to know our Almighty God on a personal level through our circumstances. Getting a Better View God is a God of love, a complete love which brings those who love Him into a close relationship with Him (1 John 4:16). His love is a sacrificial love, having given Jesus as payment for our sin, yet raised Him to life offering us new life (Romans 4:25). He never promised life would be easy or would go our way, but God promises to always be with us (Isaiah 43:2, Psalm 91:15). We are sinners saved by the blood of Jesus Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10), yet we doubt sometimes. Growing in our faith is a lifelong process requiring trust in the truth. We can trust God’s goodness, even when life does not seem so good. In His unfailing love, He comforts us and provides for our needs. We can make plans for our lives, but He does not guarantee they will always happen the way we think they should (Proverbs 16:9, Jeremiah 10:23). Sometimes, His plans for us may mean walking through some rough times that He will use to refine us (Malachi 3:3, 1 Peter 1:6-7). We need not fear trials because He is with us (Isaiah 41:10). We can trust that not only is God on His throne, He is with us during times of trouble. Clearing Away the Mud Painful memories may haunt you for a very long time, causing problems in your present. The key is to heal from the pain you still feel that you would rather forget. It begins by seeing the pain for what it really is. Broken, hurting people hurt people. Tough circumstances beyond your control. Imperfect people who live in a fallen world. At some point, we need to look at those moments and the people involved from God’s view. According to Juanita Ryan, RN, MSN, from the National Association for Christian Recovery, we cannot fully heal without a heart of compassion (Juanita Ryan <strong>2018</strong>). Give those people and situations over to God so you can be free from the storms which rage inside you (Jordan 2012). See yourself as God sees you, too. You may need the help of a licensed clinical Christian counselor or your pastor to do this. By removing pain and anger from your heart, you will be ready to see who you are in your relationship with God. The next step to clear the mud from your spiritual windshield is to dig into the Bible, God’s revelation of Himself to us. Dr. Joyce Myer recommends reading the truths of the Bible so healing may happen (Myers). There is no better place to become acquainted with God. Simply set aside some time with your Bible or Bible app, a note pad and a comfortable chair to read, pray, reflect, and write. The Psalms are full of descriptions of God’s character, so beginning with Psalm 1, you could read one each day prayerfully making notes of your impressions. Another way to learn more about God’s character is to study the Names of God. For example, El Shaddai means “Mighty God”. Elohim means “One True God”. Abba means “Daddy, Father” (McDaniel). The names of God can be found in a concordance, topical index, or Bible dictionary. Remember to look up all the Names for Jesus Christ, too, because He is God. Make note of the context from the passage when a particular name is used. As you make discoveries, pray for God to reveal Himself according to the names you found that describe Him. Make note of His responses to your prayers. Finally, see how He has interacted with His people in both the Old and New Testaments. Notice character traits and imperfections in the people God loves. It is very important to understand His holiness and sovereignty in light of His tender loving care for His people. When the debris is cleared away, your view of God, circumstances, and other people become crystal clear. May your relationship with Him grow richer. Note: All Bible references come from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Charlaine Martin is a writer and personal trainer with Be Totally Fit for Life! www.betotallyfitforlife.com. She is married with three adult children and 11 active grandchildren. Charlaine and her husband live in the Thumb of Michigan. 42 www.faithfilledfamily.com <strong>July</strong> <strong>2018</strong>
www.faithfilledfamily.com 43
- Page 1 and 2: July 2018 I’M JUST NOT “FEELIN
- Page 3 and 4: REAL LIFE ROMANCE EDITOR’S NOTE:
- Page 5 and 6: Promises Fulfilled “This is the c
- Page 7 and 8: Does the example of King David’s
- Page 9 and 10: power of song in private devotions
- Page 11 and 12: God’s in a language that the evil
- Page 13 and 14: Thriving Through Brokenness BY CHRI
- Page 15 and 16: 3) Listen - Many people go to churc
- Page 17 and 18: is full of all the external practis
- Page 19 and 20: Are You Fully Engaged? Wake Up Your
- Page 21 and 22: me many times, while we waited for
- Page 23 and 24: they weren’t connected to the sam
- Page 25 and 26: Next, think about the good marriage
- Page 27 and 28: Romance E WHITE www.faithfilledfami
- Page 29 and 30: all drawn to a good love story. Why
- Page 31 and 32: tomatically think of singing praise
- Page 33 and 34: www.faithfilledfamily.com 33
- Page 35 and 36: “The following blog post is based
- Page 37 and 38: Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in al
- Page 39 and 40: CAN A SKEWED PERSPECTIVE HARM OUR R
- Page 41: when the study conflicted with deep
- Page 45 and 46: dus 16:10). We learn later, when Mo
- Page 47 and 48: heaven and totally consumed the ox,
- Page 49 and 50: Got Prayer? Why Aren’t My Prayers
- Page 51 and 52: clearly, put it on my heart to resi
- Page 53 and 54: God, You Seem So Far Away! BY JOHN
- Page 55 and 56: is there. God is here. His silence
- Page 57 and 58: Every one of us have probably heard
- Page 59 and 60: all understanding. When you are hav
- Page 61 and 62: and the broader abortion industry h
- Page 63 and 64: IS IT... FAITH or Foolishness? BY C
- Page 65 and 66: not always the way God wants to us
- Page 67 and 68: www.faithfilledfamily.com 67
- Page 69 and 70: he Dance with Dr. Gordon Wilson BY
- Page 71 and 72: creative character. I am sure that
- Page 73 and 74: victed at the same time as I sifted
- Page 75 and 76: sent? We would have said to ourselv
- Page 77 and 78: training us so how much more shall
- Page 79 and 80: Hear God... (No Mattress Required!)
- Page 81 and 82: left, your ears will hear a voice b
- Page 83 and 84: have to move or we’ll miss the cl
- Page 85 and 86: Soaking Just Resting in His Presenc
- Page 87 and 88: down in his shade with great deligh
- Page 89 and 90: Imagine a Worry-Free Vacation OR Vi
- Page 91 and 92: , AND...OTHERS? ded To For Others H
- Page 93 and 94:
It also leaves man with the respons
- Page 95 and 96:
standing, will guard your hearts an
- Page 97 and 98:
without communication, and the expe
- Page 99 and 100:
www.faithfilledfamily.com 99