3/21/2023 0 Comments All things done through christ![]() It was the “fall” of Satan, which many understand to be described in Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 28. The first incident seems to have happened before the creation of man. Something devastating has happened on a much broader scale, which has resulted in suffering and distress, not only for mankind, but for the entire creation. Something unseen and unexpected suddenly takes control of your computer and causes serious trouble. At this point in time, your hard disk begins to erase all the data that you have taken months or years to store there. “Michelangelo” is not a painting, it is a computer virus, a very subtle computer program which attaches itself to computer programs and lays dormant and undetected in your computer-until the date it is set to activate. This week, there were a lot of folks who had no interest in art, who gave much thought to Michelangelo. In practical terms, it often takes but a very little thing to do a great deal of damage. There is a song (some might call it ancient), which goes something like this: “Little things mean a lot.” In biblical terms, it is the “little foxes which spoil the grapes” (Song of Solomon 2:15). There, before the eyes of all, she removed not only the fly, but a large portion of the salad with him. She hastily snatched up the salad bowl and took it to the kitchen counter. Jeannette tried to salvage the situation. There was only one problem-his badly maimed body landed in the middle of a very large salad, one that my wife had worked very hard to prepare. I hit the fly squarely and dealt him a fatal blow. ![]() One fly was persistently landing on the empty plate of one of our guests. We were all sitting at the table, about to offer thanks for the food. It was one of those days when several pesky flies had somehow maneuvered around the screens on our windows and doors. We had invited some friends from church over for dinner after church one Sunday afternoon. In Your name, amen.In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth (Ephesians 1:8b-10). Please help me always remember to lean on Your strength, not mine, because You’re the only One with the power to bring me through this. Prayer Starter: Jesus, thank You for making a way for me to accomplish everything that You’ve called me to do. What in your life do you need to begin to believe you can do? Know that whatever it is, God is willing and able to work in and through you to accomplish it. for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. God’s grace actually has nothing to do with our effort or striving at all-it’s through His strength alone that we can accomplish anything. We need to understand that Philippians 4:13 does not say we can do anything we want to do because we are strong enough, smart enough, or hardworking enough. He doesn’t say everything will be easy for us, but He’s promised to stick with us through every moment, so we can enjoy life in the midst of doing hard things (see Deuteronomy 31:6 Joshua 1:9). No matter what that circumstance is for you, God’s Word has good news: even in the most unpleasant and difficult situations, God has provided the strength you need to do whatever you need to do in life. Whether it’s suddenly losing a loved one, facing a serious unexpected illness, having your adult child with two toddlers move into your clean and quiet house after you’ve had an “empty nest” for years, going on a strict diet because your life depends on it, putting yourself on a budget to avoid foreclosure on your home, or suddenly having to care for a disabled elderly parent-most people have some kind of situation that truly seems impossible to them, something they aren’t sure they can handle. I wonder-do you believe you can do whatever you need to do? Or are there certain things that trigger dread, fear, or cause you to say, “I could never do that!” when you think about them? ![]() One thought that has the power to transform your life is simple: Through Christ, I can handle whatever life hands me.
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