Crossroads Community Church : Shelburne Free Press : https://shelburnefreepress.ca

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Crossroads Community Church

Joy resonates in the Lord's presence; love is felt when we gather to worship. Another week of ups and downs has passed us by, but we are grateful for the opportunity to carry each other's burdens. Pastor Don prayed over the service and humbly asked God to remove any bitterness and discouragement from our hearts so we may be free to love and serve others in your Jesus' name. Pastor Don came forth with an inspired message to encourage us.

“Do any of us struggle with life sometimes?” If we are honest with ourselves we know we all have difficult times along with the good in life and with our relationship with God. When we look at some who don't follow Jesus and they seem to be prospering more than us we may think it is a little unfair. God warns us that thinking this way could result in doubt and bitterness and instead to keep care for each other,(Hebrews 12:15). When we allow disappointment to turn to resentment it grows into a deadly poison like a thorn infecting the body. We ought to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us instead; He can heal any hurt and remove all thorns of bitterness from us. In God's Kingdom there is no need for jealousy and resentment He blesses all those who love Him and serve Him, “King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship,” 2 Chronicles 29:30.

Both David and Asaph loved God and wrote Psalms and hymns to Him and both believed in the goodness of God, A psalm of Asaph;” Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure,” Psalm 73:1, A Psalm of David; “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield, He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right,” Psalms 84:11. So if God is good we should trust that He is fair despite what we see and feel, even when we see good things happening to those who don't seem to deserve it. It may be difficult sometimes and even Asaph felt this,( Psalms 73:2-5). Can any of us say we have never felt this way? Have we not all noticed people who ignore God and are still being blessed? Have we not felt like it wasn't fair? Haven't we asked ourselves if it was really worth it to follow God when those who don't still get blessed with riches and seem to have a great life? Asaph saw this and questioned it too,”(Psalms 73:6-12). Asaph was living right by Godly standards and saw that the wicked were being blessed so he like us felt doubt and almost slipped away as he says in verse 2, he even began to feel sorry for himself as we may have at times, but Asaph wanted to stay true to God and he was trying to understand what was going on just like we may want to at times and we may feel troubled over doubting and questioning God;(Psalms 73:13-16).

Is it wrong to ask God for understanding? Does it make us bad to notice injustice and ask God about it? Of course not , it means we are human however we can humbly come to God as Asaph did and God answered him, He strengthened him , filled him with joy and brought him peace and reminded Asaph of the future, ( Psalms 73:17-28). God has promised justice and blessings to those who follow Him, to those who are pure in heart, we need to ask ourselves if that is more important to us than fitting in with the world. When we look around us all we see is the immediate human perspective but if we look heavenward God will appease any doubt and help us see His heavenly perspective. God knows everything and he sees every injustice, He is just and will deliver godly people and has punishment reserved for the ungodly when He returns,(2 Peter 2:9).

Beloved when we feel resentment building because we see ungodly people prosper, let us remember that God never said life was fair but that He is fair and He knows the right time for everything to happen. When we have given into doubt and criticism and self-pity because we think others have it better than us, let us come to God, bare our hearts and confess to Him what we are feeling and repent, He will reassure us as He always does, as he told Isaiah; “Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” When we put our hearts in God's hands He sets us on a firm rock, and we can praise God as Asaph did and declare to the Lord “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever!

This week my friends if we are feeling discouraged let us ask the Lord to come into our hearts and see how he can transform our lives, and he will be our Joy and Peace, Asherey Shalom!

To learn more visit www.shelburnecrossroadschurch.ca

Post date: 2014-03-05 16:23:00
Post date GMT: 2014-03-05 21:23:00
Post modified date: 2014-03-12 13:26:34
Post modified date GMT: 2014-03-12 17:26:34