faith – Page 86 – Broken Believers

My Imagination Isn’t Enough

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”

Eph. 3:20

God has given us a gift, it is called ‘imagination’ (at least that is the word we use). This gift allows us to grasp concepts, and trust the future for the best. But imagination often gets interpreted as ‘imaginary’. That is so sad. Because they have nothing at all in common. It’s worth noting, that the Kingdom of God has absolutely nothing to do with ‘imaginary’, but it has everything to do with ‘reality’.

The most real book in the world, is the Bible. It communicates to us on a very comprehensive level. Each of us, turning to the same chapter and verse will understand the essential core element, but we also get another layer; God speaks again and we now have ‘food’ for our individual souls. Perhaps, if it might not be too bold: the Bible world is the real world.

If we insist on functioning out of our stodgy, inflexible minds we’ll find no comfort in a God that speaks to us on this ‘supernatural’ level. There well maybe a certain ‘weirdness factor’ and you can’t imagine the personal chaos and confusion that develops then. Especially if we dared to give into these ‘revolutionary’ ideas of having this direct connection with God. (Sweet Lord, I might just be the ‘next’ Noah!)

Imagination has been given to us in order to see better; to see into the real world. They can be compared to glasses, putting them on will allow us to see clearly into this terrain of faith. Purity of heart will help us to understand the things we are looking at clearly. When we enter into this gift of imagination, we will see the things held back from general consumption, and held in reserve for the ‘pure in heart’.

We really should grow this idea in our Christian walk of using our imagination for God’s glory. He is sitting on the edge of His throne waiting to give us ‘bone-shaking’ understandings, if we will just reach out in His direction. This will require us to keep our hearts pure, but that shouldn’t be a significant issue when so much is at stake.

ybic, Bryan

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Waiting Time is Never Wasted Time

“Wait for the Lord’s help.
Be strong and brave,
and wait for the Lord’s help.”

Psalm 27:14

The Bible describes people’s interaction with God. Almost always they end up waiting for God to fulfill His promises to them. They wait and wait. Often God takes them right to 11:59, and then shows up in some miraculous way. That is just the way it is.

Waiting is quite beneficial to us. Like a slow stream, it takes time for things to settle, we are often turbulent, and waiting helps us calm down. Slowly the stream becomes clear and clean. When our faith is tested; we develop patience and submission. And when the blessing comes to us, we will savor it even more.

‘Waiters’ are actually reflectors on the promises of God yet to be. It’s promised, but not yet. Hebrews 11 is this very powerful statement of people waiting in faith. Read this chapter and look at them waiting. Each one is looking for a promise yet to come. Some wait well, and others, not so much.

Waiting time will never be wasted time.

We should weave that into the fabric of our hearts. Waiting is not like sitting in a room for your to see the doctor. When I sit in a waiting room, I browse through old and tattered copies Newsweek and four year old National Geographics. I study the other people who are also waiting, sometimes like a detective trying to understand the story of their lives up to this point. I look at my watch a lot.

Waiting on God is not supposed to be like this. When the Word speaks to us of waiting, it has a great deal to say about humility. When we wait well, we start softening. God’s waiting room is the place where we spend a large percentage of our lives. But it’s an active spot where we put ourselves in the sovereignty of God. We see ourselves on His timetable, not ours.

“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.”

Heb. 11:1

“If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people.”

Charles Spurgeon

Waiting on God, https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-waiting.html
The Difference Between Life in a ‘Waiting’ Room and a ‘Living’ Room (chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)
Waiting and Over-Waiting (ourcommunityatfbcdc.wordpress.com)

10 Ways to Manage Your Depression

Adapted from New Life Ministries

1. Do not expect too much from yourself too soon, as this will only accentuate feelings of failure. Avoid setting difficult goals or taking on ambitious new responsibilities until you’ve solidly begun a structured treatment process.

2. Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what can be done, as it can be done.

3. Recognize patterns in your mood. Like many people with depression, the worst part of the day for you may be the morning. Try to arrange your schedule accordingly so that the demands are the least in the morning. For example, you may want to shift your meetings to midday or the afternoon.

4. Participate in activities that may make you feel better. Try exercising, going to a movie or a ball game, or participating in church or social activities. At a minimum, such activities may distract you from the way you feel and allow the day to pass more quickly.

5. You may feel like spending all day in bed, but do not. While a change in the duration, quality and timing of sleep is a core feature of depression, a reversal in sleep cycle (such as sleeping during daytime hours and staying awake at night) can prolong recovery. Give others permission to wake you up in the morning. Schedule “appointments” that force you to get out of the house before 11 a.m. Do this scheduling the night before; waiting until the morning to decide what you will be doing ensures you will do nothing.

6. Don’t get upset if your mood is not greatly improved right away. Feeling better takes time. Do not feel crushed if after you start getting better, you find yourself backsliding. Sometimes the road to recovery is like a roller coaster ride.

7. People around you may notice improvement in you before you do. You may still feel just as depressed inside, but some of the outward manifestations of depression may be receding.

8. Try not to make major life decisions (such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced) without consulting others who know you well and who have a more objective view of your situation.

9. Do not expect to snap out of your depression on your own by an exercise of will power. This rarely happens. Many churches and communities have depression support groups. Connect with people who understand depression and the recovery process.

10. Remind yourself that your negative thinking is part of the depression and will disappear as the depression responds to treatment.

From New Life Ministries. Used with permission. More from New Life Ministries

Understanding People (Not Problems)

People of Understanding

“Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men . . .”

Ezra 8:18

***

Having understanding is a step towards compassion.

Oh Lord, we pray and seek You to be men and women of understanding.

And here’s a simple poem . . .

***

The Basics

I may not comprehend algebra
or scientific equations

or have the solutions for
complex complications

but I ask You Lord
to help me understand

to love and care about
the basic needs of fellow man.

***

Tag: faith

My Imagination Isn’t Enough

ybic, Bryan

Waiting Time is Never Wasted Time