There WILL be days

There WILL be days 

by David Brenneman 

Until we who are in Christ Jesus arrive in Heaven, there will be no perfect days.  We are bound by that curse given to Adam concerning toiling and struggling to get through life.  

We can read of the great struggles that the Lord Jesus had with the children of Israel in the book of Exodus.  An obstinate people. Stubbornly refusing to let go of their past to live a new life in Him. 

Are we often much different?  We are literally suckered into the world's belief system that success is measured in wealth or degrees of happiness we obtain for ourselves through climbing a form of corporate ladder.  

We are lead to believe at a very young age to do what's best for you because nobody is going to be looking out for you.  

The last several generations are being taught to depend on government handouts.  The rise is lukewarm churches is astonishing.  Churches that millions flock to that preach and teach a different gospel message than what my Bible says.  Leaving out all the true aspects of what a life in Christ Jesus means.  Teaching people that it's ok to live in sin and that God's word concerning it is His opinion and our opinions on sin are just as good. 

We are going to have rough days, rough weeks.  In recent weeks it seems that God's had me writing about covenant relationships such as marriage as well as our right relationship with Jesus.  

Our days aren't going to be perfect until we arrive in Heaven.  My days are very rough, much more than I let on to most anyone.  I have a tremendous burden to keep on writing what God puts on me to write at least every morning, if not other times in my day.  Dr. David Jeremiah started calling people like myself "Digital Missionaries".  If the numbers and countries are true and accurate, indeed God's spreading these messages out across the world and possibly to the International Space Station.  There IS a parallel towards difficulties in my life and writing.  There's times when God uses recent events and conversations in what's written about next. 

"Rough waters ahead" are the words for every single Believer in Christ Jesus.  Jesus promised it would be this way.  The more you strive to live a Godly life in Christ, the more consistent the struggle.  He said "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12. 

We are repeatedly told to be on the alert. 

We are told where to keep our heads in order to keep them in the game.  Why? Because it's not just about survival in this world but about our obedience.  

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.  Not that we will become famous or rich or find never ending joy, prosperity or happiness.  

Our greatest temptations lie in our keeping track of wrong's suffered.  We will keep a list of what others have done or done to us or others we know.  This, my Dear Reader, is a sin.  Were we or others hurt? Possibly and probably.  Are we supposed to mete out the justice we desire in light of that? Absolutely not.  We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, leaning not on our own understanding.  In all our ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.  Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. 

God knows our broken hearts, every single piece of them.  In Exodus The Lord Jesus told the children of Israel that His name is also Healer, He would be in charge of healing them.  He still is today. 

We create such problems ourselves because we add to our troubles by this or that little selfish desire we add.  Impatience is one of the most often seen in the lives of Believers.  We get ahead of God or we latch onto what we want before He's ready to give us what we desire. 

A skimming through social media such as LinkedIn shows people patting others on the back for their achievements in employment.  How they made or can make a name for themselves.  So many Believers fall into the trap of obsessing over their jobs. Hurting and destroying marriages along the way.  Have seen it in person. A family supporting one members educational pursuit only to suffer a broken marriage after corporate success came afterwards. 

We are going to have to keep and stay on the alert.  Jesus didn't say we're going to have vacations from Spiritual forces.  Didn't say we wouldn't be tempted as those who don't know Christ Jesus.  

Satan's out to cause Believers everywhere to stumble and to ruin their witness in this life.  He can't kill them or harm them without permission but he can seek that permission.  Read the opening chapters of the book of Job.  He can twist our thinking on what is right in what is to be right and true.  He will work on our feelings to make them more important than the truth of God's word.  To borrow a movie line "your feelings betray you".  

Out hope is in Christ Jesus, not government handouts. 

Our hope is in Christ Jesus through our continued obedience.

Our lives are going to have struggles and strife, emotions that envelope us.  We are going to do life in our own strength, our own wisdom.  

Recognize that Satan is NOT for your success as a Believer in Christ. 

Recognize that Satan WILL applaud your failures at living for Jesus.

Recognize that it's on you to stay at the center of God's will for you.  

A potter cannot successfully create something on a potter's wheel if it's not at the center of it.  

We need to remind self that it's God's will for our lives to become more like Christ, not to be successful, prosperous or necessarily happy.  

Our struggles are not against flesh and blood.  

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints," Ephesians 6:12-18.

Make sure you're at the center of God's will for you.  To have a mindset of you pursuing what you want before what God wants is to not be in that center.  To have a mindset that keeps accounts of wrong's is to not be in that center.  To sacrifice your family to obtain success is to not be in that center.  To justify our actions for self is to not be in that center. 

So many people, since the statistics are the same, throw away the Covenant Marriage that began between them and Jesus.  Jesus said that what He has joined together let no man separate.  

Some friendships are that deep as well.  Look at David and Jonathan.  Look at Daniel's friends.  Look at Paul and Barnabas.  Jesus, Peter, James and John. 

We don't want to follow in the sins of those from before the Great Flood whereas they all did what was right in their own eyes. 

Seek to be in the center of God's will. 

Be on the alert. 

Obey Christ before you obey you.

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. Lockman Foundation