Troubles?

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles:

Sound like a good start for your day? Got troubles? Not close to the ones described by the psalmist here, for he continued:

and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. (Psalms 88:2-3 KJV)

I would venture to say most of us are not facing the grave right now. We will someday, but not today. We face trials and temptations, but there are so many ways to face them standing firm on the rock of our salvation.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)

Jesus told us patience has importance:

In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19 KJV)

And how do we gain that patience? Paul wrote to Christians about this very subject:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:1-5 KJV)

My heart remains broken for one who lost patience, turning away from opportunity, heading down a path that does not display the Lord’s loving signposts. How do I know this? Not through judgment, but through fruit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)

Please do not assume I’m being judgmental, though eventually that will be my job description:

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3 KJV)

Until then, I’ll stick to fruit inspection, such as yesterday’s post.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16 KJV)