Rise Again

Psalms 34:19 (NKJV) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Sometimes the pathway out of discouragement is to simply change our perspective.

I think of Thomas Edison, who gave our world over 1,000 inventions that have literally transformed the way we live. He worked and worked and worked; tirelessly obsessed with his projects. When about 10,000 experiments with a storage battery failed to produce the results he was looking for, discouragement was right around the corner. But, he avoided it with a great attitude. When his friend came knocking, trying to encourage him, he found that Edison was already encouraged when he answered, "why, I have not failed; I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

What's true in the natural realm, is really true in the spiritual realm. Keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith will help us navigate through countless seeming failures in our lives. Truly with our lives hidden in Christ, we find that God is teaching us ways to follow Him more closely and more clearly even through our failures.

I love what Solomon reminded us of in the Proverbs: "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again..." Proverbs 24:16 (NKJV)

Getting Up Again,
Pastor Ed

Response
The week of prayer and fasting was amazing-my first total fast of that length-but what God revealed during that time was even more wonderful. Jeremiah 17:9-10: says "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." The Holy Spirit very clearly convicted me of many unconfessed sins, harsh attitudes and actions toward my former pastor and wife-things that led to my leaving their church. But the Lord was gracious and I was able to meet with them, confessing my sins and asking forgiveness. I believe I can now move forward without being tied to the past. The CCA vision rings true "We believe that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is His (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians."