Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 2 of 4

Not very long afterwards, while standing on the outskirts of the Promised Land, the Israelites were faced with another test. Now God had previously promised them that the land that they were going to inherit would already be well established. They would live in houses that they hadn’t built with their own hands and enjoy vineyards that they hadn’t planted. Their scouts confirmed that the land was well inhabited and tremendously fruitful. They’d never seen anything like it in all their lives. However, when they saw the strength of the peoples in the land that God had promised them, they lost courage, and they lost hope.

The Israelites lost their courage and hope, because they hadn’t been practicing a grateful attitude. When things didn’t go their way, they would give Moses a piece of their mind. They even threatened to stone him. If they had taken the time to thank God for past breakthroughs, then they would have been more inclined to recognize His protection, His favor, and His power in their lives.

Have your eyes been focused on problems rather than on God’s blessings? Just as eating right and exercising protect your physical health, taking time to thank God for what He’s done in your life will protect your spiritual health. As you practice a thankful attitude on a daily basis, it’ll be easier to notice the silver lining in the dark clouds of difficulty. You might be surprised to find that your difficulties aren’t as bad as you had previously imagined.

Read More

Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 1 of 4

How do you handle life when it’s not going your way? Every time in the Old Testament when the Israelites faced new difficulties, they would throw up their arms in fear or despair. Instead of staying focused on God, their problems would cause them to lose peace of mind.  

Soon after crossing the Red Sea, Moses went up the mountain to speak to God. When a few days had passed and he hadn’t yet returned, the people gave up waiting for him and decided to take matters into their own hands. They created a golden calf to be their god. It was the same gold that God had made available through the Egyptians, who gave it willingly to the Israelites when they left Egypt.

They chose to replace the living God with idolatry. What do you turn to in difficult times? Do you turn to things like food, shopping, unwholesome relationships, or anywhere else other than to God, for that matter? Or, is God your only source when you are faced with the storms of life?

Fear is often the root of incorrect thinking and drives people to incorrect behavior. We can learn from the Israelites’ mistakes not to soothe our fears with created things, but to place our faith in the Creator who made everything. God wants to bless us because He’s a loving, merciful Father, but He’s also just. Therefore, we have much to gain or lose by the choices we make. 

Read More

Poem - There Once Was a Girl

There once was a girl on a sunny day
She was having fun in a carefree way
In a field of flowers with the honey bee
This is how life should always be

But growing up brought many hardships
As she jumped in and out of relationships
The flowers were exchanged for stolen kisses
Followed by the sting and shame she now nurses

She let life bounce like a ball at its own will
Each bounce a piece of heart would kill
Looking for love, but in the end she found none
Life without rules brought pain instead of fun

This is not how life should be
She was created with purpose and a destiny
Not to be left without direction or only to fate
For her to turn around now is not too late

Her heart may be torn into tiny shreds
And hope hanging merely by threads
But as she opens her heart to God’s ways
He’ll bring her back to sunshiny days

He is the Great Creator and Master Restorer
He can put anyone’s life back in order
Each person must follow His leading and call
And by Christ’s Spirit He’ll not let us fall

By Christina Morley

Read More

Thankful in Times of Sacrifice – Part 5 of 5

The topic in this series has been thankfulness. Another aspect of giving thanks is offering praise. To praise God when things are going well is easy and necessary. When things aren’t going well, it becomes a sacrifice of praise. In other words, it’s praise that’s offered during difficult times. Those times you don’t feel like praising Him are probably the times you need it most. Praising God is like making an investment, the kind of investment that always brings greater returns.

Praise is dynamic and active, not passive. It brings God’s presence into any situation. Whatever you are facing, God has a plan and a purpose. There is nothing that is uncertain to God. Praising Him allows His glory to shine through the darkness of uncertainty. It also brings freedom from emotional and spiritual bondage.

Praise God even before you see results and in every season of life. You’ll be glad you did!

Read More

Thankful in Times of Sacrifice – Part 4 of 5

If we want the love of God to be real in our lives, then we can’t love material things and comforts more than we love God. Just as He did with the Israelites, God uses the tough things in our lives to test us. He wants to see how much we truly love Him, and He wants to strengthen our spiritual muscles. Therefore, we must be willing to obey and follow God at any cost. Obedience in the littlest of things guarantees a victorious life.

Many Israelites missed out on entering the Promised Land because they weren’t willing to make strategic sacrifices. They wanted good returns without depositing anything. They were on the winning team, but because of their unbelief they did not partner with God, their coach. They did not commit to His ways, nor did they maintain a good attitude.

This is not how a Christian on the winning team should behave. If we sacrifice the right things at the right time, the outcome will benefit us instead of harm us. We actually gain more in the long term when we choose to be obedient instead of giving in to short-term desires.

I took the above photo in 2001 of my husband, Rob, with our baby, Samantha, and Jeremiah and Jessica while on a missions trip to Zambia. It was one of my toughest experiences as a mother, but it was also one of my best. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to check out both my photography blog and my parenting blog. God bless!

Read More