"Teach me you way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love towards me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."  Psalms 86:11-13

The greatest challenge for us in this attractive world is to keep your eyes on Jesus.  With every new chapter in your life you face new challenges and temptations.  Once the excitement of these changes are gone, many times we find ourselves in a gutter wondering how we can make ourselves better, what's the next thing in life to look forward too and maybe even why am I not as strong as I thought I would be.  God is our yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Immediately we need to realize that our trust has shifted from total surrender to God, to self relience. Then...

We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them. - Charles West

We need to take a few steps back and remember the goodness of the Lord, for great is His love towards us, and he has delivered us from the deepest depths of the grave; again He will teach us His ways, and our hearts are at peace. 

"The Lord gives perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in Him."

"God gave us memories that we might have roses in December."
- Sir James Barrie

*Emmanuel* - "God is with us"

"Jesus said,"I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:9-11 NLT

God deeply desires that we know him intimately, for us to know His love.  In fact, he planned the universe and orchestrated history, including the details of our lives, so that we could become his friends.  We find joy in this, we find identity in this, we are free in this.

"Jesus lived His life in complete dependence upon God, as we all ought to live our lives.  But such dependence does not destroy human personality.  Man is never so fully and so truly personal as when he is living in complete dependence upon God.  This is how personality comes into it's own.  This is humanity at its most personal." -Donald F. Baillie

"If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked ay my neighbor's door, then may other men sleep with her.  If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold;'You are my security,' if I have rejoiced over my own wealth, so that my heart is secretely enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, if I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him, if I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart, because I feared the crowd, then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley. These would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high." Job 31:9,24, 25, 27, 29, 33, 40, 28

Man, Job is on point.  He talks about adultery, coveting what your neighbor posses, thinking security is money, a house, a car, etc..., gambling, pride and shame, and the effect that they cause...death.  Are not the wages of sin death.  Is not looking lustfully at the someone already commiting adultery(Matthew 5:28), are we putting our hope and future not on things heavenly above, are we rejoicing at the misfortune of others and their losses by waging against them, by puting up a front to hide our sin the be looked upon with a certain status? 

If not, praise God for the Lord has worked in your heart, if so, the need for prayer and heart felt change is obvious.  These things are not in itself bad, because our society is built that without money cannot have a home, insurance, protection, and that we need to be an example for others by living a holy life, but the heart motive emphasized in this scripture is clear.  Were is your security, heart, what is your dirve?

"When we come to the end of life, the questino will be,"How much have you given?" not "How much have you gotten?" -George Sweeting (President of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago)

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement." Proverbs 12:11

Temptations are everywhere.  How much of your thoughts and way of thinking a result of the our culture an society today?  Biblical truth has been the same yesterday, today, and will be forever.  Many times we compromise our lives because it's a trend or we think it's ok to do so.  Whether it be from the music we listening to, the movies we watch, or a reflection of society around us we feel no conviction about our lifestyles from cursing, drugs, or materialism.  Are we a temple of the Lord, are we not to hinder our brothers with our lifestyle even when we are ok with the Lord doing it? (are we not to eat food sacrificed to idols, even though we know it's clean if it causes a brother to sin(1 Corinthians 8))

Cultural trends and principles are by no means an excuse for compromise of biblical principles.  We are to work the land God has given us, to serve him and His white harvest.  Are your dreams and fantasies from God?  What path are you headed in your life?

"Christ is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all." -James Hudson Taylor

"We know that God causes everything to work together for the the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son." Romans 8-28-29

We all face suffering, pain and trials, but is it not when we are in the middle of these things we should put Christ in the middle of them.  God depends on  these circumstrances to change us more than he does depend on us reading the bible.  Are the elite men and women of God admired in the bible for reading their bible everyday, or facing trials and allowing God to enter into them and praising God for the opportunity to be comformed rather then comforted.  Look at Joseph, he was sold into slavery by his brothers, and he still told his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." 

God knew in advance what we would face and what sins we would commit. Remember Christ died for us while we were still sinners.  If you feel you've failed or sinned so greatly that you will never be able to live the life God truely intended, then you degrade the power of the cross.  You know you'll never know that God is all you need until God is all you've got. "Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkerst days."(Rick Warren)

God has a great plan for you,  because it's his great plan.  Focus on His plan and not your problem. 

"If you look at the world , you'll be distressed.  If you look within, you'll be depressed.  But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!"(Corrie ten Boom, a Jew who suffered in a Nazi death camp)

"If we share in his glory, we must also share his suffering. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later." Romans 8:17-18

Amen!!!