imakelar

Celebrating Disappointment

Sally applies for a dream job that has just opened at her workplace. The interview went well, but she knew she might not get the position. Her husband is a devout believer. He also suggested, “Let’s make a reservation at our favorite restaurant this Saturday to celebrate, whatever the outcome.”

Soon the news came that someone else had taken the position. But on Saturday, the disillusioned couple continued to celebrate. While enjoying a delicious meal, they counted their blessings and renewed their faith in a God who holds future opportunities in His hands.

When the psalmist counted his blessings, he was lifted from his despair and praised God, saying, “You have turned me who weeps into dancing, You have removed my sackcloth, You have tied my waist with joy”

Are you facing a disappointing situation? Why don’t you have a celebration to count your blessings, whatever the outcome. Thank Him in your disappointment. Praise His grace and love. Remember He never leaves you. He will bless you from heaven.

Uniting In The Great Flame.

We’ve all seen piles of firewood. When the firewood came together, the fire was extraordinary. However, if separated from the others, the flame will weaken and eventually will die.

The same is true in the fellowship of believers. If one member separates and does not fellowship with the others, his faith will almost certainly be weakened. Avoiding fellowship gatherings is the same as slowly killing faith. No matter how “great” one’s faith is, if it is not nurtured in fellowship with fellow believers, one day it will weaken too. Fellowship gatherings are like fertile soil for the sowing of our faith. That is why it’s very important.

Indeed, we are individual beings, in the sense that we are unique. However, we are also social beings who need others to grow. Let’s kindle the fire of our faith, by uniting in the great flame. “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching.

Grow Like Bonsai Or Sequoia?

Many people like to maintain bonsai. Although the average bonsai height is only centimeters, this tree is already beautifully shaped and perfect. Contrary to that, in California found a giant forest tree called the sequoia. The height of this tree is extraordinary, it can reach 90 meters, and the trunk circumference can reach 26 meters.

When they are seeds, bonsai and sequoias are the same size and weigh the same, which is less than a milligram. However, in their growth period, the two experienced significant differences. People deliberately inhibit the growth of bonsai seeds, in the hope that someday they will get a beautiful mini tree. Instead, sequoia seeds are allowed to get their nutrition from minerals, grow near water sources, and get plenty of sunlight. Thus, he became a giant tree.

Timothy has been taught to know the word of God since childhood, from his mother and grandmother, also from Paul’s upbringing. This is the occasion where his soul is “watered” and “sunshine”. Furthermore, that upbringing made him a servant of God who had “sincere faith”, who remained strong even though he had to suffer hardships in the ministry.

Like Timothy, we too can absorb all the positive things around us: knowledge, enthusiasm, experience, examples, and especially the teachings of God’s word, so that our faith grows like a sequoia tree. Don’t let negativity dwarf our faith like bonsai.

“But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on the law day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; whatever it does prospers.”

Die In Loneliness

When Glynn Wolfe died at the age of 88, no one was looking for him. After waiting for so many weeks, the government finally buried his body in an anonymous grave.

Ironically, Glynn was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the record holder for the most married man. He has been married 29 times and divorced 29 times too, because he is not satisfied with his marriage.He left behind many surviving wives, many children, grandchildren, even great-grandchildren.

However, no one was willing to accompany him until he died. Like Glynn, many people have a thirst for love and try to find it in the wrong places. They think that by finding the “right person,” life will be fulfilled. In fact, no one is right.

That is what happened to a Samaritan woman whom Jesus met near a well. The woman already has five husbands. But she is still looking for another man, because she is thirsty for love. No one can fill the loneliness of her life. There is no perfect man who can please her in every way. She is like someone who is thirsty and tries to drink sea water. Her thirst is not gone, she is even more thirsty.

Jesus stated that what the woman needed was “living water.” “Whoever drinks this water will become thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will not thirst forever. On the other hand, the water that I will give him will become a spring within him, flowing continuously until to eternal life.”

Only the presence of God can drive away our loneliness. Only God’s love can fill the empty space in our heart. If God’s love has filled the heart, we will experience life satisfaction. As a result, we are no longer busy looking for the right person. Instead, we will try to be the right person for others. No longer a beggar of love, but a distributor of love. True love is not looking for the right person, but learning to be the right person.

Never Doubt

“Didn’t I command you: be strong and be firm in your heart. Do not be discouraged or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

When problems, illnesses, financial crises, and so on come to haunt our lives, fear and worry often arise polluting our minds so that our faith becomes weak. We start to think the problems we are experiencing are too heavy and hopeless, even though God promises that “…the future really exists, and your hope will not be lost.”

Every human being always hopes that his life will be fine, smooth without the slightest obstacle or obstacle. Yet to get God’s promise requires a process, as experienced by Joshua when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt in place of Moses. It was not easy, the challenge was very heavy because the Israelites were a strong-necked nation. That’s why God told Joshua: be strong and be firm in your heart.

In order to achieve God’s promise we need to pay attention to His message or command because one day we will face the enemy. The enemy talks about illness, financial crisis, or other problems, but God promises, “I will not forsake you and will not forsake you.” He will always be with us and help us when we need it, as David confessed, “My help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

Why have God’s promises not been realized in our lives? The problem is that we are getting weak and impatient waiting for His promises to be fulfilled, even though God has his own time to fulfill His promises.

He is never late to help us, but we are the ones who always delay the help because of our grumbling and complaining, just as the Israelites never stop complaining and nagging, even though they always experience His miraculous help. That’s not enough for them to be able to give thanks, instead they always blame God. Always speak His word and meditate on it day and night so that our faith will remain strong and stop complaining.

The Most Expensive Painting In The World

Steve Wynn was very lucky. In 1997, he bought a painting by Pablo Picasso for 47 million dollars at Christie’s auction house. Not even 10 years old, he could sell it again for 139 million dollars. Triples! The transaction will enter the record for selling the most expensive art in the world.

Unfortunately, during the auction, Wynn stood by the painting and accidentally nudged it with his elbow. Woe! The painting was ripped 15 cm long, right in the middle. Cancel that most expensive sale. In an instant, 139 million dollars evaporated from Wynn’s eyes.

How mortal wealth is. It can evaporate in an instant. If one relies on treasure as a guarantee for the future, one needs to weep and lament. Why? Because wealth can suddenly leave it. Fragile. Even if the treasure can be preserved for life, when it dies it cannot be taken away. In fact, someday God will hold us accountable.

Everyone needs wealth, so it’s not wrong if we look for money. Being rich doesn’t matter. However, do not make wealth everything, so that we are willing to oppress others, cheat, or fight with relatives to get it. Instead, make wealth as a means of blessing. A tool to express God’s love by helping others. “Wealth acquired in wickedness is useless, but righteousness saves people from death.”

Expensive Glass Or Cheap Glass?

A thirsty child ran into the kitchen. There he saw 2 glasses. The first glass is made of crystal with beautiful carvings. Expensive, but the inside is very dirty and dusty. Next to it was a second glass which was a cheap plastic cup, but it was washed clean. Without thinking the boy immediately took the second glass to drink to quench his thirst. If we feel thirsty and want to drink, which glass will we use? We will definitely like that child by choosing a cheap, but clean glass.Any fancy glass, if it is dirty and dusty inside, becomes useless.

We are “crystal glass”. We are God’s precious possession. That’s why God wants to use us to be His instruments, to channel “living water” to those around us. However, it will be hindered if we are not diligent in cleaning the “dust” that pollutes our hearts and lives.

In order to be used by God, we must live in holiness. Do not let lust pollute and dominate the heart. God asks us to be holy in all aspects of life. Not only at church, but also at work and in the family. Is there any “impurities” that are still stuck in our hearts. The form can be in the form of revenge, anger, destructive passions, evil intentions, or sinful habits that continue to be nurtured.

We must often cleanse our hearts. Keep it pure, so that God can continue to use us as channels of His blessing. If we just become dirty crystal glasses; beautiful but useless. “If a man purifies himself from evil things, he becomes a household item for a noble purpose, he is sanctified, deemed worthy for his master’s use and prepared for every noble work.”

God’s Work In Progress

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father! We are clay and you are the one who formed us, and we are all the work of your hands.”

The believer’s life is described as clay in the hands of the potter. God is the Servant. To become a useful and valuable vessel, clay must undergo a process of formation in such a way that it becomes pliable, flexible, and soft. Then God’s hand began to work, taking the lump of clay and shaping it according to His will.

We cannot run away from the process of formation, because there is no instant term in God. “Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the LORD, who made all things, who single-handedly stretched out the heavens, spread out the earth–who is with me'”.

God’s formation was painful and unpleasant, like being in the desert, that’s why so many people complained, grumbled, and rebelled. Because they continued to rebel against God, the Israelites had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the promised land. “…God did not lead them by a road to the land of the Philistines, although this road was the closest; for God said: ‘Do not let the people repent when they face war, so that they return to Egypt.’ But God led the people around by way of the desert to the Red Sea.”.

God has not finished dealing with us as long as we are still rebellious and living astray from His righteous path. “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker; he is nothing but the shard of a pot! Does clay say to its maker: ‘What have you made’ or what has he made: ‘You have no hands!'”.

Have surrender to God when processed, because God knows what is best for us. “When the vessel, which he is making from the clay in his hands, breaks, the potter reworks it into another vessel according to what is good in his sight.” We are God’s handiwork, created to do good works.

So Easy To Be Disappointed

Everyone has experienced what is called disappointment. What is disappointed Disappointed means discouraged, dissatisfied because desires and hopes are not fulfilled. So, feelings of disappointment often arise in a person’s heart when what is desired and expected does not match reality.

When none of our plans come to fruition, we are disappointed; when his request is not met, a child is disappointed in the parents; when children are difficult to counsel, parents are disappointed; feeling neglected and uncared for by the husband causes disappointment in the wife; a girl is disappointed in her boyfriend for breaking a promise.

There are many factors that make a person experience disappointment. There are many people who are disappointed in God because their prayers have not been answered. “How much longer, Lord, will you forget me forever. How much longer will you hide your face from me”.

Disappointed because they feel they have served God for so long but life doesn’t seem to be improving, the economy is still mediocre. Because the career feels stagnant, with a disappointed tone we complain to God. “The Lord will make you head and not tail, you will go up and not down” . But what are the facts?

“…if you obey the commandment of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today, you will faithfully do it,”.

So before we get disappointed and protest against God, ask ourselves first, whether we have faithfully carried out God’s commands or not. Basically we are disappointed because of the problems we experience, and God is always the target of our disappointment. Yet most of our problems are often the result of our own mistakes and disobedience.

God never promised that the lives of believers would be free from problems, but He did promise to help and provide solutions for every problem in our lives.

Happines Ballons

A teacher brings balloons to school and distributes them to all the students. He then asked his students to blow up the balloon and write their names on the balloon. After that the teacher asked the students to throw the balloons into an empty class. The teacher then mixes the balloons.

The students were then given 5 minutes to find a balloon with their own name on it. But no one has found it. The teacher then asked the students to take the nearest balloon and give it according to the name listed there. In less than 2 minutes all the children were holding balloons with their names on them.

The teacher then said, “The balloons are like happiness. We will not find it if we only focus on looking for our own. But when we care about the happiness of others, it will help us find our own happiness.” “Whoever blesses much will be given abundance, and whoever gives water will be watered himself.”