You who are weary.......

Her stomach churns. Her palms are sweaty. She paces back and forth, back and forth. Why can't things just be simpler, easier? Why does it always seem so difficult? Why is God doing this to her and her family? She thinks for more than a fleeting moment about the reasons that God may be mad at her. Why would He desire to harm her or crush her spirit? She is trying to live like He wants her to and then He does this to her! Why?
She stops thinking this for a moment and then utters these thoughts to God in a whisper that is more like a scream in her head. A peace washes over her. She sits down and leans back. She begins to hear the voice of her Abba, her daddy. God quietly tells her that He loves her and He sees her. He is not angry with her. Jesus took His wrath for her on the cross. He sees each tear that cascades down her face and even the ones that she doesn't shed. He feels her sadness and pain. He understands her confusion and frustration. He tells her that He trusts her so much. He knows that she is strong enough to handle whatever life or Satan throws her way. He comforts her in the knowledge that she will grow and continue to develop into a woman after His own heart. God shouts to her that she is His and she should remember that. If she belongs to Him, then no one can stand against her. If she belongs to Him, Satan cannot touch her. If she belongs to Him, she should come to realize that as her parent, He wants only the best for her. A good parent doesn't solve all her problems for her. He lets His child solve her problems and learn from the heart ache, stress, pain, and confusion. When she comes out on the other side, battle worn and scarred, she will have learned she was never alone! NEVER!
As she closes her eyes, she falls into a peaceful sleep. A sleep that brings supernatural rest! She is in the wilderness but she is not alone. She is not alone!!!

Comfort in the Chaos

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The Middle East is on fire, death, destruction, disease, famine, sadness, abuse....these are all examples of chaos. It is going on around the world, including our small community. How do we get through it??? Is there a formula for finding peace? Pastor Ryan Pack preached a sermon on how to find comfort in the chaos. The actual sermon with be on the First Baptist Hendersonville website soon. Please listen to it. These are not my words but his from yesterday's message. I hope that they bring you some comfort and peace as well.

We are a limited, finite people, trying to understand and unlimited, infinite God. There is more going on with God in the background that we cannot see.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 states:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

So why is there chaos? Well, 1 reason is that we live in a fallen world. Sin and evil exist. It is in everyone including me. Another reason is in order to know love at its deepest, purest level, there must be choice. We don't want our friends and family to love us because they have to but because they choose to. God is the same way! Why force us to love Him? Then, we wouldn't appreciate all He is and how He loves. Some people choose poorly. Justice is coming. God sees all things and knows all things despite the evil and sin we try to hide. We will all kneel before the King of kings and account for ourselves.

It was once stated that we should change the question from why do we suffer to why don't we suffer more?

Reason #3 is that Satan attacks. In John 10:10, the author states that Satan is prowling around like a lion seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. It also states that Jesus came to give us a full life!

God uses our pain to get our attention! The pain and chaos has a greater purpose. We have no idea what God is doing and why He is doing it! God never uses the word, "oops!" He never makes mistakes. No moment goes to waste or is unknown to Him! Let me leave you with this thought;
In an inconsistent world, we have a consistent God who never changes, never, fades, never fails, and never leaves us!

Thank you, Lord for that!