Trials

It is so amazing to see how God works . . . at Bible Study on Friday night Rick Holland, the college pastor from our church, came to speak. He taught on Sorrows, Sufferings, and Sovereignty! Wow!!! So, right where I am and exactly what I needed to hear. And then this morning our dear Pastor/Teacher, John MacArthur, was sick, an incredibly abnormal occurance, but Rick spoke on James 1:2-12

2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.

11For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

12Blessed is a 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.

I don't quite understand, but there is a sense of comfort here - know that, Yes, without a doubt, we will encounter trials of all types - big, small, and everything in between, BUT, as a Christian, I know that God is in control and He has a purpose behind it! His purpose is that Flavio and I, through this trial of our baby, will be drawn closer to Him and that we will be refined! That our relationship with Our God would be more personal! He will provide EVERYTHING that we need to get through this current trial! What a blessing and encouragement that is to me!!!!

I am grateful for an Awesome God who is in control of ALL things! I am also so grateful for the family and friends who are praying and who have either left a sweet message on my phone or emailed or hugged us at church or just been there! Thank you! We love you all more than you know! Thank you for loving us and our unborn baby enough to pray for us!