Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away. it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
It's been no secret that my thoughts have been all over the place. Feelings of hopelessness, loneliness and confusion were running rampant in my mind. My feelings had over taken me and affected every area of my life. Most of it was caused because I lost focus and could no longer see the bigger picture. I had forgotten God's goodness, His grace, His wonderful promises, His mercy and Him. I looked exactly like the Israelites as they murmured and complained through the wilderness. Oh how the Bible can be quite reflective. The Israelites, Peter, Paul and David... I am definitely kin to them. We have the same sinful tendencies. We once served the same master! We once believed his lies and acted on them. At times he still desires to deceive me, and has. But the Lord God is faithful; And not because of anything I do well. He is faithful because I am incapable of doing anything well. Last time I wrote, Ramiro and I were on uneasy ground. I was unsure about many things. Where once I thought the moment he got home would be filled with anger and awkwardness was quickly replaced with compassion and forgiveness. My focus has been made clear, my priorities have been set and my face is a flint! Why the change? What caused it? Circumstances? Nope. It's God working within me that gets all the glory. Only God can take me from that to this, from sorrow to laughter and from wanting to content.
You see alone I can do nothing! This I am sure of! But through God I can do anything because He gives me the ability to do it.
Do I need to forgive... I can do it!
Do I need to humble myself... I can do it!
Do I need to see straight... I can do it!
Expressing true forgiveness, repentance, dying to my selfishness, killing pride are the things I refer to when I hear "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Because to try to accomplish these on my own are impossible. I absolutely need God when I am asked of Him to do this.
Anyway God is faithful, especially when I am completely faithless. After all, isn't that the message of the Gospel? An able Savior saving unable Sinners... of who I am chief (sorry Paul.)
Tonight if you are at an all time low, get even lower! Humble yourself before the Almighty God, bow at His feet and look up to Him. He awaits to forgive you. He longs to embrace you. He desires to shower you with grace and mercy. His love never ends and His mercy endures forever!
My trial is now over... but another is soon on the horizon. But my lesson in learning is that God is faithful! He has always been with me and will never forsake me. And friend the same is for you too!
Blessings!
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