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A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

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Kat:


Pro 16:9  A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

God's sovereignty is a really hard thing to come to grips with.  But we know that this is God's creation and His Spirit is what sustains EVERYTHING.

Col 1:16  for in Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him.
v. 17  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

For me it's not hard to realize that God must control all things to be sovereign.  Now as we live our lives the suffering sometimes is so great, but actually God has designed how much a human being is to bear.  We have limits as to what anybody has to suffer, we lose consciousness with to much pain and die when the body becomes too damaged.  This is really very merciful, far more so than the church teaching of eternal torment.  He also designed our emotions so we feel sadness, sorrow and fear, God gave us these feelings to learn from, we also have good ones to learn about happiness, joy and love.  This life is a learning experience, not that the actual experience itself is important, but what we can gain from it in character.

1Peter 4:12  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
v. 13  but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Our lifetime here is so short, "a vapour," - something unsubstantial, fleeting or transitory.

James 4:14  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Rom 8:18  I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
v. 19  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God;
v. 20  for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope;
v. 21  because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

lauriellen:
just one more thing on this subject, and i will shut up (ha)......it seems to me that if God WANTED or it was His WILL that we overcome any given situation, He would provide the circumstances and strength to bring it about......just look at all the examples of people in the bible that God told to do something, and they didn't necessarily want to do it, but God drew them (i am thinking about Jonah) to do it even against their will..............because He had something He wanted them to do......
but other people, God just isn't using in that way, or He is using as a negative example to effect positive change for someone else.......maybe
at any rate, i think it gets down to the point of the universal question of all mankind.......WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERRING.............and i just think that we will never understand most of the time........His reasons are WAY WAY above our understanding.....
for me personally, it makes me VERY sad on the one hand to see so much sufferring for so many people, but on the other hand, i also have joy that comes from the hope i NOW HAVE FROM THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED HERE, that God is going to make it all right in His time.......
i had read years ago that you could live X many days without food, and you could live X many days without water, and you could live X many minutes without air, but you could not live a second without hope.  i think this is very true.  thank God for that hope.   bye for now

Dave in Tenn:
Consider too that one person's caused choice becomes the cause of another person's choice.  It's a chain of events dating back to the beginning in unfathomably intricate connections that all come out of God.

Dave in Tenn:

--- Quote from: lauriellen on June 03, 2009, 07:30:08 PM ---just one more thing on this subject, and i will shut up (ha)......it seems to me that if God WANTED or it was His WILL that we overcome any given situation, He would provide the circumstances and strength to bring it about......just look at all the examples of people in the bible that God told to do something, and they didn't necessarily want to do it, but God drew them (i am thinking about Jonah) to do it even against their will
--- End quote ---
.

That's true to an extent, but they did what they did because something changed thier mind to believe God and obey Him, and it became their will to do it.  That's faith, and repentance.  That's by grace too...a gift of God we cannot 'work up' on our own...the influence of God that sometimes seems 'supernatural' and sometimes just seems more 'common'.  It's all of Him whether it feels like a miracle or not.   

aqrinc:

lauriellen,

See if these 2 verses make more sense to you now.

Php 2: 12-13 (CLV)
12 So that, my beloved, according as you always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, with fear and trembling, be carrying your own salvation into effect,
13 for it is God Who is operating in you to will as well as to work for the sake of His delight.

george :).

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