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Confessions of a Trusting Spirit

3/10/2016

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

He was running late – incredibly late. Everything that could go wrong that morning did. His alarm clock didn’t go off. He spilled coffee on his shirt and had to change. After he left his apartment he realized he left important papers for his business meeting at home and had to turn around and get them. His morning had been horrible, and he was angry. God knew how important the morning’s meeting was to further his career. It was all he had prayed about for over a week. Didn’t God care what happened to him?

This is the true story about an uncle of a friend of mine. Even though I’ve never met him, I’ll never forget his story. You see, he lived in New York. He worked at the World Trade Center, and the morning was September 11, 2001. Because he was running so late, he didn’t make it to his business meeting. As his taxi pulled to stop, he saw a plane crash into the second tower, the tower where he worked.

Our lives are often like this. Nothing goes the way we planned. People get sick. Cars break down. Expensive repairs need to be made to the house. Things go wrong, and often we’re left wondering if God even cares.

I know I’m guilty of this. If I had a dollar for every time something in my life went wrong, I would be rich. And I admit, the temptation is to become frustrated and angry at God. How can I trust someone who doesn’t care enough to intervene and stop my suffering? If God doesn’t care about me, than why should I care about Him?

This is a subject that has occupied my thoughts more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve had a hard life, and it shows no signs of improving. Even the treatments I’ve been receiving the past two years have been incredibly difficult for me, even though they are helping me get stronger. Unfortunately, they’ve made me sicker before they’ve made me better, which seems to be the theme of my life. So how can I trust God?

As I was pondering this question I couldn’t help but think about Paul. Although he lived during biblical times, he is still considered one of the godliest men to ever live. Even though denominations often differ in their tenements of faith, one thing is readily agreed upon – Paul is one of the founding fathers of the church. His ministry led to thousands of converts to Christianity. He was a man who undeniably trusted God no matter what. Yet his life was far from easy. If anyone had a reason to quit on God, it was Paul. As he said in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28:

Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches

Paul went through so much in his life. I may be wrong, but I imagine this list he wrote in his letter to the church at Corinth only covers a portion of the problems Paul encountered once he became a Christian. So why continue to serve God in ministry? Why not turn his back on God and lead a quiet, normal life?

I’ve come to a conclusion about trusting God – a truth, I believe, Paul recognized early on in his relationship with God. It’s a choice a person must make every single day of his life. We can go to church every week, read the Bible and pray every day, and give money to missionaries, but that doesn’t mean we trust God. Trust is a conscious decision we make. It’s admitting that we don’t know what tomorrow holds and we don’t know what God’s plan is. Trusting God means we know that God is actively working in our lives, even though we can’t always see and understand it at the time. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of having a relationship with God, yet it’s also the most important.

When we trust God despite the problems we face, we are choosing to believe that our God is greater and stronger than any problem that comes our way. It allows us to have joy and be filled with a hope and peace that only comes from knowing God is at work in our lives. It frees us from being weighed down by the burden of our problems. Complete trust in God is liberating!

God has a plan for your life. He will use every aspect of the challenges you face for your good and His glory. Just because you don’t understand what He’s doing, doesn’t mean He isn’t at work.

Have you made the choice to trust God?

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

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Confessions of a Fraidy Cat

8/27/2015

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

I have a confession to make. I, Erin Elizabeth Austin, am a reformed fraidy cat. For those unfamiliar with this phrase, it means I used to be scared of my own shadow. I put up a brave face, but more often than not, I was afraid of anything new or unfamiliar.

Everything terrified me, even people. Because I was molested when I was eight-years old, I knew bad things happened. Not only could people hurt you, but new situations could as well. I was so traumatized by all I’d been through, I shut myself off from living. I became reserved around people I didn’t know and had to be coaxed and cajoled to try anything new. Life became two-dimensional. This became even truer when I was diagnosed with lupus. Sickness quickly stole what little zest for life I had left and I became a shell of a person.

Yet I failed to realize something through all of this. I was so focused on protecting myself from further pain that I blocked out all the good God had in store for me. I didn’t understand a vital truth – when we limit ourselves, we’re also placing a limit on God. We’re saying He’s not strong enough to take care of us. He’s not good enough to allow good things in our lives. We’re saying Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough.

If you’re like me, you’d never dare say anything like that to God, and yet most of us do on a regular basis. We say it when we’re too afraid to trust Him to take care of our problems. When we struggle to hold on to our control over a situation, we’re in essence saying God isn’t good enough to accomplish what needs to be done. When we’re in desperate need of money to pay the bills and praying for God’s help doesn’t even cross our minds, we show God isn’t good enough to fulfill His promises. We limit God by our own fear and need for control. Because of the pain many of us have been forced to endure, we build up walls to protect ourselves and forget an important truth.

Just because you’re down doesn’t mean you’re out. Yes, bad things happen. They have in the past and they will again. It’s a fact of life because we live in a fallen, broken world, but that doesn’t mean we need to cower in fear worrying about what great tragedy will befall us next. My favorite psalm is Psalm 91. It says in verses 1-4:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

I love the line “His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” A bulwark is a solid wall that encircles something, and its entire reason for existence is to protect others. When we go to God and trust Him, He is our bulwark – our protector. We don’t have to build walls around ourselves because He is our wall. He takes care of us. When we grasp this truth, that’s when God can do something amazing in our lives and through our lives, and it doesn’t matter how sick or weak we are. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we have the victory. We don’t have to cower in fear. Life can be more.

So don’t give up hope. Your story isn’t over yet. You don’t have to live in fear. Victory belongs to you because grace wins every time! It’s time to rise up. No more walking in defeat, being scared of what’s going to come. Trust God. Rely on Him. He is your protector!

“People with their minds set on You, You keep completely whole. Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.” ~ Isaiah 26:3-4 (MSG)

© August 27, 2015

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A Madman's Fear

11/20/2014

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By Josie Siler

I love other cultures. I love the diversity of God’s creation. I have been blessed with experiencing other cultures firsthand, and it makes my soul happy! You can imagine how excited I was a couple of years ago when I discovered that Epcot, at Disney World, had a bunch of different countries that you could experience. By far, my favorite place to visit was Morocco. It is a country I have been to and to get to go there again, in a sense, was incredible. We got lost in the tall walls, found a Moroccan restaurant, and had one of my favorite meals. It was authentic and delicious. The night was almost too wonderful; I didn’t know what to do with myself! I was overwhelmed by this gift from God. It wasn’t just the delicious food, or the endless glasses of hot mint tea, or the sights and smells. It was everything together that combined into one wonderful experience.

Have you ever had an experience like that with God? We read about one in Psalm 34. This Psalm is David’s song of celebration after God delivers him from a dangerous situation. It is also a psalm instructing us how to live a life with God, and the blessings that result. As we continue our journey, taking a closer look at Psalm 34, we’re going to study the words of this madman that we know to be a very sane David, King of Israel.

Last week we talked about a madman’s deliverance and how God can deliver us from fear in the midst of difficult circumstances. Today we are going to look a little more at a madman’s fear, as well as God’s blessings. Psalm 34:8-10 (ESV) reads:

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints,
for those who fear Him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

“Taste and see that the LORD is good” is an invitation to experience God. It’s an invitation to become an intimate friend with the Creator of the Universe. Just like we can experience other cultures, different foods, and even different holidays, we can experience God. We can take refuge in Him, and when we do that, we are greatly blessed.

Verse nine talks about fearing the Lord. We touched on this some last week, but I want to remind us that fear of God is not the same as fear of man. To fear God is to have an understanding of His power and greatness, but it is also to stand in awe of Him and to revere Him as the Holy God that He is. David is reminding us that those who fear God – who stand in awe of Him, who worship Him, who adore Him – will lack nothing.

How can this be? How can we suffer greatly and yet “lack no good thing” when we seek the Lord? How can I still be sick when I am seeking the Lord? Sickness doesn’t seem like a very good thing to me!

The truth is God’s definition of “good” and our human definition is drastically different. God looks at human life from an eternal perspective. If there are things in this life that are going to grow us, change us, draw us closer to Him, and form us into His likeness, He is going to allow those things to happen – for our good.

I know this is a difficult idea to understand. Most days I can’t quite wrap my mind around it either. Yet it’s true. The suffering we experience today is nothing compared to the glory we will experience with God forever. So let me ask you, is your current suffering drawing you to God or away from Him? Are you becoming more like Christ as you share in His sufferings, or are you embracing everything this world offers to numb the pain?

I beg you, friends, allow the suffering you are experiencing to transform you. If you seek God, even the worst pain will be used for your good. Focus on the hope of future glory, and remember that the suffering will not last. When your time on this earth comes to an end, eternity awaits you. If you have a relationship with God, you will spend all of eternity with Him, and it will be glorious. If you don’t have a relationship with God, your eternity will be very different. You will suffer in ways that you can’t even imagine right now. What will you choose?

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Note: If you are unsure where you will spend eternity, please reach out to us. We would love to share with you the hope found in Christ and how you can begin a relationship with Him today.

© November 20, 2014

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A Word To Those Who Suffer

4/2/2014

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By John Stumbo

A note from Josie: In 2008, John Stumbo’s name spread like wildfire through Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) churches and around the world. He was a pastor who was in the fight of his life. John almost lost his life numerous times, yet God saved him. He had a long road to recovery and I’m sure he still deals with the effects of the mysterious illness that plagued his body. On June 13, 2013, John was elected President of the U.S. C&MA. I find great encouragement and hope in John’s story and I’m so glad he was willing to be honest with the world in the midst of illness. He has written two books, which I highly recommend. “An Honest Look at a Mysterious Journey” was published in 2011. It tells the story of his illness and recovery. “In the Midst: Treasures from the Dark” was published in 2012. It is a collection of blog posts written in the midst of illness. This book reads like a devotional and has blessed my life and given me hope. Below is a blog posts from John’s book that he so graciously allowed us to share with you.

It was one of those days. Physically I had taken another downturn. Days of battling to overcome my physical issues seemed to be erased with another round of the pain/discomfort/crud/weakness combo I’ve become so familiar with over the months. Joanna, ever sensitive to how I’m doing, looked across the kitchen table and sincerely asked, “How do you keep doing it? What do you cling to?” The kind look of sympathy in her eye revealed that she really did want to know what kept me going in the midst of suffering.

Without really thinking, I quickly responded, “That this isn’t random, and it won’t be wasted.”

Now, as I’ve confessed before, let’s be clear that I’m not a steady rock of faith every day. I can withdraw into a cave of discouragement and dwell in doubt as easily as most anyone. Yet, by God’s grace, most days I really do believe this to be true: What I’m experiencing isn’t by random chance, nor will it be wasted.

I’m convinced that your life and mine have purpose. The Apostle Paul certainly lived this way declaring, “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 20:24).

When you study Paul’s life, you realize that he could have and should have been dead many times. In fact, he probably was dead at least once (Acts 14:19). He lived with a longing to be in heaven but remained fully engaged on this earth because of a deep realization that he had a task to accomplish (Philippians 1:21-26). He knew there were a purpose, design and sovereign hand involved in his life. He knew that part of that sovereign plan was for him to suffer (Acts 9:16). I think Paul would say, “My suffering has purpose. It will be used by God and rewarded by God.”

If I believed that this illness “just happened to happen” to me and that it didn’t have any ultimate purpose or meaning, I would have despaired. I don’t think I could have handled the level of loss I’ve experienced if I didn’t believe there were major victories to be found in the process. But I have a recurring assurance that, while I don’t like this journey, it has meaning and leads to a good destination.

I love the picture of Old Testament Joseph. He serves his unjust prison sentence faithfully while completely convinced that he has been forgotten (if not by God then certainly by the chief cupbearer). He was the kind of man who was going to give life his best shot, even if it was from a dungeon. Stories such as his encourage me that with our God, suffering isn’t random or wasted. A purpose will be revealed; a reward will be granted. The purpose and reward may not be revealed at a time nor in a manner that I expect, but I believe this to be true for me and for all who will bear up under trial.

So, my word to you is: Carry on. Live another day to do what is yours to do, to love those who are yours to love, to serve those you have the privilege to serve and to receive from those gracious enough to give. Arise to another day you may enjoy but can endure; a day you may want to forget, but that will not be forgotten by the One who delights in rewarding His servants. Open the shades to let the light in for another day . . . into your home, into your soul, into your relationships. Breathe deeply, pray humbly, and give another day your best shot.

We can do this. He’ll make sure of it (Philippians 1:6).

Your fellow traveler,

John

A mysterious life-threatening condition landed pastor and ultramarathon runner, John Stumbo, in the hospital for seventy-seven days. In his recovery, John continued to write, coach leaders, and speak at churches and events across the country. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. John and his wife Joanna have just celebrated their 30th anniversary and have three grown children. In June of 2013, John was elected as President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (Colorado Springs, CO).

Learn more about John Stumbo: http://www.cmalliance.org/about/family/leadership/john-stumbo

Order John’s books: http://booksnbibles.com/index.php?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=John+Stumbo&submit_search=Search

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When God is Silent

3/28/2014

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

“You shouldn't be alive. Your liver is barely functioning at 15% and your kidneys are only slightly better. There’s absolutely no reason you’re alive. It’s a miracle! You should either be in Hospice care on death’s door or already dead.”

I heard these words three months ago by a new specialist I was seeing. Shocked is the best word I can I think of to describe what I felt. I knew something was wrong. Every day felt like I was thrown in the middle of the ocean with nothing to help keep me afloat but my own desire to stay alive. Each day was filled with countless moments of telling myself, “Put one foot in front of the other. You can do this.” Still, I wasn’t prepared to learn I should be dead. I knew things were bad; I just didn’t realize how bad my health had gotten.

We all experience a series of life-changing moments over the course of our lives. It’s what makes us who we are. Some of these experiences are expected, like accepting a new job and moving halfway across the country, while other moments surprise us. And while we weren’t necessarily looking to be changed, we find ourselves changing all the same.

This was one of those moments for me. I’ve been told by doctors three different times during the twelve years I’ve been sick that I would die if they couldn’t stop the progression of the lupus, so one would think this would be no different, but it was. I had grown so discouraged during November and December because I was in such constant pain. I knew I couldn’t keep fighting much longer, and I was begging God to intervene and help. But God was silent, or so I thought. I prayed, and nothing happened. Each day became a little harder to get through and no one understood what I had to endure. When I tried to explain, people thought I was complaining and could push through the pain if I wanted to. I’d done it in the past, so why couldn’t I do it now? I was sick, suffering, lonely, and worst of all, I felt abandoned by God. He was silent.

I went to see the new specialist as a Hail Mary Pass. Regular doctors hadn’t been able to help me, so maybe someone who looked at autoimmune diseases in a completely different way could. The first day was filled with tests, poking and prodding, and sticking me with needles as if I were a pincushion. The rest of the week included numerous treatments and a ridiculous amount of shots to try and get my organs to begin to work once again. By the end of the week, a miracle happened. My liver went from functioning at 15% up to 35%. Although I was still deathly ill, I had made a turn in the right direction to becoming well.

As the treatments have continued over the past three months and I’ve dealt with more sickness than I care to describe, I’ve found myself thinking about the story of when Lazarus died and Jesus brought him back to life after four days (John 11). I’ve always looked at the story from the perspective of Mary, Martha, and even Jesus, but it wasn’t until recently I began to think about what Lazarus must have felt.

Think about it: You’re dead. Life is over and you’re in heaven. And then the unthinkable happens. You get a second chance at living. So what do you do? Do you do everything the same as you did before, or do you approach this life with a different attitude, with a different set of rules? I know I have. I may not have actually died, but I should have. For whatever reason, God intervened, which means He has a plan for me, just like He has a plan for you.

Personally, I’m no longer holding on to my worries and fears. I’m choosing to trust God no matter what. I’ve realized that just because it seems like God is silent doesn’t mean He isn’t working in my life. He is actively involved in each of our lives; sometimes, it simply takes awhile to see what He’s doing. He hears every prayer each of us says; He sees every tear each of us cries. He cares about each and every one of us!

So the next time it seems like God is silent, remember this: God is for you. When your health is failing, God is for you. When friends betray you and family members hurt you, God is for you. When you wonder how you’ll survive the day, God is for you. He is always for you, even when it doesn’t feel like it. He is the only One who will never fail you, leave you, or forsake you. So rather than blame God for your problems, run to Him. Trust God. Cling to Him. He is for YOU!

“And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I know that You always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent me.’ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” ~ John 11:41-44

© March 25, 2014

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Life is Hard, but God is Good

11/15/2013

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

“You turn the key, and close the door behind you. Drop your bags on the floor. You reach for the light, but there’s darkness deep inside, and you can’t take it anymore. ‘Cause sometimes the living takes the life out of you. And sometimes living is all you can do. Life is hard; the world is cold. We're barely young and then, we're old. But every falling tear is always understood. Yes, life is hard, but God is good.”

This is the first verse and chorus of an old contemporary Christian song by Pam Thum. Five years ago, this became my personal anthem. I had been through so much suffering, with no end in sight, and I was struggling with it all. I couldn’t help but wonder if the God I had believed in since I was a child was really who I thought He was. I couldn’t understand why I was sick, why I had to deal with a constant barrage of huge problems. It felt like I was in a battle holding a puny plastic weapon with no place to hide while I was continually being pelted by real arrows, bullets, and grenades. Was God really a good God? Did He even see me and what was happening? Did He care?

I’m not going to lie. After I was forced to leave my job and move back in with my parents because my body was shutting down, I got angry at God. For a moment, I may have even hated Him. There was nothing to indicate He cared about what was happening to me. If He saw me and all my problems, why didn’t He intervene? Why didn’t He stop it? And at that moment, as I let myself truly feel the depth of the pain, hurt, and anger I was in, I picked up my Bible, my most prized possession, and I walked over to the trash can ready to throw it and my Christian faith in the garbage. Yet, I stopped myself. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So for the first time in my life, I stopped pretending I was okay – that I had the perfect faith and trust in God. I became real with God. I told Him exactly how I felt about my life, my sickness, my problems, the people who had walked away because they couldn’t deal with my illness, and Him; I told God what I thought about Him. And I’ll tell you a secret – I didn’t get struck by lightning!

Somewhere along the way, the majority of Christians have adopted the notion that we can’t be completely honest with God, that we have to put up a façade with Him and other Christians. But the crazy thing is He already knows what we think and how we feel. Yet because we try to pretend we fully trust Him, we hurt ourselves. God can handle our lack of faith, our doubt, our questions, our anger. He’s a big God; He can handle the truth. The problem comes when we refuse to be honest with ourselves and Him. He cannot help us if we don’t let Him. It took me awhile to understand this, but I got angry at God for not intervening in my life, yet I spent years telling Him I didn’t need Him. Don’t get me wrong – I went to church every week, read my Bible every day, said the Sinner’s Prayer as a child, but every day I lived my life for myself. I may have said and done all the right things, but I did what I wanted without consulting with God. I spent my money the way I deemed fit. I used my free time to do what I wanted. I dealt with my problems on my own. I didn’t need God, that is until my life came to a screeching halt.

Since that time, I've learned the truth of the song by Pam Thum. Life is hard, but God is good. I want to encourage you in whatever challenges you’re facing right now. God does see you. He knows what you’re going through, and He cares. Don’t pretend with Him like you’re okay. Be honest about everything. Ask Him to help you see things through His eyes. Your problems may never go away, but you will be able to handle whatever life throws your way because God will be there with you, holding your hand, and helping you through the storm. Yes, life is hard, but God is good.

“You start to cry, 'cause you've been strong for so long, but that's not how you feel. You try to pray but there's nothing left to say, so you just quietly kneel. In the silence of all that you face, God will give you His mercy and grace. Jesus never said it was an easy road to travel. He only said that you would never be alone. So when your last thread of hope begins to come unraveled, don't give up, He walks beside you on this journey home. And He knows: Life is hard; the world is cold. We're barely young and then, we're old. But every falling tear is always understood. Yes, life is hard, but God is good.”

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” ~ Psalm 3:3

© November 13, 2013

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How Much You Will Suffer

10/30/2013

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By Josie Siler

Have you ever been given a great honor, only to find out it came with a lot of difficulty? I think of the person who has received the long awaited promotion, only to realize his new job not only comes with more pay, but more responsibility, difficulties and sacrifices. I think of the person who is seeking after God with all his heart, the person God singles out and chooses to be used by Him…only to suffer greatly and question God.

There is a great misconception when it comes to following Christ. Somehow over the years the western world has come to believe that if you are a Christian you shouldn’t have to suffer. Things will be made easy for you and you will succeed. However, the Bible is clear when it comes to suffering. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12-13, ESV).”

C.S. Lewis said, “We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, 'Blessed are they that mourn.'” Lewis also said, “The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.” Martin Luther said, “They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?”

Why indeed? Why do we expect everything to go well for us when the cornerstone of our faith, Jesus Christ, suffered greatly? As we read through the Bible we see over and over how God’s chosen people suffered. Over the next weeks and months we’ll look at some of these people and see what they can teach us about our own suffering.

We may talk about Paul more in a later post, but I want to start with him today. Paul is a person I greatly admire. His teachings impact my heart and my life. Paul was formerly known as Saul, a very religious man who persecuted the early church. He was not a good man. In Acts chapter nine we read about His dramatic conversion to Christianity. He was on his way to Damascus to capture people who followed Christ and bring them to Jerusalem to be dealt with, but Jesus met him on the way and his life was never the same.

God told a man named Ananias to go and meet Saul, now called Paul. He was to lay his hands on Paul’s eyes so that Paul could regain the vision he lost during his encounter with Jesus. Ananias didn’t like this; he knew who Saul was and what he had come to Damascus to do. “But the Lord said to him [Ananias], ‘Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name (Acts 9:15-16, ESV).’”

God would indeed use Paul to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. Paul would indeed suffer greatly. He was stoned, he was beaten, he was shipwrecked, he suffered physical illness, and he suffered from “a thorn in his flesh” that kept him humble – among other things. He despaired of life itself at times, yet God used him powerfully. God’s still using the words He inspired Paul to write all those years ago to impact people today.

It boggles my mind how God can use the weak and the insignificant to do great things. 1 Corinthians 1:28-30 (The Message) reads, “Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies’? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.”

This is the encouragement we can take from God’s Word: No matter who you are or what you suffer, God can use you to do great things for Him and for His Kingdom. In fact, those whom God chooses will often suffer more than most. John Stumbo puts it well when he writes, “In a…significant and personal way, every test we face can be a personal encounter with God the Father, Son, and Spirit. Our mysterious God reveals more of Himself to us through hardship than in any other way I know. You don’t have to like your personal test, but you will have less angst and more hope if you see the test as an opportunity to enter into new dialogue and deeper relationship with God.”

Let’s choose to rejoice in our sufferings because it just might mean that God has chosen us for something special. At the very least we have the opportunity to grow in our faith and establish a deeper relationship with our Creator-God. That alone is worth celebrating!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” – Romans 8:18, ESV

© October 29, 2013

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The Wisdom of a Newborn

9/19/2013

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By Erin Elizabeth Austin

There’s a new man in my life. Well, maybe the word “man” is a bit misleading considering he’s only three-weeks old. My sister just had a little boy, bringing the grand total of nephews I have to three. Although my newest nephew is only a mere three-weeks old, he has stolen my heart. I've spent as much time as I possibly can at my sister’s over these last few weeks, and I've noticed something: Babies have absolute faith in their parents. They feel safe and secure and don’t have a care in the world. They don't lay in their cribs worrying about where their next meal will come from. They trust their parents completely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Of course babies trust their parents! They’re supposed to!” And while I understand this, I can’t help but wonder why adults don’t trust God in the same way. Stop and think about it. Although we are adults and we like to think we’re self-sufficient, we’re really not. Our Daddy God is the One who takes care of our needs. He provides the money, food, clothing, and place to live, and He does it because He loves us. He wants to take care of us. Yet far too often, we get angry at Him when things go wrong. We blame Him for our problems, when He’s the One to whom we should be running.

I became very aware of this while holding my nephew the other day. He’s having a hard time with acid reflux. Although he’s able to eat, lately it’s been causing him pain. Yet he hasn’t gotten angry at his parents. He hasn’t refused to be held or tried to get away from them because he blames them for his problems. On the contrary, he’s found comfort and peace in his parents’ arms. His acid reflux hasn’t gone away yet, but he knows that he is loved, safe, and secure when in their arms.

I’ve always been open about the time in my life when I wasn’t quite as trusting with God. I blamed Him for my sickness and decided I wanted nothing to do with Him, but this only hurt me even more. I was running from the only One who could give me true and lasting comfort. It took a while (and by that I mean years) for me to realize that the very One I was running from was the One I needed to be running to. Even after I returned to God, my trust in Him was tenuous at best. As much as I hate to admit this, God had to show me He was trustworthy. Although I was in the wrong, He had to help me see the truth of His love. I’m so thankful God didn’t give up on me, even though He had the right.

It’s easy to blame God when things go wrong in our lives. We often need someone to blame for our problems, and God is an easy target. However, we shouldn’t blame God for anything. He is the only One who always loves us, never fails us, never turns against us, and never leaves us. God IS trustworthy.

He loves you, sickness and all. Don’t run away from Him. You’re only hurting yourself. I have been sick long enough to say I’ve tried to be self-sufficient, I’ve tried living without God, and I’ve dealt with my sickness by trusting God. The only thing that works is turning to God. Like my nephew has learned, the problems won’t necessarily go away, but there is a comfort only God can give. Whatever you’re going through, turn to God. Find the comfort only He can give. And if you’re angry at God or blame Him for your problems, it’s time to be honest with Him. He already knows how you feel, but healing can’t happen until you stop hiding from the truth – the truth of what you’re going through, the truth of what you’re feeling, and the truth about God in all of this.

It’s time to learn from the wisdom of a newborn. Cry out to your Daddy God and find comfort in His loving arms. You won’t be sorry!

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of His family, and calling to Him, ‘Daddy, Father.’ For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God’s children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures—for all God gives to His Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later.” ~ Romans 8:14-18 (TLB)

© September 19, 2013

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A Pirate's Treasure

8/23/2013

1 Comment

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

For over a year, I have had the privilege of studying the fruits of the Spirit. I admit that when I first began, I didn't think there was too much to learn. In my mind, I knew what love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control were and how they relate to God. How complicated could it possibly be to write a book about these things? Yet the more I have studied these character traits of God, the more I have realized just how naive I have been when it comes to the things of God.

I began studying the fruits of the Spirit in conjunction with a book I am currently writing. The idea is that for those living with a chronic illness, it's much harder to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit because often, we don't feel like God loves us. We don't feel like He's been faithful or good to us, so why should we be faithful and loving to Him?

These are questions often asked by believers who are suffering. They are questions which need to be answered because if we don't believe God cares about us, then it's incredibly difficult to have a good relationship with Him.

As I began my research, I was shocked at how little I really knew about the fruits of the Spirit. The English translation is greatly lacking when it comes to describing what God said in the original text. God has a lot to say when it comes to trials and suffering, and those of us suffering with a chronic illness need to hear what He has to say.

There have been many surprises for me along this journey, and one of the first came when I discovered the original Greek word for trials. The word is peirasmois and it comes from the Greek word peirates. Look familiar? If it doesn't, cross out the first e in the word peirates. See it now? It's where we get the word pirates.

I have to admit, I found this fascinating. Anyone dealing with a chronic illness knows that it has stolen a lot from them. Illnesses steal our health, our independence, our money, and our peace of mind. I've met some who have allowed their illness to steal their dreams, their families, and their happiness.

I think we can all agree that the word pirate is a pretty accurate description for a chronic illness, and for a person who doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ, there is little hope. But I've discovered verse after verse which says if we have a relationship with God, then we don't have to allow the pirate in our lives steal our treasure. Because of God, we can actually steal from the pirate. We can get joy and peace, despite having the presence of a pirate in our lives. We can know God's love, faithfulness, and goodness in a way we didn't know was possible. We can be so close in our relationship with God that the presence of a pirate no longer scares us. But it's our choice.

We determine if we allow our sickness to rob us blind. Every day we are alive, we have the choice to decide if we will become bitter, angry people or if we will live every day rejoicing because we serve an amazing God.

I don't know about you, but I want to be the one with the treasure at the end of the day. What about you?

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way...Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life." ~ James 1:2-4, 12 (The Message)

© May 2, 2012

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The God of Provision

3/25/2013

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By La-Tan Murphy

There was a time in my life when I assumed too much, too soon. I had the idea that if I worked hard and made wise decisions, life would be easy-breezy! Yet shortly after the economic recession, my husband and I were left in the rubble of financial despair. We were devastated, to say the least. We thought we were doing all the right things that would inevitably lead us to financial security. What we now know is that God has a far better plan, even though we can’t always see it right away. Tough times seem to cloud our spiritual vision. We don’t understand why God chooses some inexplicably painful events to be sifted through His hand and into our lives.

Yet it was during this painful season of life I learned some very important and life-changing lessons. One of the most important lessons I learned is to never base my joy on external circumstances but on my powerful source of daily help – Christ Jesus. He was the constant One who carried us through many dark days and remained faithful even when our hearts were filled with questions. I have also learned the importance of resting on the promises of God’s Holy Word. My emotions were steadied as I exercised His truths instead of floundering in my own ideas and grandiose thoughts, which by the way, left me feeling fearful and in despair each and every time. I learned to ask God for wisdom. He tells us in James 1:5 if we lack wisdom we should ask Him and He will give generously to all without finding fault.

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Confessions of a Trusting Spirit

Confessions of a Fraidy Cat

A Madman's Fear

A Word To Those Who Suffer

When God is Silent

Life is Hard, but God is Good

How Much You Will Suffer

The Wisdom of a Newborn

A Pirate's Treasure

The God of Provision

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