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Serve The Lord Despite All The Pain And Challenges
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. Acts 20: 19, NIV Paul went through so many trials while serving God. It was not a comfortable and easy life for Him. He cried and experienced moments of pain. But despite all these, he stayed faithful to God. With great humility, he continued to serve Him with everything that he had. Sometimes, we have this mindset that whenever we serve the Lord, He will keep us from hardships and challenges. We tend to have this perspective that when a person follows God, he will then…
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Paul Went Through Many Challenges, But He Never Gave Up
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Acts 16:22-23, NIV When Paul cast out the evil spirit inside a woman, a group of people complained and attacked them because their hope of making money was gone. Because of this, Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and severely flogged. Aside from that, they were also thrown into prison. Indeed, doing God’s will was not smooth and comfortable, especially in Paul’s life. There were instances when…
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2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV
For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV Paul wrote this verse after he said that as long as we are in this earthly tent, we groan and are burdened (2 Corinthians 5:4). Then, he encouraged them to activate their faith and not allow the circumstances around them to destroy their relationship with God. Indeed, there are seasons in life wherein we will be challenged to keep our faith. It usually happens when we go through challenges or pain. It somehow gives us a taste of how it feels like to be away from God. It takes faith to believe that good things will still happen…
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Live this Life with God and you will Stand Stronger
God’s love is your anchor. He will help you stay rooted especially when you go through storms in life. He will keep you safe, that doesn’t mean you won’t experience pain, it only means that His power will always be there to protect you from things that will destroy your soul in the end. You may have a hard time right now, and you find yourself struggling to survive, but there is still hope. God wants you to journey with Him. The challenges that you are facing will soon end, and God will lead you back to the path that He orchestrated. He loves you so much. He wants to…
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Acts 21:13, NIV
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.” Acts 21:13, NIV People were weeping when they heard that Paul would go back to Jerusalem. But even if they don’t want Paul to go, he is so decided to proceed to His plans. In fact, He is willing to die in the name of our Lord Jesus. He is willing to sacrifice His life just to glorify our Savior. Paul already knew that following Him was not easy, but He took the risk and let go of…
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John 19:7, NIV
The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” John 19:7, NIV Jesus was accused as the son of God. Even if this is the truth, He was punished because of what He did. He suffered because the people around him couldn’t bear the truth that He was carrying. But despite the pain that He experienced, Jesus kept going. He never allowed the treatment of other people to stop Him from doing the will of the Father. He focused on what He needed to do not for the sake of protecting Himself but for…
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John 18:22 , NIV
When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. John 18:22, NIV The high priest slapped Jesus in the face because He boldly proclaimed the truth. Our savior was mocked and accused in front of the religious people who claimed to know God. Their reaction appears strong because they felt attacked by what Jesus said. But even if He knew how these high priests would react, He still chose to release the right words despite what they would feel. Sometimes, we go through challenges and pain because we choose to live in the truth.…
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John 11:40, NIV
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40, NIV Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus was already dead and buried in the tomb for four days. When He asked the people to open his grave, Martha insisted and tried to stop Him. Upon hearing her, Jesus said that if she believed, she would see the glory of God. Just like Martha, we also have moments in life when we feel like the hope that we are holding on to is slowly fading away. We once prayed for things to be different, but when everything closes, and all you see…
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Treat your circumstances as a chance for you to grow
Your chances in this life come and go. Everything that happens has its own timeline and reason. There will be events that will push you to set your best foot forward. It is not just because such things need to be done, but because it is a perfect chance to know yourself better. It is a way to see how you react to such things in your life, the situation of your heart, and, most significantly, the trust and belief you have in God. Circumstances in your life are great opportunities. Although it is hard to see its purpose initially, just know and believe it also has good reasons. The…
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Dreams are not meant to be Buried
God purposely planted a desire in your heart because He gives you the ability to achieve them. He is planting a seed that will someday grow and flourish. So please don’t put conclusions without even trying your best. Your dreams exist not just to bring joy in your life but also to glorify God. He determines those desires according to how He created you. If you have something in mind that you really want to happen, then don’t easily give up on them. If you are surrounded by so many problems that you have already lost hope, then learn to surrender to God and allow Him to take over. Don’t…
