But they actually had speakers! And I gladly took a few notes.
Lysa TerKeurst spoke about living in the hope of God's will for our lives.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
James 1:2
Here's what she shared:
We are commanded to live
1)joyfully
2)prayerfully
3)thankfully
1) When we face the most painful circumstances, we must realize that God is allowing these trials (which we are to consider pure joy) for possibly one of three reasons:
a. His protection from some scenario far worse than the present.
b. His provision into some situation far better than the present.
c. His process to maturity where you will "lack nothing".
2) We live prayerfully by DAILY depending on God for our needs. Like God's provision of manna to the Israelites in the desert. Our "portion" is where Divine strength meets our desperate need.
3) We live thankfully by approaching life with "I am able".
Instead of "I have to wash the dishes. I have to go to church. I have to exercise." A grateful heart says, "I am able to wash dishes. I am able to go to church. I am able to exercise."
She shared her personal journey through pain and heartache, and reminded us that "brokenness is universal". Stories vary, but Jesus came to heal the broken. We can cry out to Him and find that He is our Deliverer.
