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The Comfort Chapters…and Grace and Truth Link Up

March 13, 2020 by Lauren 17 Comments

Last week I wrote about my studies in the book of Job.  You can see that post here.  My sister mentioned to me that Jeremiah 30-33 were called “the comfort chapters”, so I decided that would be a good next landing spot for personal perusal.

 

These chapters are messages of hope and deliverance for God’s people in the midst of a book mostly about judgement.  Jeremiah prophesies about the return from captivity of the nation of Israel, but he also looks forward to the end times and the final restoration of God’s people.  So in determining if these promises are meant for us today, I believe they are.  So I decided to share what I learned from this time in God’s Word, in case anyone else needed to hear it too.

 

  1.  God will do what is impossible for anyone else.  He will deliver, heal and restore to Himself.
  2. When we remain submissive, He molds us into His image.
  3. The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced when all is sunshine.
  4. God comforts and reassures, urging us to greater faith.
  5. Pray and He will answer beyond our present understanding.
  6. He is infinitely high and infinitely nigh.
  7. He is matchless.  No one can compare to Him.
  8. Our God has limitless vision.
  9. He has to humble himself to even behold the things of heaven.  (That one of from Psalms 113, but it fits)
  10. God’s goodness is nowhere more apparent than in the midst of suffering.
  11. He will carry us through every trial and adversity.
  12. Whatever God permits to come into our lives is meant to conform us to the image of His Son.
  13. We have a wonderful, personal Lord.
  14. He is too loving to be unkind and too wise to err.
  15. The love of our Savior liberates us.
  16. Suffering never has the final word.
  17. Out of death, the Lord brings life.
  18. His ultimate purpose is always, always, always for our good.  Amen.

(Some phrases taken directly from the Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald.)

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

Riding the Ferris Wheel of Circumstances  by Christine of Instaencouragements spoke to me on a deep level this week.  As I navigate hard things with my family, this piece buoyed me toward our Father for strength and stability.  Hop on over here to read and be sure to leave a comment.

 

Now for this week’s link-up! Let’s bless and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.

 

Grace & Truth : A Weekly Christian Link Up

Grace & Truth exists to point people to Jesus! We hope this link-up will be a source of encouragement every week. If you’re a blogger, we hope you’ll use this space as a way to meet new friends within the Christian blogging community. If you’re a reader, we hope that you’ll encounter new bloggers that love Jesus as much as you do! Most of all, we hope you’ll meet Jesus here.

Join us each Friday for the Grace and Truth Link-Up!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

 

 

Maree Dee

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lauren Sparks

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Heather Hart & Valerie Riese

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lisa Burgess

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
1.)  Following your hosts via their blog and social media channels is not mandatory, but appreciated!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

2.) Leave 1-2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. Please do not link DIY, Crafts, Recipes, etc. We will delete these links. We also reserve the right to remove articles that don’t align with the theme or are deemed by the hostesses to be inappropriate.

3.) Visit 1-2 other links and leave a meaningful comment! We want to encourage community among us, so please don’t link and run!

4.) We sort all links randomly – feel free to link as early or as late as you’d like. The playing field is even!

Featured Post Requirements

5.) Grab a button or link back to encourage new linkers. It is not mandatory, but it is required to be featured.

6.) Each host will choose one link to emphasize and promote via their social media channels next week.

Grab a Badge and Link Back to this Post.

And now, let’s link up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

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God is Good…But Life is Still Hard and Grace and Truth Link Up

March 6, 2020 by Lauren 22 Comments

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

You would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.  Job 9:31

I have daughters.  I endured the slime stage, buying gallons of glue and colored sparkles, praying my kitchen would soon recover.  And I have heard my jeans groan and curse, “For the love of all things good, woman, eat a salad!”  But that might be where my similarities to Job of the Bible end.  And yet, there are things happening that seem unreal, unfair, and harsh.

 

I hate to be vague, but it’s not my story to tell.  And yet I’m on this life-altering roller coaster with those I love.  I’m waiting for word and crying the tears and taking pills so I can sleep.  I’m supporting and loving in inadequate ways and hitting my knees over and over until I no longer know what to pray.  Like no other time in recent years I am racing to spend time with God every day because I don’t know what else to do.  And that time lead me to the book of Job this week.

 

To summarize the story of Job (Did you know you can SparksNotes stories of the Bible?  Who knew?), this wealthy, righteous man was tortured by Satan to prove his faithfulness to God.  In the course of one day, Job receives word that his livestock, servants and all 10 children have died.  He then loses his own health as he breaks out in painful, disgusting sores from head to toe.

 

As the story progresses and Job endures his many hardships, he is quoted as saying, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:26).  And “For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water.”  (3:24).  “When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’  The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.” (7:4)  Poor guy didn’t have access to Ambien.  “Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”  (7:11)

 

Maybe you don’t consider yourself blameless like Job (I know I don’t!), and maybe you haven’t lost EVERYTHING.  But can you relate to any of these things he said?  Sleepless nights, no appetite, bitterness, turmoil in your spirit?  Any similar feelings?  Me too.  And yet after everything, Job still acknowledges God with praises.  “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  (33:4)  “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”  (37:5)

 

Perhaps the most encouraging part of Job’s experience is his confession of the deeper knowledge and intimacy He enjoyed with God after having lost everything and experienced God’s faithfulness through to the other side.  He says, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”  (42:5)  “How great is God – beyond our understanding!” (36:26)

 

In the midst of Job’s heartache – before any earthly blessing was restored to him – he exclaimed, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”  (19:25)  When all else slips away, we can cling to that.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

Mini Delights by Jennifer of teawithjennifer.blog.  

Most of us are so busy and distracted and noisy that I’m afraid we are forgetting how to relax, be with our own thoughts and even use our imaginations!  Our relationships, creativity and attention spans are suffering.  Jennifer doesn’t preach at your about it like I just did (good grief), but her short and sweet post may be just the mental vacation you need today.  Hop on over to her sight and take a deep breath while you are there.

 

Now for this week’s link-up! Let’s bless and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.

Grace & Truth : A Weekly Christian Link Up

Grace & Truth exists to point people to Jesus! We hope this link-up will be a source of encouragement every week. If you’re a blogger, we hope you’ll use this space as a way to meet new friends within the Christian blogging community. If you’re a reader, we hope that you’ll encounter new bloggers that love Jesus as much as you do! Most of all, we hope you’ll meet Jesus here.

Join us each Friday for the Grace and Truth Link-Up!

To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

Maree Dee

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lauren Sparks

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Heather Hart & Valerie Riese

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 

Lisa Burgess

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Grace&Truth-Rules21.)  Following your hosts via their blog and social media channels is not mandatory, but appreciated!
To receive a weekly reminder of when the link-up goes live subscribe to laurensparks.net in the right hand column of this page.

2.) Leave 1-2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. Please do not link DIY, Crafts, Recipes, etc. We will delete these links. We also reserve the right to remove articles that don’t align with the theme or are deemed by the hostesses to be inappropriate.

3.) Visit 1-2 other links and leave a meaningful comment! We want to encourage community among us, so please don’t link and run!

4.) We sort all links randomly – feel free to link as early or as late as you’d like. The playing field is even!

Featured Post Requirements

5.) Grab a button or link back to encourage new linkers. It is not mandatory, but it is required to be featured.

6.) Each host will choose one link to emphasize and promote via their social media channels next week.


Grab a Badge and Link Back to this Post.

And now, let’s link up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

Share this:

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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