#rootedbythewater – Page 9 – rootedbythewater.blog

Deep Water

May 25, 2024Leave a Comment

I opened You Version App this morning to finish my Bible plan on Revelation. My heart did a little happy dance when I saw Isaiah 43:2 is the verse of the day. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

While I love water; whether it’s deep or not, whether it’s a river, ocean,lake or even pool, I enjoy them all. Water is invigorating and soothing at the same time. There is always the element of adventure especially in natural bodies of water. Even the pull of tides, waves and rushing of rapids add excitement.

Let’s symbolically transfer that to real life. Everyday you wake up, you are in the “waters of life”. How do you navigate it? There are the currents, dealing with your abilities or lack there of. There are the safety devices; prayer, praise, self pep talks, the Word of God and good ole common sense. There are the rip tides which you have no control over. For exampl dealing with humanity and all that comes with that. One example of this is being locked out of your iphone. Oh my goodness! From the response of the person, you’d think it was the end of the world. This person came to me all frustrated and I was like, “why are you dumping on me? I’m not an IT person! Just wait until it unlocks. It’s just one hour! Geez!” Another example is a family member losing their wallet recently and oh my word, again the world had come to an end. Thankfully h tracked it down with technology and it had been turned in. Just two simple examples when you have to deal with the “Riptides” of human nature.

I was scrolling through Facebook posts yesterday and saw someone posting about “being over” dealing with people. Sometimes people are just so self centered and unkind and dealing with such can be draining. I encouraged this friend to “let it go” and move on. We can’t control what people do or how they respond but we can control our own response. We can also pray for wisdom because we all need it.

Dealing with low vision and hearing loss is so challenging. If you only knew. I don’t complain because only God can change it. Sometimes I feel I try in vain to understand. I’m always willing to try but I don’t always “get it”. The constant trying can be down right exhausting. I guess that can be like navigating rocks while kayaking down the Catawba River. I see the “rock” or “struggle” and try to strategically maneuver around the issue. You get around it in one way or another. Sometimes you “Hit the rock” and other times you mange to successfully clear it. That’s just life. It can be so tiring at times and you just want to “float” but that can become boring quite quickly and you want to be in the “movement” of life again.

As Isaiah 43:2 reminds me, God is with me through it all. He is with you too! He’s not going to let us drown! He’s going to get us through whatever the day holds. He’s going to help us with people issues and our own logical attempts to understand life. Keep focusing on Jesus! Keep praying! Keep spreading love, peace and joy. You’ve got this, because God has you. Deep breath, now exhale! Paddle on!

I love sharing what God puts in my heart. I pray it’s a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to subscribe and pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Well…Scratch that!

May 20, 2024Leave a Comment

Kayaking the Catawba last year on a “low river” day

Safety first! Sometimes you have to scratch your plans to stay safe. We have not yet taken our kayaks out this year but were planning to kayak on the Catawba River this week and see the Spider lilies. I texted my friend today to see if we were still on to go. She said her husband had friends who were flipped out twice last week on the swollen river rapids. Yikes! I know when I die, I will see Jesus but I don’t intend to speed up God’s timetable.

Out of curiosity, I got on Facebook to chat with some people on the “Kayaking in South Carolina”
Group. I love this group of people. They are knowledgeable and share tips and experiences. Sure enough, some people had kayaked through the lilies this year but with the recent rains they said it was “treacherous”. They suggested waiting until next year and hope it’s better. We are bummed but respect the conditions. Besides I had a really weird dream last night. In part of the dream I was on a wooden rowing boat like thing. It reminded me of something from The Flintstones cartoon. I was somehow speeding down a pier on that wooden rowing device, as if sledding down ice. Speeding into the water, I ended up with helicopter rescue. What a wild and crazy dream! So it’s safe to say, we will skip the Catawba River spider lilies this year and have a nice paddle at Lake Wylie instead.

That’s the thing about having an adventurous spirit, you have to know your abilities, your limitations, the weather conditions and element conditions. We will wait and see about next year. We have seen the Spider lilies from shore before. It’s a gorgeous sight. Hopefully one day we will see them from our kayaks.
Our adventures will continue but we will take a safer course of action.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

The Beauty of Change

May 16, 2024Leave a Comment

It’s been over a week since I published my last blog “Meet the Squabs #200”. Since that post, the baby doves have flown away, embarking o n their new adventures. Truth be told, I was sad to see them go. I had watched the parents and squabs throughout the days. Now the nest is empty. There has been a nest on our porch for the last three years though so perhaps they will choose our porch again.

When Joshua was in his teens I used to joke about our house being the “Hinson Inn”. There was always someone here.You know you got really accustomed to people over when you would forget to close the bathroom door. At one point I even thought of putting a sign saying, “No Vacancy, Drive On”, but of course we never did. Being a parent is one of the greatest gifts and each change can be beautiful. When Joshua “flew the coop” several years ago and lived in Arizona for a while, that was a hard but beautiful thing to witness.

Each stage in life brings its challenges and beauty. I guess it’s all in how you look at things. When you look for the good, you are more likely to find it. When you look through “a critical lens”, no one measures up.

That’s one of the beautiful things about being a Mother. (I meant to write a blog in honor of Mother’s Day but I never got around to it so I will touch on that here.) Being a Mother is a God opportunity and priveledge to pour into your child no matter what their age. My Mom still does that and she is 81 years old. I know she’s always there and that is a comfort and joy. Joshua knows the same is true about me.

Now that Joshua has moved home and will be starting Massage Therapy school in June, we again have this gift of opportunity to pour into him. I’m beyond thankful he chose to not move to Florida with his roommates. God has him on a different path now. I told my husband Ron that Joshua sees how we respond to situations. For example, he has seen my heart for serving others. He jokingly asked me last week how much I was getting paid for the various things I do. I looked at him and said, I don’t do this for money. My reward is in Heaven. Blogging, teaching, serving in ministry to the less fortunate and serving my family cost me something but I don’t get paid for it in earthly things but the treasures I receive through smiles, seeing growth, encouraging others, being molded by Jesus into what He desires, is priceless.

Joshua also sees my response to situations that are less than appealing. Everyone has to deal with the flesh and how we humanly would like to respond but know God desires a godly response. Joshua said to me a couple of weeks ago, “Mom you don’t have to be a Saint 24/7”. I responded, “God is always watching.” As a parent, teacher, volunteer, friend or whatever our role, we have this god given opportunity to respond in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. No matter how hard it is at the moment, we can choose to die to the flesh and live according to the Spirit.

Which brings me to the beauty of change when we “let go and let God”. Last week we finally finished our “Women of the Bible” study. I would have never thought I could do that. I kind of “fought God” with yielding to Him in the process because it required large chunks of my time and, preparation, and memorization BUT HE ENABLED me to do it when I let go and said “okay Lord I will do this”. He taught me much in that surrender and submission to His desires. I witnessed the beauty of change in not only myself but in the other girl’s in our Bible study. We are created with His purpose in mind for such a time as this. Wherever He has you, submit to His desires. It is so worth all the stretching.

Our next study is potentially Revelation. That is such a daunting topic because I know little about it. Another girl in our group would like to lead this one and I am encouraging her all the way. She is more of a “visual teacher” which is great because we have some “Visual learners” but she wants me to help. I told her “she can do this” but of course I’ll do whatever she needs to support the effort. We can “tag team” it. We are looking forward to this change and can’t wait to see what God will reveal to us.

I’m also looking forward to this new season Joshua is entering. I know it won’t be an easy one but I intend to pray him through it. We will move forward trusting God to guide the way and open or close doors that should or shouldn’t be entered.

What a privilege to witness change unfolding right before your eyes. Remember “beauty lies in the eys of the beholder” so if you want to witness the beauty of change, adjust those “lens” and ask God to reveal it to you. It’s there, you have to look for it sometimes.

Meet the Squabs #200

May 6, 2024Leave a Comment

Over the weekend the baby mourning doves (called Squabs) hatched. My heart was so full when I realized that the doves had made a nest again on our bakers rack on the front porch. I slightly moved the bakers rack in front of the window so I could observe the nest from inside. I was hoping to get a look at the eggs but the Momma and Pop Dove diligently took turns sitting on the eggs, never giving us a little peek.

Every morning when I opened the blinds I would check on the nest. Saturday was busy with a gender reveal party and spending the day with my Mom. That morning I did not check the nest. At the party, like most social gatherings, I felt kind of lost in the chatter of conversation surrounding me. I don’t comprehend speech well in noise but seeing the little babies made me happy. A little while after the party, Mom and I were at the mall and my husband Ron sent me a picture. The dove eggs had hatched and he sent me a picture of Momma Dove with her two Squabs. This brought such a lightness and joy to my heart. At first I could not see them but after zooming in close I finally did see them. They are precious. I’m going to name them Grace and Peace, because they remind me of God’s grace and peace that He lavishes on us.

Thinking on the hatching process: Life was taking place in that nest under the protection of the Momma and Pop Dove even though we couldn’t see the eggs. Grace and Peace were forming and appeared at the proper time. Life is happening around us when we can’t “see” it. We can be sure that God is developing things in His perfect timing. We just have to trust Him.

We are’t sure exactly when they hatched but Ron noticed them for the first time Saturday. Yesterday we noticed the Squabs alone in the nest. I’m sure Momma and Pop were close by and keeping an eye on them. God is like that. He might be “out of sight” but He is close and keeping an eye on our safety. We just have to trust Him.

Why is it so hard to trust and fully submit everything to Him? As I prepare for our last Bible study lesson in our current book, it’s about being submissive. I waited a few days to make notes for our last meeting, because we skipped meeting last week with two girls out of town. Let me just say, God’s timing is so perfect. When I sat down to study , God did some much needed work in my heart. Jesus is our example and we should totally surrender every hurt, falling short, let down, and frustration over to Him because He loves us so much. There are so many worries and cares in life but the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 , “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.‭‭ (‭NLT‬‬) Pastor told us yesterday in church that worship was also obedience. When we submit and obey God that is an act of worship. It’s so amazing how God ties it all together; seeing nature, Bible study on submission and Pastors words. Thank you Lord for grace and peace. Thank you Lord for gently teaching me Your mighty ways. I am humbled and so beyond thankful. Continue your wonderful work in me as You continue to examine my heart and mold me into the woman you desire me to become.

On a side note, I’d love to get a little camera to view the Squabs when they learn to fly. I’m going to talk to Ron about that idea. Not sure what he will say but oh the joy tha would bring, seeing the young ones gain their independence to become all God has called of them. That’s just like us. There are more lessons here. Now if I can get Ron to get that camera.

This is actually my 200th blog post! I love sharing what God puts in my heart. I pray it’s a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to subscribe and pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.
Www.shannonkhinson.com

Who are you looking to?

April 30, 2024Leave a Comment

Yesterday the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department suffered a great loss. Several US Marshalls and Charlotte Police were shot, injured and some killed in the line of duty protecting our community. (I’m going to say several since I don’t know if the number has changed. ) My heart is heavy. I was born and raised in Charlotte and live right across the state line now. A dear young man at church is in that police division and I immediately thought of him and prayed. He is safe.

As I had my quiet time this morning, covering this situation, I came across the following verse. “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭12‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

You don’t need to be informed about the lawlessness in our nation and world. When I see the corruption in our courts and government and how people are against our police that risk their lives to protect our community, it makes me MAD. Our government and justice system are supposed to lead and protect, but they do not. Look t our Southern border being wide open. So many politicians and judges are bribed, it is outrageous. It’s like an impossible evil sinister force raging war against what is right. As I read this verse this morning and the opposition they were facing, this stood out to me, “nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Let me tell you something, we are NOT without HOPE. Our HOPE is in the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. He is sovereign and sees all this madness. I don’t know why bad things happen but I know God can be trusted. This all makes me think about Habakkuk and his question to the Lord. “O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

Please don’t miss God’s response. ““Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬). Open up your Bible and read the rest for yourself. God is in control.

We must humble ourselves, repent and pray. If you are not one to spend much time in prayer, there is no time like the present to start. Our eyes must be on the LORD, not the lawlessness surrounding us. 2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ says, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (NKJV‬‬)

Will you join me in praying for our police officers? They risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe. Humble yourself and seek God’s face. We must look to Him. Our eyes must be upon The Lord. His ways are so much higher than ours. It might not make sense to us but we can trust Him and His holy, righteous and loving character.

I’m going to post a music video of an awesome song. This battle surely does belong to God. Have no fear, HE WINS.

The “rooms” of your heart

April 27, 2024Leave a Comment

I wasn’t intending to blog this morning but I’ve ben working on my “heart”. Let me explain just a bit. Our Bible study group is on our very last lesson in our current book. We have been studying about God’s plan for men and women and the role of a submissive wife.

This week we had an excellent discussion and went “off course” just a bit to talk about the “rooms in our heart. Submission doesn’t just happen in a marriage. We are first to submit to God as Lord of our lives.

The Lord dropped something into Tami’s heart and it was a “hands on visual” activity to help us to understand what’s in our hearts and what we have or have not surrendered to God’s control. Tami drew some hearts for us with different rooms for us to fill in. It’s really an eye opening exercise. I will put a copy of one of the hearts that you can screenshot and fill in digitally like I did.

This is what Tami gave our Bible study to fill out under the direction of the Lord.

Psalms 139 is one of my many favorite chapters in the Bible. I have many. In this chapter the following two verses can be found. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). It’s amazing what God can show you when you are open to Him. There are some rooms in my heart that I believe I have give Him control over. There are also rooms I offer to Him then unintentionally grab back. For example let’s look at worry. While I don’t make it a habit to constantly worry. After all the Bible tells us in Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25‬-‭26‬, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” *(NLT‬) I see a reminder of this everyday when I look out the window and see the mourning dove momma sitting on her nest right outside my window. Recently we had an unusually cold day and while I can’t see that well, I noticed the dove was kind of hunched up and moving. I asked my husband Ron to take a look and he said it was shivering because it was cold. I felt bad for the little dove sitting on her nest but God takes care of her. While I do’t worry about material things, I do worry about situations and people. I have to give that over to the Lord daily. Lord help me not to snatch it back but leave it in your hands.

Here’s one more example: a little bitter root. Bitter? Who me? Ok just hear me out. I don’t think I’m bitter for the most part. I’m grateful for so many things. But when I think of my low hearing and vision and see my son dealing with similar (but not as bad) issues I can’t help but t have just a tiny bit of…. Can I even admit it….. bitterness. There is a lot of “whyLord “. Sure, I have given it to the Lord millions of times and I’m doing so much better in this area but there is still a tiny bitter root that God needs to help me uproot and burn. That’s just two examples of my “heart” I’m filling out. I will even share with you what I have so far. We will never be perfect but we CAN choose to seek God first in all things.

So today once again, I’m starting off in worship, prayer , meditating on the goodness of God and His precious Word. Hebrew 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”(NKJV‬‬)

Out of the blue, I just started singing out loud…. (The guys aren’t here) It is my desire to honor you Lord, with all that is within me I worship you. All that is within me, I give you Praise. All that I adore is in You. I give you my heart, I give you my soul. I live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake…. Lord have your way in me. I believe the song is called “I Give You my heart.” Knowing me, my lyrics are slightly off but it’s what I’m singing anyway.

So what about you? What do you have in the rooms of your heart? Are you willing to open the door and let God enter and clean it out? We are human and will never be perfect but we can live our life surrendered to God and His Lordship. I will tell you the truth, He fills me with so much joy sometimes it is just amazing. I struggle with many things but I attempt to give them to Him everyday. I know He is sovereign over all and can be fully trusted. Have a wonderful weekend.

I pray this blog post has been a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. Push through. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.
Www.shannonkhinson.com

R.E.S.T

April 22, 2024Leave a Comment

Monday morning after a weekend of rest, I don’t typically wake up and think about rest. Truth be told, I really don’t rest as much as I should. I can be still but my mind is always going places. Being a thinker and trying to figure things out causes me to usually be in some “state of thinking”.

Last night I was trying a new recipe for Chicken Philly hoagie sandwiches. (They turned out great. Just need a bit more seasoning next time.) Right before that I was working on Bible study notes which I need to figure out how to shorten. After cleaning up the kitchen I was editing notes to send to my Bible study group. Then I got online to research two entirely different things. One of those things being related to how to do a raised garden box. I’m trying to figure out what to put in the cedar planter that ended up being smaller than I thought. So many things to consider and figure out. You see it? A constant turning of my thoughts in one way or another.

Last night I forgot to take my Fitbit off so I woke to a series of vibrations when a friend texted me before the birds woke up. Once I was awake, I was right back at the “thinking game”. I sat down to pray and have my quiet time. I came across an acronym that really got my attention. R.E.S.T. Release every single thing. Wow. That is exactly what I need to do. R.E.S.T. Release every single thing to God.

It’s Monday and I’m already striving and trying to figure things out. I often try my best to “help” God but God does not need my help. He wants my submission and surrender. I’m like, “Lord I can only do so much. I can do my part but I can’t make things happen. Please open doors concerning Your Will or close doors we have no business entering.” That’s kind of how my prayer went this morning. I need to do a lot more R.E.S.T(ing) Releasing every single thing to God, and leave it there.

Surely I’m not alone. Is there anyone else out there who needs to R.E.S.T.? Let’s do this. It will be a lot lighter load when we release it and let our Heavenly Father work things out according to His Will. Have an awesome week.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

When you PUSH through

April 9, 2024Leave a Comment

We all encounter things in life that seem to be blocking our path. It could be something hindering you from moving forward. It could also be a lack of resources to reach your goal. I will throw in one more, lacking ability to reach your destination. Whatever the obstacle is, you’ve got to push through or find a way around it.

This week I’ve been studying some of the women of the Gospels. The account of the woman with the bleeding condition in Mark 5 beginning with verse 25, has always resonated with me. I mean the testimony of this women has always stirred me inside since I was young. Why? Well I can relate to suffering from something for many years. I can also relate to seeing many doctors who couldn’t really help. Besides the doctor who did my cochlear implant surgery in 2006, my incredible audiologist, and the doctor who assisted me when our son was born, the rest of them weren’t so helpful. ( well honestly they help with general things but not the hearing and vision issues) I’ve had a total of five eyelids surgeries and found out one was not even needed. That’s a little hint to my wariness of doctors.

As I studied to prepare for our weekly Bible study, once again the woman with the bleeding condition stirred my heart. One thing about teaching on a subject, you end up going a bit deeper. I have seen the story so many times but never really considered how negatively her bleeding condition impacted her life. Back in the Old Testament, people with a continuous discharge of any kind were considered unclean. What they laid on or sat on was unclean. Leviticus 15 explains the Old Testament laws concerning these things.

So this woman has suffered for 12 years with this bleeding condition. She has depleted her financial resources by seeing many doctors who could not help. She in fact got worse. Think of her physical, emotional, social and spiritual distress for 12 long years.

The word had spread of Jesus, His power and healing touch. Everyone must have been talking about Jesus and the special ministry of healing and compassion He shared. The woman heard that Jesus was there and she wanted to touch the edge of His robe. Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ says, “She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.”(NLT‬‬)

That sounds like a pretty bold act of faith on her part. The crowd was pressing in on all side. She was probably weak and tired from blood loss. People in the crowd who knew her were possibly wondering ”Why is she here? She’s unclean”. She obviously didn’t care what the people thought. She was determined to get through the crowd and touch the hem of Jesus robe. She believed. She had great faith and acted n it. As a result she was healed immediately. Everywhere the Bible is shared, the story of her faith can encourage others.

She did not let the stigma of her condition prevent her from pushing through the crowd. She didn’t let her weakened condition or the pressing crowd hinder her. She was determined to push through and touch Jesus.

Is something stopping you from reaching out to Jesus in faith? Are you afraid of what others might think? God wants us to step out in faith. James 2‬:‭22‬ ‭, says, “You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.”(NLT‬‬) James‬ ‭2‬:‭26‬ goes on to say, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”‭‭( NLT‬‬) Lord help us have that kind of faith that moves and acts, believing and trusting you.

Years ago there was a woman at our church with kidney problems. She had gone up to the front of the church for prayer. I felt a prompting to go pray for her but I resisted. I was like, “Lord who am I to go pray for her?Can’t I pray for here from where I am?” A period of time passed and there was an altar call at another church service. Many people had gone forward for prayer and the lady was on the stage. Once again I felt a prompting to go up and pray for her. This time I obeyed. She told me later she had the best week following that.
What if we always acted promptly in faith, believing God for the impossible? Just like the woman with the bleeding condition who was determined to act in faith. The more we get to know Jesus and spend time in His Word (the Bible)the more likely we will walk in genuine faith. Praying, acting in faith, and watching to see what only God can do. He is God of the impossible. I love Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”(NLT‬‬)

The gift of suffering

April 4, 2024Leave a Comment

Yesterday I came across a devotion on our church’s App. It’s actually a book called “Read and Pray” which is portions of sermons our Pastor Loran Livingston has preached over the years at Central Church of God. We bought many copies about a year ago and gave them away as gifts. Recently a friend reminded me of the devotions and I started reading them again on the church app. You can find the devotion on https://centralnc.org/read_prayer_devotional The website is http://www.centralnc.org Past messages and music are on there. Check it out.

Yesterday, April 3 devotion was titled, “What have you done with this gift of suffering”. Please go to the website and check it out for yourself. I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’ve ever thought about suffering as a gift. Suffering can be depressing. It can be annoying and discouraging. But a gift?

One of the scriptures listed to look up is Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬ which says,“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” (NLT‬) There it is folks. The New Living Translation calls it a privilege to suffer for Christ. That sure is a “game changer”.

There is an old saying, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.” If you take a good look at people around you and really see them and their situations, you will see suffering on all different levels. You can see emotional suffering when people are having relationship issues. There is financial suffering when families try so hard to make “ends meet” in this ridiculous inflation.There are people suffering from physical pain and health issues. Other people suffer from their lack of ability.

If we look at our “suffering” through the lens of “privilege “ or a “gift”, what are we doing with it for the glory of God? I will be the first to admit that it’s tough. Honestly you can’t do this in your own strength, but you can in the strength of the Lord. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In my personal situation, many might see my low vision and hearing issues a suffering. I’ve heard many people complain when they couldn’t drive for a certain period of time like that was the end of the world. I get it. At the beginning that was one “tough loss” but here I am about 35 years since I stopped driving, and I’m just fine. It was not the end of the world. My priorities have changed. I don’t always have to be going somewhere and I’m sensitive to others around me that have “lost”something. Add to that low vision hearing and speech comprehension issues, is it easy? Not by any means but God has given much perspective and empathy for others.

God has given me opportunities to get involved in serving others and helping to meet their needs. There is nothing like taking the attention off yourself and helping others. Forget the “woe is me” outlook. A couple of months ago my husband Ron and I got involved with some friends helping with Rice N Beans Ministry. We are helping with the Rock Hill location. A few weeks ago we met a homeless man and he said he was so blessed because he knows Jesus. This man has no earthly possessions but he has Jesus and he feels so blessed. That is the biggest testimony. With his “gift of suffering” in being homeless, he is declaring the goodness of God. Wow.

Another example of doing something with the “gift of suffering” would be in teaching bible study to my deaf girlfriends. Three of us have hearing loss and one is hearing. Our learning approaches are all different and so are our reading skills. With my vision issues and preparation for the lessons, it takes a lot of time to prepare. As I have pressed through, God has given me a deeper understanding of His Word. The girls who bought Bibles at the beginning of the study are now looking up and reading scripture. They participate in the discussions. One friend who has always been shy about praying out loud, is now signing short prayers. She said she didn’t know how to sign it in English. I said “ Prayer is talking to God. It doesn’t matter how you sign it, just talk to our Heavenly Father, and so she did. These things are priceless.

So what are you doing with your “gift of suffering”? Can you even see suffering as a “gift”? Think about the hardships you have endured. Has God brought people along side you to help “carry the load”? That could be in the forms of encouragement, offering to pray, bringing a meal, offering a listening ear. Reading Pastor’s devotion and reflecting on life, helps me see things more clearly.

I pray this blog post has been a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations . God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.
Www.shannonkhinson.com

Because “It is Finished”

March 29, 2024Leave a Comment

Today is “Good Friday” and I’m so thankful to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. The horror of what Jesus endured for us is so beyond my comprehension.

Here is a little bit of the account after the horrific crucifixion. “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.” Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭45‬-‭54‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) and another, “When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

On this “Good Friday” (I always have wondered why they named it Good Friday with the torture that Jesus endured for us and His death.) Let’s allow this to sink in. He who knew no sin, took our place on that cross. Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb . He sacrificed His life on the cross so that we could live when we accept Him as Savior, ask Him into our hearts , confessing our sins and need of His grace. The highest price He paid and the death He died, so we could live.

It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of The Father. Check our Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭16‬,“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”(NLT‬‬)

Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior?He loves you so much He died on the cross for you. It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming. Not only that but He conquered the grave. He rose again on the third day.

Salvation doesn’t depend on a certain location. Where ever you are right now, you can confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you. Ask Jesus into your heart today to change your life around for His glory. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” ‭(NLT‬‬)

To end this blog I want to share a music video. Check it out.