When You Go Through Trials (Part Two)

Our Christian walk cannot be free of trials, for we ought to grow and trials are the exams we write in order to get promoted to a different level.

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As a baby grows and starts crawling, it gets to a time that he has to begin taking steps if he wants to walk. The baby does not get to stand on his feet firmly without having to go through some pains, pains that result from trying to get up from the floor. The countless times the baby falls does not prevent him from standing up again the next moment the need arises. That persevering I can do spirit, we all must learn from babies.

No progress will be made until you begin to face your fears and as you go through the process don’t be in a hurry to get out because gradually allowing the process to have its way will get you desired results. When your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

So in my previous message on when you go through trials, I made mention of the fact that when it is time for a student to be elevated from one level to the other, he must write and pass a test and in the exam room the teacher is always silent because it is illegal to speak to the student no matter the kind of relationship existing between them.

But as we all know to every rule there is an exception and so hear this,

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5 (NIV)

In other words, the bible says that you have been given all the information (knowledge) you need to write and pass our exam (trial) but if for any reason there is too much information at your disposal and are confused as to which one to use in answering specific questions in the test…

God says that there is an exception even though I am not supposed to talk to you during exams.

So if you don’t know what your teacher requires for a particular question as an answer because you have so much information and it’s difficult to summarize it leaving you confused, He says that I am giving you the opportunity to ask me what I require of you and I will freely give you wisdom which is the application of information (knowledge) at the right time in the right season.

So verse 5 of James chapter 1, comes with a condition, it is that your head must not be empty, because if your head is empty you cannot use wisdom when given to you. Wisdom cannot be independent of knowledge and yes, wisdom is the application of knowledge.

Has it ever occurred to you after writing an exam and upon receiving the test result script, you realized that there are some questions you didn’t answer so well but because the general idea was there the teacher considered and gave you the mark?

We often are encouraged to attempt all questions in an exam. Who knows the teacher might have compassion on you and help you get the answer he wants when he sees that you are on the right path.

But the fact that we are asked to answer all questions doesn’t mean that produce chaff. That would even upset the teacher and to some extent affect your grade because you have created the impression that there is nothing sensible in your head.

So how then can we attempt all questions in an exam and make sure that our attempts are meaningful?

It is only by having a wide range of information (knowledge) and this obtained by soaking yourself in books and in areas where the right information can be found.

So remember my dear friend to soak yourself in the authentic book that can equip you for any kind of exam in your life which is the Holy bible, the Engrafted word of the living God.

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God bless you.

Prayer

Father in the name of Jesus, thank you for this day, the gift of life and this message. I pray that you will forgive me of my sins as I forgive those who wrong me. Dear God I ask for divine wisdom to deal with every situation in my life and that of others, I want to do things your way and not my way for your ways are always straight. Thank you Father for answering my prayer in Jesus name, Amen.

When You Go Through Trials (Part One)

Hey everyone, sorry I’ve been a little late on the Diary Of A Christian College Student saga. I haven’t forgotten about it – I promise! Life been crazy for me and I promise to resume to it soon. Nonetheless, in the meantime, I have two articles by my friend Papberry that I’d like to share with you! I found them very relatable and encouraging and I believe you will too. 

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Our Christian journey cannot be free of trials, we need trials to grow and to move out of our comfort zone into a place where we will start thinking outside the box we have fixed ourselves into.

Now let us take the relationship we have with Christ as that between a student and a teacher and learn something out of it.

You will bear with me that a very obedient student who tries his possible best to excel at all he does is liked by all. Even if his strength is not sufficient for certain tasks he readily gets help because everyone knows him to be hardworking.

Now in the classroom, the teacher is supposed to meet the needs of every student and therefore it is also the duty of the student to pay attention and take notes so that in time of need he can refresh his memory with the notes taken. If there is something the student does not understand whiles the teacher is still teaching, he must draw the attention of the teacher so that he will receive immediate attention. But if the student goes home and realizes that he did not really understand what was taught, then he must look for someone who is higher in understanding so that he will help him understand what baffles him.

We know that before a student gets promoted to a different level or stage, he must undergo a test to prove that all or at least a high percentage of what he was taught has been assimilated well. One thing we find interesting here is that no matter how close a student is to the teacher, in the test room, he cannot speak to the teacher and vice versa, the best the teacher can do is to smile at the student. During the test period the teacher trusts his students to pass the test because he knows his strength and has set questions based on that, it is only a wicked teacher who will set a test based on what he hasn’t taught hoping the students fail.

At the end of the test the students who passes makes the teacher proud and exceptional cases are when brilliant students who are expected to do better fall below the mark, when this happens the teacher gets disappointed but then, he moves on to call the student and ask why that happened so to encourage that person to put all weight aside and continue working hard because his future depends on it, the student is encouraged and his faith also shoots up, when this happens, he resumes to the person everyone knows him to be.

This is what our relationship with Christ is like, one will say I feel dejected now that I am going through crises, I feel Christ far away from me and he doesn’t even talk to me anymore. Note, that the teacher is always silent during a test. When you are faced with difficult situations and nothing seem to be working well for you as a Christian, know that you are due for promotion, so just focus on passing that test.

Know that you are in the test room and according to 1 Corinthians 10:13 you will not be tested beyond what you have not been taught. Also know that whatever thing that you are going through Christ is smiling at you because He trusts you, as His brilliant, hardworking student, who has been prepared well enough to pass the test you are undertaking that very moment.

Keep this in mind, God will always wins no matter what! So do not fear or be bothered when the storms seem to overshadow you, trust the process and you will surely come out victoriously.

Prayer

Father in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the gift of life. Please forgive my errors and make my ways straight. I pray that you will give me a personal revelation on this word so I will understand it better. I know that all things are working for my good therefore help me to trust you against all odds. Help me so that I do not end up disappointing you, I do admit that I am weak and that my strength can do nothing but with you I can do all things, cause a leap in my faith in you, and help me dwell in your secret place always. Thank you Lord for hearing me in Jesus’s name have I prayed, Amen.

Wisdom

Hey everyone, big news! My Mom, Saved By Grace2009, wrote a guest post for my site! Because she is older than many of my readers, I decided to ask her to write it on wisdom. I believe that she has a lot of wisdom and she did a great job with the topic! So, without further ado, here is my mom’s post! 😊

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First I wanted to thank my daughter Courtney for graciously inviting me to Guest Blog. I was immensely humbled when Courtney asked me to write on the topic of “Wisdom”

Subsequently, I have been praying about this for quite sometime and therefore a little late in completing this ~ please forgive me

As Courtney’s mom, I am much older and therefore I have experienced and learned a lot over the years I have walked on this earth. Therefore, I am always happy to help others by sharing what I have gleaned in my life and share the knowledge the Lord has graciously bestowed upon me.

However, I have been abundantly blessed because the Lord has placed the most amazing individuals in my life who took the time to bless me with their words of wisdom.

When I think of wisdom, like you the first person to come to my mind is Solomon.

Therefore I went back and read Solomon’s prayer and I learned a lot about wisdom as he was very transparent and it was obvious the attributes he possessed when asking the Lord to give him wisdom.

Solomon’s Prayer

Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in [b]truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have [c]reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant [d]an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this [e]great people of Yours?”

Let’s unpack Solomon’s prayer to the Lord …

First, Solomon praised God for all He had done in the life of his father, David.

I believe wisdom is continuing to praise God every day and not forgetting all the ways the Lord has worked in our lives. Praising Him for the big and little things He orchestrates for our good.

Second, we can see that Solomon loved the Lord and trusted Him. Therefore wisdom is expressing our love to the Lord and trusting Him with our lives. This is not always easy to do because we can only see the here and now but putting our life completely in the hands of the Lord and trusting Him in all situations, Also, remember you are His masterpiece, fearfully & wonderfully made in His image. The Lord loves you and He does have a plan for your life. In the good times and bad … wisdom is loving and trusting the Lord with all your heart and not relying on your own understanding.

Thirdly, we see that Solomon is grateful for the position that he holds here on earth. Solomon realizes and understands that without the Lord he would have nothing. Everything we are and all that we have comes from the Lord.

Next, wisdom is” asking” the Lord to supply you with “wisdom” specifically what you need to know and understand to make an impact here on earth for His glory. I believe courage would be added to that as well because having the knowledge is the beginning and then partaking in the action that follows is crucial.

Lastly, we can see that Solomon is humble. I believe humbling ourselves is where wisdom begins. We cannot begin to gain wisdom or knowledge without humility.

Humility is not a common character trait we often see but I believe if we truly want to gain wisdom then we need to humble ourselves.

To conclude, every day is a new experience. When we begin the day clothed in humility, read our Bible to gain knowledge, and courageously do what we know is right in the eyes of the Lord … loving Him and praising Him. Then I believe the Lord will bless us with wisdom.

If we ask the Lord … He will answer ….

Sometimes wisdom is gleaned through living life and other times I believe we can humbly ask the Lord to give us the wisdom we need in our life.

God bless you always !

All The Single (Christian) Ladies

Hey everyone, happy Sunday! Today I’m posting an awesome guest blog by the wonderful Emily from Fearfully Wonderfully Me! Her posts are awesome and very inspiring, so be sure to check them out! 😊

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There are a whole lot of blog posts and articles online that discuss life as a single lady from a Christian perspective. However, it seems the topics are always about three common themes:

A) Knowing when the right man is coming along

b) How not to focus on dating while waiting for this man

c) Trying to figure out God’s will for your life while you pray to not become a lonely woman with a lot of cats.

Although I may be exaggerating these points a little bit, we all know it’s true. There just seems to be something missing from these articles. Although I’m sure God has a wonderful husband planned for me (and yes, I still want a lot of cats too), I want to know what to do in my single life right now. I want practical advice that I can put into effect immediately, and if you’re reading this, I’m sure that is your desire as well.

Well guess what? The Word of God has the answer we’re looking for! Although I never saw the New Testament as much of a guide to living life as a single Christian woman, there’s actually a whole passage dedicated to us in Luke 2.

In verses 36­-38, we read about the prophetess Anna, a widow of almost 84 years. You might be asking, what does an old widow have to do with my single years? A lot actually. Anna was only married seven years (verse 36), so while she knew what it was like to be a wife, she had way more experience with the single life. More importantly, Anna’s life was a reflection of how our lives should look right now.

 

Here are the three acts of Anna that led her to a victorious single life.

Abiding

…and this woman was a widow of about eighty­four years, who did not depart from the temple…(Luke 2:37 NKJV)

Anna never left God’s temple. She prayed and fasted constantly. She was always abiding in her Lord’s presence. Now I’m not saying you have to chain yourself to your church doors, but we need to realize the importance of abiding in Christ.

Since Jesus lives in our hearts, we can do this anywhere. We need to make it a priority to put Jesus first in our lives and seek alone time with Him always throughout our day. This is how we build a solid foundation in our faith.

Serving

…but served God with fastings and prayers night and day (Luke 2:37).

The key word here is serving. Anna clearly had a servant’s heart. She was a prophetess, so she prayed and spoke the Word of God to people. We all have different gifts, and it’s important that we use our single years to cultivate these gifts and develop a servant’s heart.

It does not matter if you are younger or older; God can use your passions to do amazing things. We just need to be ready to serve Him in both big and small ways.

Proclaiming

And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).

When Anna found out about the birth of her Savior, she didn’t waste any time. She told everyone about Jesus. Anyone who was lost or broken who ended up at the temple would hear the Gospel from Anna.

How many lost souls have you told about Jesus? How many broken people have you loved with the grace of God? I know I haven’t done enough, but it’s something I try to work on everyday. Anna’s life mission was to glorify her savior, and it should be our mission as well.

So now, my beautiful friends, you know how to live your single years to their fullest by abiding, serving, and proclaiming. This is a life that is dedicated to worshipping and pleasing God, doing your best to honor Him with your whole heart and soul.

This is really how every Christian should live­­ single or married. This is the purpose of every child of the Most High King. And as single women, no matter what our age, our lives should be a shining example of God’s marvelous love and grace.

Love, Emily.

I’m Emily, owner and blogger at FearfullyWonderfullyMe.com. Jesus is my life, and writing is my passion. I strive to inspire young women through faith and fashion.

Choices

Hey everyone, my good friend Mfon from Dainty M. just submitted an awesome article that I think you guys will love! It’s the first of many guest posts that I plan to have here, so keep your DMs open and regularly check your inboxes! I plan to have more guest posts in the future! 

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I watched this movie ‘The choice’ and I think it was pretty good. Though my over analytical mind kept asking questions and trying to solve an unknown mystery. Lol. Suffice to say, everything we do in life hinges on our choices. Each choice has pros and cons. If you’re like me, you probably have the pros and cons list where you weigh every option. But even with that obsessive need for perfection, we still make mistakes!
So yes, choices are important. And God liberally gave us the chance to choose. We get to choose life or death, happiness or sadness, black or white. And sometimes these distinctions won’t be so clear- like picking between different shades of grey for instance. It gets really tricky and we need God even more!

I watched a romantic movie today from Hallmark. I like Hallmark movies, clean and brilliant! So yeah I had the whole ‘coil up on my carpet and eat chips’ moment while watching the fairytale unfold and letting out the ‘awws’ and ‘I want that!’. Well there you have it, I’m a hopeless romantic. Lol. So after the movie I went all whiny to God like ‘would I ever have that perfect love relationship?’ Long story, I decided to look at Ruth in the Bible. And I found something interesting.

She made choices. First was to follow her mother in law even when she knew there was nothing left for her. Second, she didn’t just sit home as a sad widow, she chose to go get a job. Third, she chose to follow her mother in-law’s instructions of making the right move. Starting from there, I probably wouldn’t have done that cause I always expect the guy to make the first move. Then secondly, why go out when you can just stay home depressed at how unfair life is? And yeah, I also may not have followed Naomi knowing she had no sons left.

So what if she hadn’t taken the job offer and rather wandered to other fields to glean? What if she hadn’t even followed Naomi? We probably wouldn’t be reading about her in the Bible.

Choices are so powerful!

Eve chose to eat the apple… Adam also chose to eat it. No one forced them.  There could be some convincing and nudges here and there but at the end, we get to choose. God has given us this chance to choose but He tells us to choose right.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live- Deut 30:19

I’d like us to get a little more cautious about the choices we make every single day. Most of these choices have ripple effects and they flow down a long time.

I pray the Holy Spirit guides us as we make choices.