Message from Renee Trapp, Business Manager

MY STRUGGLES ARE ABOUT HIM

“God is sheer mercy and grace;
Not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
Nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
Nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as the heaven is over the earth,
So strong is His love to those who fear Him.”
(Psalm 103:8-11 MSG)

Don’t blame suffering in the world on the anger of God. He’s not mad; he didn’t mess up. Follow our troubles to their headwaters, and you won’t find an angry or befuddled God. But you will find a sovereign God.

Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end—the glory of God. “Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory” (Psalm 50:15 NLT)

Is there any chance, any possibility, that you have been selected to struggle for God’s glory? Have you “been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29)?

Here is a clue. Do your prayers seem to be unanswered? What you request and what you receive aren’t matching up? Don’t think God is not listening. Indeed he is. He may have higher plans.

Here is another clue. Are people strengthened by your struggles? Do we feel that we have a small faith if our prayers for healing, for example, are not answered? Well, your struggle may not be about you. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God’s song. How we deal with our struggles can be a reflection of the glory of God for others.

May God give us a different perspective when we struggle—that we may be struggling for God’s glory! May God bless you in a mighty way today.

(Excerpts taken from It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado)