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another free-will topic

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Mystikalman:
Amrhrasach,

    I am new to the forums and thought I might respond.  I am unsure about the posting of Poems, but I found this one inspirational:


    Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Stevenson, 1936


-Mystikalman

OBrenda:
Hi Amrhrasach,

Boy can I relate to your anguish, you try so hard to do verything RIGHT.  These are the painful moments that God's Fire is burning our human stupidity called the idea of free will out of us.  No matter how carefully we plan the details, now matter how we may examine our intentions to be pure, we still find ourselves in the ditch.  But I believe your desire to be closer to God, has brought you to closer to him, by learning he is in control of everything!

May I also encourage you, that to know him more deeply, when you look back as the others shared with you, you just might see this same dreadful trial...with the understanding...I did everything WRONG and God was so gracious and loving that everything still turned out for Good for his purpose.

And when you realize this, you will understand that the choices you made, where caused by God, to mold you into a closer image of Christ.

For me it is when I surrender to what is and stop trying with my good intentions or intellect to fix it...it is then that I feel closest to him.  It is only when I am still and empty of my own self, that I am able to be aware of his presence inside of me.

Everything else is just Religion,

 :'( :-\ ;D

gmik:
Thanks to all for the great insight in this thread!!

When I look back over my life choices, I see so many that I did wrong.  How could we have been so stupid/dumb/clueless/selfish/impulsive....well, you get the idea.

When I found out here at BT that God is in Control.....Wow, what a relief!!!  I didn't make any stupid choices....I was supposed to do it that way.

Here is my little problem....I sort of am still mad about those choices!!  Gee why God, How Come???????  We could've made money, we couldve had a lot of things differently...why?????

Well, the other thing I have found out, besides some of those mentioned is....
if I am not reading/studying/praying/praising  then the ugly head of remorse and anger rears up.  When I stay "close" to the Lord, as they say, then I don't have  to fight old things over again.

By the way, Welcome newbies!!

Patrick:
There is some good stuff in LOF 2 regarding the responsibility of God.
http://bible-truths.com/lake2.html

Dave in Tenn:
Here's my 'controversial' statement of the day.

This is not really a new doctrine to me.  I was exposed to it one-on-one by a good friend of mine in my early 20's.  Of course, I turned it off because I didn't really understand it (not because I saw myself as the captain of my fate, the master of my soul--but because I couldn't get my mind around 'what am I supposed to do?').

OK...Now I am beginning to get it, but I still don't know what I'm supposed to do with it.

What little I have gained has mostly come from the Bible Studies (listening and transcripts).  Maybe it's because Ray is 'preaching to the choir' in those and not trying to 'get it through my thick skull' as in the articles.

I mention that so that maybe others in my shoes can look further into those resources and get some ready, 'practical' application.

I'll have to stay tuned to see where I finally land in all this, but for now it kinda gives me the willies to think of life so passively.

Lord, I hope I don't get disbarred and unfellowshipped for that one.   :D

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