Category Archives: Heart to Heart for Widows

Faith: Growing Our Faith in the Trials of Life.

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Posted on February 17, 2018 by Eliece Rybak

Faith: Growing Our Faith in the Trials of Life.

Seeing our challenges through the eyes of the Lord….I Thes. 3:13 “to the end He may establish our hearts unblamable in Holiness before Him….(4:7) God hath…called us…unto Holiness.”

A.W Tozer said…”Whom God will use greatly, He will also hurt deeply.”

  • Keep eyes on Jesus; Set your affections on Him.   (11 Cor. 4:16-18; Col. 3:1-4
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  •  Fill our mind and heart with the word of God.   (Phil. 4:8-9; II Cor. 7:1)
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  • Talk to God; Pray the word of God back to Him.   (Phil. 4:6-7; I Cor. 2:1-5; Col. 3:15-17)
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  • Remember His Promises.   (Rom. 8:28 & 29; II Tim. 3:14-17)
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  • Know He loves you; Cares for His own. (Ps. 91:1,2,4,11,12; I Peter 5:7)
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  • He never leaves us or forsakes us.   (Hebr. 13:5,8)
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  • Keep Praising Him.   (Hebr. 13:15; Ps. 22:3; Ephes. 5:19-20)
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  • Keep choosing joy. (Hebrews 12:1,2, Psalm 16:8,9; John 15:1-11)
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  • Find something to smile about every day.   (I Peter 4:12-14; Prov. 15:13)
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  • Keep giving to others during the trial.   (II Cor. 9:7-8; Phil. 2:1-4; Romans 12:9-21)
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  • Surround yourself with mature Believers that you can trust. (Psalm 1:1-6; II Cor. 1:4-5; I Cor. 2:1-5)
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  • All things are from the hand of God for our Good. (Rom. 8:28-29; Hebr. 12:6,11-15)
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  • Remember…we are only passing through.   (II Cor.5:7-10,20; Phil. 3:20; Job 23:10)
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  • Always HOPE (joyful, confident anticipation) in Christ, for this life and the life to come. (I Cor. 15:19)
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Meet with God each morning so that:

….rather than viewing God through our challenges, we see our challenges through the eyes of the Lord, whom we have met with, and He is the one that has already prepared us to meet this challenge.

The Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens. John 17

Then… the Holy Spirit challenges and stretches. Phil. 2:13-16

What is the abundant Life?   (It has nothing to do with earthly possessions.)

The abundant life (John 10:10) is a spiritual life of contentment (“in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11); Phil. 3:9 says “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering (I Peter 4:13), being made conformable to His death.” (Rom. 8:17; II Cor. 4:10-11

Abundant Life is a full life of understanding what life is all about through the eyes of Christ, and by thinking Christ’s thoughts after Him. Assurance of salvation and assurance in God does not give us a license to sin, but gives us the liberty to please Him….fall in love with Jesus.

Posted in Heart to heart for Widows, Suffering / Grief, Widows, Wives

Suffering….

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Posted on January 26, 2015 by Eliece Rybak

Does suffering ever make sense?

I have never really suffered….. I have never been imprisoned for my faith, or been submitted to physical torture.  I have never been called upon to watch my children tortured and put to death in my presence. My brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries of the world have suffered much.  Elizabeth Elliot says that if we think about suffering, there is only one “place” that suffering really makes sense.  It is at the foot of the cross….!  Suffering there had a purpose; it had meaning.  Jesus suffered there for the purpose of providing salvation for every person who ever lived.  Every sinful soul can be redeemed from the penalty of their sin.  Jesus suffered for us, dying in our place….and paid for our sin.

When I think I have suffered because of the loss of a loved one, loss of meaning in life, loss of security, or what ever it is that I think is causing my suffering…if I take that to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, lay it there, and look up….I only see suffering like no other.  My “suffering” pales in comparison to the depth and magnitude of the suffering that He knew there in my place for me.  It puts my suffering in perspective.  It shows me that He understands, He knows, and He feels all that I am feeling, and more.

Christ’s suffering had a purpose.  Can I trust the same God to make sense out of my suffering? I do not have to understand what He is doing to trust Him. I only have to understand Calvary.

My prayer is this:

Lord, may I continually, consciously…. take all sorrow and grief to the foot of the cross…which is the only place where suffering makes sense.  At that moment, each memory, thought, feeling, hurt… offered up to Christ there, becomes an opportunity to be a recipient of Your grace…all sufficient…and You become enough….You are enough (“El-Shaddia”…the all sufficient One).  By Your grace….You are enough.

Posted in Daily Treasures for the Soul and Spirit, Recent Postings