December 23, 2013

God gives us the faith of Abraham; the courage of Elijah; the wisdom of Salomon; the utter trust and love of David; the death-defying determination of Daniel; the bold submission of Stephen; the unwavering stature of Paul; the boldness and single-mindedness of Peter. God allows us to be tested and tried. Imprisoned and deserted.  He watches as we go through wilderness experiences, lion’s dens, burning fiery furnaces. He allows men to abuse us, accuse us, beat us, and put us to shame. We learn through experience that “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  ⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” (II Cor. 4:8-11) Dying but living for Christ sake. Going through yet overcoming. All because we have become God’s witnesses in the earth. Our lives tell the story that our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above.