And he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:3).
And he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water,that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:3).
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What are the essentials for Christian growth:
1. Salvation.
2. Scripture
3. Sharing
4. Suffering
5. Stretching
6. Solitude
7. Service
We must be intentional in our spiritual growth. The process is not automatic. Hebrews says that mature believers have their senses trained because of practice…. “their power of discernment is trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14)
What happens when the hurricane gust-winds blow adversity into our life? Do we topple over and get blown away by the force of the adversity or do we stand? Do we trust the Lord through the fire of adversity? Adversity, difficulties, hurricane moments, challenges that surprise us and take our breath away is what grows our faith. We can fall under the weight of it or stand up and use the tools we’ve been given to fight and become a warrior. How else do we become a “proven warrior” but by fighting battles.
This life is our “practice ground” so to speak. We sometimes have “why me?” moments or just those “why?” moments. It can be hard to see how God can actually take what’s happening and use it for good. Sometimes we even blame Him.
I want to practice trusting God in those moments, to train my “senses” to respond in faith. It’s a journey – yes. Not always easy. Training is hard work. Readjusting how I respond can be difficult but not impossible. I am learning and will continue to learn as long as I have breath.
Verse to Remember
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14
By Sharon Lobbs Garner