Dirty Bible, Clean Heart

  "God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering ." -Saint Augustine  "For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." -2 Cor 1:5 I don't think that any of us particularly enjoy suffering. In fact, we spend most of our time trying to avoid even the least bit of it. I was reminded of this during the beginning of this Covid-19 pandemic when I saw the massive crowds rushing to the grocery store purchasing what seemed like an excessive amount of food and toilet paper. I understand that these shopping patterns were mainly driven by fear, but it made my point nonetheless. As humans we cringe at even the thought of the slightest discomfort. Even natural forces such as wind and water do this. The theory is rightly termed the path of least resistance . And this is the path that we often take, sometimes even unknowingly to us. However following Jesus will at times require us to go through ...

"Then the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.'...Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." -Gen 15:4&6 "Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him." -Gen 21:5 We continue our study on waiting by looking at Abraham's life. Let's look at the remaining reasons why God allows us to go through waiting seasons. I think there is much to learn on this topic that will serve as an encouragement in our waiting.  Just keep going, and going... One of the qualities that God works in us during our waiting is perseverance. Some people are naturally inclined to hold on when the road gets tough. There are folks in this world (both followers and non-followers of Jesus) that are incredibly resilient. In spite of  the worst circumstances, these folks, have managed to get through it and become stronger individuals a...