[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Girlfriends in God - April 24

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>,
<INTERCESSORS-ALLNATIONS at yahoogroups.com>,
<dfpprayerwarriors at suddenlink.net>, <unitedprayermail at aol.com>,
<CcHhEeSsTtEeRr at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Girlfriends in God - April 24
Date: 
Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:26:53 -0400




     


   
                       
                 
           
                 April 24, 2012
                                Storms are for our Good
                                Mary Southerland

                                Today's Truth
                                Psalm 46:1 (NRSV) "God is our refuge and
strength, a tested help in times of trouble." 

                                Friend to Friend
                                While vacationing in the mountains, a man
watched as a lumberman occasionally jabbed his sharp hook into a log,
separating it from the others floating down the mountain stream. The man
asked the lumberman why he was separating some of the logs. 

                                The worker replied, "These logs may all
look alike to you but a few of them are very different. The ones I let pass
are from trees that grew in the valley. They were always protected from the
storms. Their grain is coarse. The ones I have hooked and set apart from
the rest came from high up on the mountains. From the time they were small,
they were beaten by strong winds. That toughens the trees and gives them a
fine and beautiful grain. They are too good to use for plain lumber so we
save them for our best work."

                                I don't like storms. Blue skies and
bright sunshine are my personal preference. The same is true in life. I
often think boredom is highly underrated and tend to long for a day without
problems, a crisis or some kind of disaster. When a storm does hit, my
first reaction is to look for a way of escape. I want to avoid pain and
sidestep complicated situations if at all possible. However, looking back
over my life, the reality is that my greatest growth and the deepest truths
God has to offer have been accomplished through the fiercest storms. 

                                The only survivor of a shipwreck was
washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He feverishly prayed for God's
rescue, but with every day that passed, his hope weakened. Exhausted, he
eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood for protection
from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after
scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the
smoke rolling up to the sky. Everything was lost. Stunned with grief and
anger, the man cried, "God, how could you do this to me!" The next morning,
he woke to the sound of a ship approaching the island. It had come to
rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" the weary man asked. "We saw
your smoke signal," they replied. Storms are for our good. 

                                Let's Pray
                                Father, I want to thank You for the
storms in my life because they make me turn to you. They keep me on my face
before You. I am desperate for Your power and presence at work in my life.
Anything that makes me cry out to You can be counted as a blessing. I love
You, Lord, and trust You with every storm that comes my way.
                                In Jesus' name,
                                Amen.

                                Now It's Your Turn
                                Read 1 Peter 4:12-13 "Do not be surprised
at the painful things you are now suffering. These things are testing your
faith." (ICB) In your own words, describe the testing you are going through
today in your life. How is it testing and strengthening your faith? 

                                Read 2 Corinthians 6:6 (NLT) "We have
proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our
kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit." This verse
lists the qualities God wants to create in us through storms that come our
way. Which ones are present in your life? Which ones is He trying to
produce in you today? Are you willing to let Him do so? 

                                Girlfriends in God
                                P.O. Box 725
                                Matthews, NC 28106

                                info at girlfriendsingod.com
                                www.girlfriendsingod.com 

                                 
                                 
                             

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