not live in fear right now, it’s us – the chronically ill. You are not a victim; you’re an overcomer. You have become the expert, and now is the time to pass along the peace and the joy you have found in Christ Jesus.

Oh I know it’s not really that easy for us. There are times when we’re afraid as well. But we have lots of practice when it comes to taking our fears to God. We can help others do the same. It all comes down to the sovereignty of God. I trust God. I willingly place my life in His hands. I echo the words of Esther, “…if I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16).”

If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we don’t have to fear death. We can look forward to eternity with our God. Do you know Him? If so, share Him with others so that they can find peace, overcome fear, and look forward to eternity with the God of all creation. 
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"Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." ~Philippians 1:18b-21 


© October 29, 2014
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A Changed Perspective: Seeing Beauty in Brokenness

10/23/2014

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By Katy Kauffman

I walked about twenty yards into the Grand Canyon with my family. The silt on the trail quickly reminded us that we weren’t natural hikers. So although we didn’t journey far, I can tell you that I have been in the Grand Canyon. Our view from the trail included the typical desert decorations—rocks, dirt, underbrush, and more dirt. But if you’ve had the privilege of gazing at the canyon from the outlooks around the rim, and taken in more of its grandeur from that vantage point (or seen the pictures), you know that the canyon is anything but typical. Beautiful doesn’t do it justice. Just as God paints sunsets in the sky every evening, it looked like He was painting the colors on the canyon walls with the sun’s setting. The angle of the sun changed the colors of the canyon. It was exquisite, breathtaking, a handiwork of God. Like our lives.

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We may think of our lives as ordinary or stricken with pain or grief, but if we could see them from God’s perspective, beautiful may not do them justice. God sees it all—the joy and the suffering, the dreams and missed chances, the mistakes and forgiveness. He sees how our lives have been carved by the trials and tests we have faced, much like the Grand Canyon was carved by the great flood of old. When we look at our daily routine, we may only see the ordinary or the struggles, but God sees all that’s possible if we look to Him, depend on Him for help, and follow Him. He sees the beauty along with the broken.

If we could see our lives from God’s outlook, what would we see? We would see the hope, healing, and victory that’s possible – His good purposes woven into our lives. And not just for us, but for others too. 

What beautiful things is God working out of our brokenness and suffering? 

1.       Amazing good (Romans 8:28; Psalm 34:10, 84:11, 119:68; Genesis 50:20)

2.       Stronger character (Rom 5:3-4; James 1:2-4)

3.       Braver faith (Mark 9:23-24)

4.       More opportunities to bless people (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

5.       A knowledge of God that we would not have otherwise (Ps 94:19, 116:7-8; Job 38:1-42:5--
         what Job learned)

6.       A certainty that God is enough (Ps 73:26, 9:10; 2 Timothy 4:16-17)

7.       A testimony of God’s help and works (John 9:1-7, especially v.3)


If we saw our trials from God’s perspective, what resources would we see available to us?
1.       Grace proportionate to our need and pain (2 Cor 12:9)

2.       A peace that God will turn this into good (Philippians 4:7)

3.       Strength to do our best each day (Phil 4:13)

4.       Wisdom for how to move forward (James 1:5)
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A changed perspective comes from taking in the Word of God, which shows us the truths, promises, and love of God. So don’t give up hope. God is working beauty out of our brokenness, hope out of our shattered dreams, and peace out of our turmoil. Allow God to paint the colors of love, strength, and victory onto your soul, and stand in awe of what He can do on your behalf. Stay close to Him, see your life from His outlook, and watch Him complete His handiwork.

© Copyright 2014 by Katy Kauffman


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Katy Kauffman is the designer of Broken but Priceless: The Magazine. She is the author of 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory which shares how to win the spiritual battles of life and ministry. Her heart’s desire is to help people find the strength, hope, and love in God that will see them through life’s struggles and battles. Katy is a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, a ministry which seeks to connect people to God through His Word.

You can check out Katy’s devotions and Bible study posts on her blog, Life with God, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Connect with Katy:
2 Timothy: Winning the Victory  – http://www.amazon.com/Katy-Kauffman/e/B00FIT3YQA/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Life with God – http://lighthousebiblestudies.com/katy-kauffman-blog

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KatyKauffmanAuthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/KatyKauffman28

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    Erin Elizabeth Austin

    Author

    Erin Elizabeth Austin is a writer and speaker with a passion to help people find healing in the midst of their brokenness.

    If you want to contact Erin directly please click here.


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    Josie Siler

    Contributor

    Josie Siler, like millions of others, is living with chronic illness. She is eager to share the hope and joy that she has found in Christ, whether that is in a church, at a women’s retreat, over a cup of hot cocoa, or through a blog post.
    Click here to email Josie.


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