Exploring faith and life
‘Is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy for when the way is rough ….. your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow ….. and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom ….. then you will be ready for anything ….. strong in character ….. full and complete.’ (James 1:2-4) I love how the Bible tells it like it is! Not always what we want to hear ….. but true none the less! 
Do you feel insignificant? There is no such thing in God’s eyes! He sees you ….. He hears you ….. He knows everything about you. He knows your needs before you ask. He knows your thoughts before you express them. He cares for the things you care about. He knows your anxieties ….. and He shares your joys! You can trust Him! 
I
Are you feeling stressed? Whether it’s exams ….. financial worries ….. relationship problems ….. or just life ….. stress is a major modern day plague. I find with me ….. it’s not so much what’s happening but how I think about it. Anxiety about what might happen is worse than the reality! There’s a difference between stress and pressure. We can expect a certain amount of pressure. Pressure is a good thing. It keeps us moving! Many of us would become stagnant without pressure. Stress on the other hand is when we perceive it as too much. We feel overwhelmed and defeated. That’s when we need help. Reach out to a friend or counsellor who can ask the right questions and help find the root of your stress.
Today is Armistice Day. It marks the anniversary of an agreement to end World War I. It didn’t actually end the war but it stopped the fighting and began a series of discussions toward permanent peace. Unfortunately there have been many wars since then. Wars between nations ….. religious wars ….. family feuds ….. gang wars. Probably one of the most destructive is the war that goes on inside a person ….. the Battle of the Mind. The enemy is unseen ….. but powerful. He causes us to be so self focussed that we have no energy for anything or anyone else. He feeds us with lies that perpetuate the battle ….. and blind us to the truth. It’s time to call a truce! A truce requires a mediator who can bring the opposing sides together. Jesus Christ is our mediator! He is the Prince of Peace who defeated the foe by dying on a cross and rising again. Lay down your weapons of self protection and hatred ….. and put your trust in Him. He will fight your battles so you don’t have to! 
When it seems all is lost ….. it’s an opportunity for a miracle! When we see death ….. God sees life. When we see hopelessness ….. He says ‘trust me!’ When we think it’s too late ….. God says ‘It’s just beginning!’ In fact ….. He delights in waiting till it seems impossible. Then He breathes His supernatural power and life into a situation and turns it around. That way ….. He gets all the glory! And we are left in awe. It’s not over until He says so. 
The most powerful people on earth ….. presidents ….. prime ministers ….. kings and queens ….. terrorists ….. the wealthy ….. the most educated ….. are no match for the God who gave them the ability to get where they are. Their power is limited ….. but His is without bounds. They can only work with what they have ….. He is still creating out of nothing. He makes crooked things straight ….. rivers in the desert ….. pathways through seas. He can move mountains ….. heal bodies ….. restore minds ….. and raise the dead to life! Don’t make the mistake of thinking He no longer exists. He is very much at work in everything that is happening on the planet! 
