Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those who came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
Genesis 9:8-11
There came a time after Adam and Eve that people began to forget the teachings of their forefathers, or to choose to ignore them. People began to ignore God, and to turn to themselves and each other seeking to fill, as my youth leader says it, "the God-sized hole" that was in all of their hearts. The majority of the population of the earth chose to serve Lucifer and their own desires rather than to put their faith in the most high God. It was a dark time.
But through that darkness a beacon of light began to shine through. Noah was a Godly man who never forgot what he was taught about the Lord, and taught it to his own sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth and their wives. Even though people mocked him for his faith, Noah stood strong. Even when God told him to build a boat in the middle of the desert bigger than any boat had been built before, Noah listened to his Lord.
He built the boat, he loaded the animals, he got his family inside. And then the door banged shut. They stayed there, just the eight of them caring for hundreds of animals, for forty days while it rained, and then another two-hundred fourteen waiting for the waters to go down. And when they came out, God created the rainbow as a reminder that he had promised to never flood the earth again.
What I'm getting at here is the God made a promise, and when He makes a promise you can be sure he'll keep it. He promised through prophets the coming of His Son, and through his Son he promised us salvation, provided we put our faith in him and give him reign over our lives. It sound like a lot but I think that it is a small price to pay in exchange for eternity with Him.
Prayer: God, you promised us so much and you've kept every promise. Thank you. Thank you for the salvation you've given me, thank you for watching over me as I've gone throughout my life. I love you Lord.
Song: Who Am I by Casting Crowns
Showing posts with label Devotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devotion. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Warriors For Jesus Proverbs 3:5-6
And my computer is no longer broken! Yay!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lena not on your own understanding. In all your ways akknolwdge him and he will make your paths strait.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I see this verse, or at least ones that have similar meaning everywhere in the Bible. Trust in the Lord. Give him your trust. Believe in him.
Do we as Christians truly give him our complete trust? Or at times do we stray from our paths because of our own choices? I think that we all know the answer to that question. At times, yes, we truly give ourselves to the Lord and trust in his will. But more often than not, we give into the temptation and make a choice that turns us from God.
Satan is crafty, and we are only human. One thing that my Youth Leader says everytime she's teaching the Seniors, or the Juniors, or a combination of the youth groups in our church she says this at least once "We are always going to sin because we are born with a sin nature."
Do you know what that means? It means that from the moment we were born, we were condemmend to hell. There's no escaping the life Satan has made for us, in other words, no matter what we are going to sin. We can't stop that, it's going to happen.
The differnce between Christian and non-Christians however, is that we accept and know that we have done wrong, and we beg God to forgive us and try our very hardest to embrace him and hold on to him. We try our very hardest to be worthy of Him, even though we know that we will never come close.
Song for the Day: Jesus Messiah
Prayer for the Day:
Lord, I want to thank you again for the sacrafices that you have made for me and my people. Without you when we die we would go straight to the pits of the earth. We love you Lord, you who are the King of Kings, who have brought us out of the desert. Forgive me in that I have sinned against you, help me to be a better person that I am.
Amen
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lena not on your own understanding. In all your ways akknolwdge him and he will make your paths strait.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I see this verse, or at least ones that have similar meaning everywhere in the Bible. Trust in the Lord. Give him your trust. Believe in him.
Do we as Christians truly give him our complete trust? Or at times do we stray from our paths because of our own choices? I think that we all know the answer to that question. At times, yes, we truly give ourselves to the Lord and trust in his will. But more often than not, we give into the temptation and make a choice that turns us from God.
Satan is crafty, and we are only human. One thing that my Youth Leader says everytime she's teaching the Seniors, or the Juniors, or a combination of the youth groups in our church she says this at least once "We are always going to sin because we are born with a sin nature."
Do you know what that means? It means that from the moment we were born, we were condemmend to hell. There's no escaping the life Satan has made for us, in other words, no matter what we are going to sin. We can't stop that, it's going to happen.
The differnce between Christian and non-Christians however, is that we accept and know that we have done wrong, and we beg God to forgive us and try our very hardest to embrace him and hold on to him. We try our very hardest to be worthy of Him, even though we know that we will never come close.
Song for the Day: Jesus Messiah
Prayer for the Day:
Lord, I want to thank you again for the sacrafices that you have made for me and my people. Without you when we die we would go straight to the pits of the earth. We love you Lord, you who are the King of Kings, who have brought us out of the desert. Forgive me in that I have sinned against you, help me to be a better person that I am.
Amen
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Warriors for Jesus Luke 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."
Luke 23:34
Wow. Just wow.
Do you get the true magnitude of what he is saying? "Forgive them". He's asking forgiveness for his tormentors, for men who have beaten and starved him, mocked him, and nailed him to a cross. Can you see how totally amazing that is. I don't know about any of you, but I wouldn't be like that if people had nailed me to a cross. I don't see "forgive them" comming out of my lips anytime soon in a situation like that. Do you? I have a feeling that you wouldn't either. For one thing, you'd be mad as heck, for another, you'd probaly be dead. Just thinking about it makes me wince.
And it should make me, you, and everyone wince. Do you really understand just how much pain and humiliation that they made him feel? And to go through all that and just say "Forgive them" shows truly just how much Jesus was willing to give to us so that we could go to paradise. A few passages earlier, Jesus asks God to "Take this cup from me". He didn't want to have to do it.
He knew he was going to be in a lot of pain, and he asked God to take this burden from him, he was scared. We forget that while Jesus was a perfect human, he was just that, human. He had feelings just like we did, he was subjected to temtation just as we are. The only difference between us and Jesus, other then the fact that he was God in the flesh is that while we were both tempted, we have given in to the temptation. And we will continue to give in to it. We were born with a sin nature, and we are never going to lose that until we die.
Do you get it? Here was this human who had done no wrong, God's son, who knew what had to be done, asked His Father to take the burden from him in prayer, and still went to the cross because it was the only way to pay for our sins. He didn't need to do it, he could've refused. But he did it anyway. And then even when he is in emence pain, he begs forgivenness for his tormentors. Forgivenness for men he barely knew who spent the past few days spitting, taunting, beating, pressing thorns into his head, and the grand finale, the took nails and drove them through his hands and feet. And he forgives them.
I hope that someday we all understand the power of God's love and forgivennes completely. Because being able to do that is pretty amazing in my eyes.
Song of the Day: Our God is an Awesome God
Prayer:
Hey God, thanks.
Luke 23:34
Wow. Just wow.
Do you get the true magnitude of what he is saying? "Forgive them". He's asking forgiveness for his tormentors, for men who have beaten and starved him, mocked him, and nailed him to a cross. Can you see how totally amazing that is. I don't know about any of you, but I wouldn't be like that if people had nailed me to a cross. I don't see "forgive them" comming out of my lips anytime soon in a situation like that. Do you? I have a feeling that you wouldn't either. For one thing, you'd be mad as heck, for another, you'd probaly be dead. Just thinking about it makes me wince.
And it should make me, you, and everyone wince. Do you really understand just how much pain and humiliation that they made him feel? And to go through all that and just say "Forgive them" shows truly just how much Jesus was willing to give to us so that we could go to paradise. A few passages earlier, Jesus asks God to "Take this cup from me". He didn't want to have to do it.
He knew he was going to be in a lot of pain, and he asked God to take this burden from him, he was scared. We forget that while Jesus was a perfect human, he was just that, human. He had feelings just like we did, he was subjected to temtation just as we are. The only difference between us and Jesus, other then the fact that he was God in the flesh is that while we were both tempted, we have given in to the temptation. And we will continue to give in to it. We were born with a sin nature, and we are never going to lose that until we die.
Do you get it? Here was this human who had done no wrong, God's son, who knew what had to be done, asked His Father to take the burden from him in prayer, and still went to the cross because it was the only way to pay for our sins. He didn't need to do it, he could've refused. But he did it anyway. And then even when he is in emence pain, he begs forgivenness for his tormentors. Forgivenness for men he barely knew who spent the past few days spitting, taunting, beating, pressing thorns into his head, and the grand finale, the took nails and drove them through his hands and feet. And he forgives them.
I hope that someday we all understand the power of God's love and forgivennes completely. Because being able to do that is pretty amazing in my eyes.
Song of the Day: Our God is an Awesome God
Prayer:
Hey God, thanks.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Warriors for Jesus Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105
That's the way it should be. God's word (The Bible) should be a lamp to guide our spiritual lives, and a light for the path of your life.
God tells us to obey authority (Children to parents, parents to government, etc) but what should be first and formost in our lives is to obey his written laws. Many of the laws today go along with the Bible, and for that we should be thankful, but there may come a time, and maybe there are some laws even now that go against God's teachings. I say maybe because I am a teeenager who is still to young to vote so I have no knowledge of the majority of the legal system.
But, for an example, say there was a law that told you to worship an idol ( I know that in some places they've had or have laws like this, take Daniel into consideration.). You know that worshipping idols is wrong and a sin, but say that the consequence was death. Death would be the penealty for disobeying this law. Would you worship the idol to save your own skin? Our would you stay on your feet, stay silent, and stay strong in your faith to God?
The sad thing is is that even now we as Christians are being ridiculed and persecuted for our faith and beliefs. It's hard for the average Christian teen, espeacially because of school and peer pressure. It's hard to be any sort of Christian in a non Chirstian environment. And sometimes it's easier to be like Peter for a moment. Sometimes it's easier to be afraid and give in, denying your faith and your God.
But we shouldn't be like that, we shouldn't be afraid. We have the King of Kings on our side, and no matter who forsakes us in our lives he's always going to be there for us. So even when people make fun of you, for your faith or any other reason stay strong, satnd up, and don't let sin tear you down. Be courageous in your faith, and obey God in everything, even when others think your wrong.
Song for the Day: Courageous by Casting Crowns
Prayer:
Jesus, forgive me of the sins I've done, and for the sins I'm going to do. Help me to obey you in all things, and no matter what happens in my life to put you first. Lord, please help me to be a better Christian, and to walk in you path always. You are worthy, and we give You all the praise. You chose to save us whe You didn't have to, when we are truly worth less than the dirt under your feet. Thank you for loving us so much, God. We love You just as much.
Psalm 119:105
That's the way it should be. God's word (The Bible) should be a lamp to guide our spiritual lives, and a light for the path of your life.
God tells us to obey authority (Children to parents, parents to government, etc) but what should be first and formost in our lives is to obey his written laws. Many of the laws today go along with the Bible, and for that we should be thankful, but there may come a time, and maybe there are some laws even now that go against God's teachings. I say maybe because I am a teeenager who is still to young to vote so I have no knowledge of the majority of the legal system.
But, for an example, say there was a law that told you to worship an idol ( I know that in some places they've had or have laws like this, take Daniel into consideration.). You know that worshipping idols is wrong and a sin, but say that the consequence was death. Death would be the penealty for disobeying this law. Would you worship the idol to save your own skin? Our would you stay on your feet, stay silent, and stay strong in your faith to God?
The sad thing is is that even now we as Christians are being ridiculed and persecuted for our faith and beliefs. It's hard for the average Christian teen, espeacially because of school and peer pressure. It's hard to be any sort of Christian in a non Chirstian environment. And sometimes it's easier to be like Peter for a moment. Sometimes it's easier to be afraid and give in, denying your faith and your God.
But we shouldn't be like that, we shouldn't be afraid. We have the King of Kings on our side, and no matter who forsakes us in our lives he's always going to be there for us. So even when people make fun of you, for your faith or any other reason stay strong, satnd up, and don't let sin tear you down. Be courageous in your faith, and obey God in everything, even when others think your wrong.
Song for the Day: Courageous by Casting Crowns
Prayer:
Jesus, forgive me of the sins I've done, and for the sins I'm going to do. Help me to obey you in all things, and no matter what happens in my life to put you first. Lord, please help me to be a better Christian, and to walk in you path always. You are worthy, and we give You all the praise. You chose to save us whe You didn't have to, when we are truly worth less than the dirt under your feet. Thank you for loving us so much, God. We love You just as much.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Warriors for Jesus Ruth 1:16-17
..."Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you will go, I will go; wherever you will live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you will die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us."
Ruth 1:16-17
Do you see how much Ruth truly cared about Naomi? She didn't want to leave her, and seek a new life and husband. Instead she chose to leave the only home she had ever known and travel with her widowed mother-in-law. How awesome is that?
That's the kind of relationship we all should have with each other, but most importantly with God. We should care about Him enough to never want to let Him go. We should care about our current relationships with others to never want to let them go.
But,sadly, there's always going to be something that separates us from the Lord. Statan will be there, whispering in our ears, encouraging us to sin. And at times, we will give in because we were born with a sin nature. It a given that from birth we will sin. And sin is what separates us from a relationship and life with the Most High.
You have to fight. Fight Satan! Fight Sin! Don't let them win and damage your relationship with God. Don't let them win and cast you from His sight forever. Would you rather see the golden gates oh Heaven, or the fiery pits of Hell? I'm sorry if that's blunt and harsh but it's the truth. We're sitting on a fence here, and we have to make a choice, cause in the end there ain't gonna be no fence.
Love God with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind. Take Jesus as your savior and cast away sin. Follow God for all the rest of your life wherever He takes you, and don't be afraid of anything. Go where he goes, live where He lives. His people are your people, and he is your God. Keep the faith, keep the fight against the devil going on strong. And love your God.
Song of the Day: I Will Follow You by Chris Tomlin
Prayer:
Lord God, I pray for your mercy, for your forgiveness. I screwed up again, and I want to make it right with you. I've done things that I shouldn't have, and for that I'm sorry. I want to follow you wherever you go, and I know that I don't deserve it so thank you for sending Your Son to take my place on the Cross. I know I'm gonna see you when I reach those pearly gates, and I can't wait. Love you Jesus.
Ruth 1:16-17
Do you see how much Ruth truly cared about Naomi? She didn't want to leave her, and seek a new life and husband. Instead she chose to leave the only home she had ever known and travel with her widowed mother-in-law. How awesome is that?
That's the kind of relationship we all should have with each other, but most importantly with God. We should care about Him enough to never want to let Him go. We should care about our current relationships with others to never want to let them go.
But,sadly, there's always going to be something that separates us from the Lord. Statan will be there, whispering in our ears, encouraging us to sin. And at times, we will give in because we were born with a sin nature. It a given that from birth we will sin. And sin is what separates us from a relationship and life with the Most High.
You have to fight. Fight Satan! Fight Sin! Don't let them win and damage your relationship with God. Don't let them win and cast you from His sight forever. Would you rather see the golden gates oh Heaven, or the fiery pits of Hell? I'm sorry if that's blunt and harsh but it's the truth. We're sitting on a fence here, and we have to make a choice, cause in the end there ain't gonna be no fence.
Love God with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind. Take Jesus as your savior and cast away sin. Follow God for all the rest of your life wherever He takes you, and don't be afraid of anything. Go where he goes, live where He lives. His people are your people, and he is your God. Keep the faith, keep the fight against the devil going on strong. And love your God.
Song of the Day: I Will Follow You by Chris Tomlin
Prayer:
Lord God, I pray for your mercy, for your forgiveness. I screwed up again, and I want to make it right with you. I've done things that I shouldn't have, and for that I'm sorry. I want to follow you wherever you go, and I know that I don't deserve it so thank you for sending Your Son to take my place on the Cross. I know I'm gonna see you when I reach those pearly gates, and I can't wait. Love you Jesus.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Warriors for Jesus John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, and that whoever believes in him will not die but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
I memorized that verse at my very first VBS in my hometown. We had a dance class and that verse was put to music and we had to sing it. It got stuck in my head pretty quickly, it was just that kind of tune. But, as I got older, I learned not just the verse, but the true meaning of the words behind the verse. God loved us so much that he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be born of the Virgin Mary, live the life of a human, suffer under his persecutors, be nailed to the cross, stabbed in the side, and have a crown of thorns placed on his head while being mocked. He went through extreme pain and humiliation all so that we could get a chance to go to heaven.
DO you realize how amazing that is? He left paradise and got himself killed all so that we could be with him for eternity. There is one sentence that even though I've heard it my entire life I never get tired of hearing it. God loves you.
We're all going to hear that at least a million times throughout our Christian lives, and you know what I never will get tired of hearing it. God, The Almighty, The Creator of the universe, The King of all Kings, loves me, a worthless sinner who has no place in heaven because of what I've done.
You know, Buddhists believe in karma, and that only by doing good and following that Eight-Fold path can you reach Nirvana (Heaven). They don't get it, in fact a lot of people don't get it, even some of those who say that they are Christian. You can't earn your way into heaven, because you've done nothing to deserve to go. From the moment you were born your life was clouded in sin. You don't get to go to heaven based on the good deeds you've done throughout your life. If we did than we'd all be in trouble.
I've said it before, I'm gonna say it again. God loves us. God loves you. God loves me. Do you get that? God made a paradise for us, but because of the fall of man sin entered the world and man became tainted. We were no longer perfect like God created us to be. And we continued to sin and disobey Him, until He sent Jesus. Jesus blood and the faith in Him is the only chance you have at seeing His face. And even once you give yourself love to Him, you still going to slip up, you'll still be human. Things are going to change but not all things.
Once you commit to the Lord, it's up to you to keep that commitment. You need to make changes in your Life so that God stays in it, because if you gab hold of him but lose faith, my friends, your about to make that biggest mistake of your lives.
Song for the day: How He Loves Us by Me in Motion
Pray for the Day:
Lord, thank you so much for the sacrifices you made for me when I don't deserve them. Thank you so much for loving me and the world enough that you let yourself die on the cross just so that we could be with you. I'm undeserving of this gift that you have given me. I know that I've done wrong, please help me to do right. And forgive me for every time that I've gone against your will. I love you Lord.
John 3:16
I memorized that verse at my very first VBS in my hometown. We had a dance class and that verse was put to music and we had to sing it. It got stuck in my head pretty quickly, it was just that kind of tune. But, as I got older, I learned not just the verse, but the true meaning of the words behind the verse. God loved us so much that he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be born of the Virgin Mary, live the life of a human, suffer under his persecutors, be nailed to the cross, stabbed in the side, and have a crown of thorns placed on his head while being mocked. He went through extreme pain and humiliation all so that we could get a chance to go to heaven.
DO you realize how amazing that is? He left paradise and got himself killed all so that we could be with him for eternity. There is one sentence that even though I've heard it my entire life I never get tired of hearing it. God loves you.
We're all going to hear that at least a million times throughout our Christian lives, and you know what I never will get tired of hearing it. God, The Almighty, The Creator of the universe, The King of all Kings, loves me, a worthless sinner who has no place in heaven because of what I've done.
You know, Buddhists believe in karma, and that only by doing good and following that Eight-Fold path can you reach Nirvana (Heaven). They don't get it, in fact a lot of people don't get it, even some of those who say that they are Christian. You can't earn your way into heaven, because you've done nothing to deserve to go. From the moment you were born your life was clouded in sin. You don't get to go to heaven based on the good deeds you've done throughout your life. If we did than we'd all be in trouble.
I've said it before, I'm gonna say it again. God loves us. God loves you. God loves me. Do you get that? God made a paradise for us, but because of the fall of man sin entered the world and man became tainted. We were no longer perfect like God created us to be. And we continued to sin and disobey Him, until He sent Jesus. Jesus blood and the faith in Him is the only chance you have at seeing His face. And even once you give yourself love to Him, you still going to slip up, you'll still be human. Things are going to change but not all things.
Once you commit to the Lord, it's up to you to keep that commitment. You need to make changes in your Life so that God stays in it, because if you gab hold of him but lose faith, my friends, your about to make that biggest mistake of your lives.
Song for the day: How He Loves Us by Me in Motion
Pray for the Day:
Lord, thank you so much for the sacrifices you made for me when I don't deserve them. Thank you so much for loving me and the world enough that you let yourself die on the cross just so that we could be with you. I'm undeserving of this gift that you have given me. I know that I've done wrong, please help me to do right. And forgive me for every time that I've gone against your will. I love you Lord.
Warriors for Jesus Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11
I was raised in a Christian home, and I've been going to church for as long as I can remember. I became a member of our local Methodist church shortly after moving to my hometown. I've been going to said church for over a decade now. I'm an active member of the Senior High youth group, and I went through conformation several years ago. I've been a reborn Christian for several years now, as well.
To all my fellow Christians, teen and otherwise, out there reading this, at any point in your spiritual lives, have you just watched, read, seen, or experienced something so powerful it just changed your whole Christian viewpoint? I experienced such a thing a few months ago when I watched the new movie, Soul Surfer. AnnaSophia Robb's real-life character, Bethany Hamilton is attacked by a shark and loses her left arm. She's a surfer looking to make the pro circuit, and after the attack it doesn't seem likely that she'll ever surf the same level she used to again.
But while faced with the hardship, the paparazzi, and the loss of her dream her faith stays strong. Not many non-Christians would understand something like this. If something really bad happens to a Christian family, or even a non-Christian family they would be like, "Why should I believe in a God who would let something like this happen. He's supposed to help people, He's supposed to protect his people. Why should I believe in a God who is so uncaring?"
But that is where they are wrong. God cares so much about you and me that he came down to Earth as the Son of a Virgin and went through the pain and humiliation of being crucified on the cross just so we could have a chance to go be with him in heaven. Everything happens according to God's plan, even the terrible stuff, and you can choose to embrace and lean on God, or you can choose to be bitter and place the blame on Him.
Bethany, both in real life and the movie stayed true to the Lord. She never lost her faith, in fact it grew stronger. That's what I wish we all could do. Take the situations that God places us in, and use them for His glory. It's all about choice. You make the choice to come to the Lord, you make the choice to lean on Him. God is not going to force you into believing anything, He just wants you to know that He loves you so much and he will love you to the end of time.
If something bad has happened to you, or to someone you know, pray about it. Give it up to God. He's always there to listen whatever the situation, and even if the answer isn't always the one you want He won't leave you hanging.
God has a plan for all of us, and even if at a bad time it seems like He's abandoned you, He's there. And better times will come if you keep the faith and trust in Him. I saw Bethany (Both AnnaSophia and the real Bethany) stay strong in her beliefs and give even more to the Lord then she ever had. Even in the hospital right after the attack, she said, "I don't know what plans God has for me but I trust Him." The wording might not be exact, but it was something along those lines.
God might not always be clear, but if there is anything that I have ever learned, in church, at camp, youth group, or any other Christian function it's that God will never stop loving me, loving you. He knows everything. He knows what I feel, what I think. And he knows what you feel and think. He knows us, He loves us. And He's never gonna stop. So give yourself to Him today, or reaffirm your faith, and join the ranks of warriors for Jesus.
Song of the Day: Blessed be the name of the Lord
Prayer:
Hey God, I love you. I know I've messed up, and I know I'll mess up even more soon, and I just want to say I'm sorry. Thank you so much for giving me a chance for enternal life, because I know I don't deserve it. And I know that sometimes life is hard, but even when it is hard I will trust in you. You give and take away, blessed be Your name.
God's there. And He's waiting.
Jeremiah 29:11
I was raised in a Christian home, and I've been going to church for as long as I can remember. I became a member of our local Methodist church shortly after moving to my hometown. I've been going to said church for over a decade now. I'm an active member of the Senior High youth group, and I went through conformation several years ago. I've been a reborn Christian for several years now, as well.
To all my fellow Christians, teen and otherwise, out there reading this, at any point in your spiritual lives, have you just watched, read, seen, or experienced something so powerful it just changed your whole Christian viewpoint? I experienced such a thing a few months ago when I watched the new movie, Soul Surfer. AnnaSophia Robb's real-life character, Bethany Hamilton is attacked by a shark and loses her left arm. She's a surfer looking to make the pro circuit, and after the attack it doesn't seem likely that she'll ever surf the same level she used to again.
But while faced with the hardship, the paparazzi, and the loss of her dream her faith stays strong. Not many non-Christians would understand something like this. If something really bad happens to a Christian family, or even a non-Christian family they would be like, "Why should I believe in a God who would let something like this happen. He's supposed to help people, He's supposed to protect his people. Why should I believe in a God who is so uncaring?"
But that is where they are wrong. God cares so much about you and me that he came down to Earth as the Son of a Virgin and went through the pain and humiliation of being crucified on the cross just so we could have a chance to go be with him in heaven. Everything happens according to God's plan, even the terrible stuff, and you can choose to embrace and lean on God, or you can choose to be bitter and place the blame on Him.
Bethany, both in real life and the movie stayed true to the Lord. She never lost her faith, in fact it grew stronger. That's what I wish we all could do. Take the situations that God places us in, and use them for His glory. It's all about choice. You make the choice to come to the Lord, you make the choice to lean on Him. God is not going to force you into believing anything, He just wants you to know that He loves you so much and he will love you to the end of time.
If something bad has happened to you, or to someone you know, pray about it. Give it up to God. He's always there to listen whatever the situation, and even if the answer isn't always the one you want He won't leave you hanging.
God has a plan for all of us, and even if at a bad time it seems like He's abandoned you, He's there. And better times will come if you keep the faith and trust in Him. I saw Bethany (Both AnnaSophia and the real Bethany) stay strong in her beliefs and give even more to the Lord then she ever had. Even in the hospital right after the attack, she said, "I don't know what plans God has for me but I trust Him." The wording might not be exact, but it was something along those lines.
God might not always be clear, but if there is anything that I have ever learned, in church, at camp, youth group, or any other Christian function it's that God will never stop loving me, loving you. He knows everything. He knows what I feel, what I think. And he knows what you feel and think. He knows us, He loves us. And He's never gonna stop. So give yourself to Him today, or reaffirm your faith, and join the ranks of warriors for Jesus.
Song of the Day: Blessed be the name of the Lord
Prayer:
Hey God, I love you. I know I've messed up, and I know I'll mess up even more soon, and I just want to say I'm sorry. Thank you so much for giving me a chance for enternal life, because I know I don't deserve it. And I know that sometimes life is hard, but even when it is hard I will trust in you. You give and take away, blessed be Your name.
God's there. And He's waiting.
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