Have you wondered why? Why Me? Why did this or that have to happen? In Philippians we see Paul and Timothy beaten almost to death and thrown into prison. This is were we can truly learn a lot about what faith is, and see how Paul and Timothy reacted. Then realize how the Lord used it for good and can. I pray what I am about to share with you will bless and encourage you through and past any hardships you may see yourself in through your own eyes and thinking. Then prompt you on, to seeking the positive and other path or paths the Lord is desiring to lead you on for his will and purpose.
Now Paul and Timothy beaten almost to death and in prison. The first thing they both did was pray and sing songs unto the Lord. This showing their faith in the Lord for his will. Yes they didn�t know what was ahead, and if they allowed their minds and thinking to prevail, they may have just thought or said things such, �The Lord allowed us to be done this way, does he really care�? They could have chosen to be anger also. But they prayed and sang songs unto him, having faith knowing that he did have many great purposes for allowing it all. One it built their faith more, because they were eventually freed. Then reading Phip. I realized that Paul�s focus was not upon himself. It was on others. The Philippians whom he wrote this letter to. Had Paul not been in prisoned, would he have written this beautiful letter? No! He wouldn�t have. From this one time of being prisoned, Pauls letter to the Philippians has blessed more people throughout the years from then on then we can imagine.
So the next time you find yourself in dark gloomy place, or in something which seems bad through your own thinking and eyes. Remember, the Lord loves you and is using this and allowing it for his good. For good to spawn you onto more faith. To take your focus off yourself and place it upon others and what you can do to lift them up. Our faith and others just observing it can be of more encouragement then we can ever imagine to others. Just like the everlasting effect of Paul�s letter to the Philippians, one act of faith of encouragement to others can trickle down forever.
See my fellow Brothers and Sisters. God allows these so called hard times to be able to work and build faith in his people, us. For if there were no hard times, there would be no need for Christ, faith, nor anything. Life would just be a useless existence of worldly trash. For this letter is a perfect example of faith in action for us to live by. For to see how to have faith and know that the Lord is always working using all things for good even if we can not see or realize it as we are going through them. I pray this can help you understand more and gorw more in the truth of how the Lord works and how having faith and trust in him can lead us more out of worldly self and into a life of peace and total joy that we have through Christ Jesus Our Lord. See Paul and Timothy KNEW this and lived it. The things that were happening did not effect them in a negative way, They KNEW the Lord was in control and that his perfect will was being done, even if they had of died at that time. It is just proof that their lives were given heart and soul unto Christ and they were not controlled by the things in which happen on this earth, but totally by Christ is were their value was. Just as Paul said, " To live is Christ, to die is gain" They were dead to self, and alive for Christ only.
In my case, I have experienced many difficult situations in my life, but instead always looking for someone to comfort me, I like comfort. I hate to think only of my pain but sometimes I can not more, but God always gives me the strength to continue. Although everything look super dark, in the end I know is my Father with his arms wide open, waiting for me. :applause:
