Glory to God! He is with us even in our "storms".
..."Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).-- Matthew 1:23
Praise You in this Storm (by Casting Crowns)
I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say "amen"
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Chorus:
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
(here is the link in you tube if you want to hear how the music goes -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw)
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say "amen"
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Chorus:
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
(here is the link in you tube if you want to hear how the music goes -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw)
Blessings (by Laura Story)
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Chorus:
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Chorus:
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
(here is the link in you tube if you want to hear how the music goes -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ)
The best part of living life is through the "ups" but never the "downs".
Everyone will agree with me that we all had a taste of "storms", trials and tribulations in our lives and somehow, though it is not so inviting to say, it will still continue because it is part of living this life - past, present, future... as long as we are still alive, we will all go through it again and again.
I had more than a few of such "storms":
- during my teenage years, life is hard financially because it is only my dad who works and his pay is not enough to sustain us all (we are 6 in the family);
- I had my first taste of heartache when I was in college and felt as if heaven and earth has been poured down on me;
- my dad died because of stroke and we felt devastated; more than that, simultaneous with his death, our car had been stolen, and even the money withdrawn from the bank for dad's hospitalization was also looted out;
- my hubby and I had a hard time conceiving a child, and when I did, I had myoma and ovarian cysts simultaneously growing in my womb with my little boy.
These are just some of the major "storms" I have gone through, but reassuredly, I was able to pass through all of it because of the faith and strength our Loving Lord gave me.
Have we ever wondered why our God allowed us to go through all trials and tribulations?
It's a fact of life, all of us will go through "storms". Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as death, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children and He “works all things together for good” for us.
Romans 8:28--And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the Believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.
As in all things, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son.
Romans 8:29--For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
"To conform to the image of Jesus"- this must be the goal of every Christian. Through trials and tribulations, our God is helping us be sanctified;
1 Peter 1:6-7--In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Our faith will be made sure by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever. Trials develop godly character.
Romans 5:3-5--Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Our dear Jesus set the perfect example. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"- Romans 5:8. These verse point out aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus' trials and tribulations and ours. Persevering proves our faith. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13.
But we must also remember to be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. "By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler"- 1 Peter 4:15. God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for our sins has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good.
Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."- James 1:2-4.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him"- James 1:12.
Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ."- 1 Corinthians 15:57. These verse encourage us to see that although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the Believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”- 1 Corinthians 10:13.
(ref: got questions: Bible-answered questions)
It is overwhelming and wonderful to praise our God even through our "storms" because we know that all these trials in our lives are our God's "mercies in disguise".
Glory to God! God bless to all (".)
The best part of living life is through the "ups" but never the "downs".
Everyone will agree with me that we all had a taste of "storms", trials and tribulations in our lives and somehow, though it is not so inviting to say, it will still continue because it is part of living this life - past, present, future... as long as we are still alive, we will all go through it again and again.
I had more than a few of such "storms":
- during my teenage years, life is hard financially because it is only my dad who works and his pay is not enough to sustain us all (we are 6 in the family);
- I had my first taste of heartache when I was in college and felt as if heaven and earth has been poured down on me;
- my dad died because of stroke and we felt devastated; more than that, simultaneous with his death, our car had been stolen, and even the money withdrawn from the bank for dad's hospitalization was also looted out;
- my hubby and I had a hard time conceiving a child, and when I did, I had myoma and ovarian cysts simultaneously growing in my womb with my little boy.
These are just some of the major "storms" I have gone through, but reassuredly, I was able to pass through all of it because of the faith and strength our Loving Lord gave me.
Have we ever wondered why our God allowed us to go through all trials and tribulations?
It's a fact of life, all of us will go through "storms". Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as death, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children and He “works all things together for good” for us.
Romans 8:28--And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the Believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.
As in all things, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son.
Romans 8:29--For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
"To conform to the image of Jesus"- this must be the goal of every Christian. Through trials and tribulations, our God is helping us be sanctified;
1 Peter 1:6-7--In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Our faith will be made sure by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever. Trials develop godly character.
Romans 5:3-5--Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Our dear Jesus set the perfect example. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"- Romans 5:8. These verse point out aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus' trials and tribulations and ours. Persevering proves our faith. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13.
But we must also remember to be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. "By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler"- 1 Peter 4:15. God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for our sins has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good.
Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."- James 1:2-4.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him"- James 1:12.
Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ."- 1 Corinthians 15:57. These verse encourage us to see that although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the Believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”- 1 Corinthians 10:13.
(ref: got questions: Bible-answered questions)
It is overwhelming and wonderful to praise our God even through our "storms" because we know that all these trials in our lives are our God's "mercies in disguise".
Glory to God! God bless to all (".)
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