Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Frustration

At some point in life we have all been frustrated.  I know life itself seems to frustrate me.  God even frustrates me sometimes.  He never lets me down or abandons me.  Oh but he frustrates me.

The frustration seems to come into play when I'm not getting my own way. When I am trying to bargain.   It doesn't matter if it's work, an argument with my spouse, or an argument with God. My frustration comes from within me. It took me a long time to realize that. However, once I learned that, it became easier to not focus on whatever the issue is.

Does this mean that I won't get frustrated anymore?  Absolutely not.  But it does mean that I can take a step back and re-evaluate the situation.  I never want to be so frustrated that a situation causes me to lose sight of God.

How do you best handle frustration?  Are you quick to go to God or do you stew over the issues?

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Bible Study Resources

Do you use resources other than the Bible to study God's word?  I have heard some people say that they only use the Bible itself when studying God's word.  However, I have learned that some books can point us towards verses in the Bible that we need to read.  When we use these books in connection with our Bibles, we can learn a lot.

While reading a book on prayer, I read about Psalms 25:4-5.  I read it there in the book.  Then I looked it up in my Bible.  I wanted to make sure it was not paraphrased.

They say "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." These 2 verses spoke to me because they are a gentle reminder that I must continue to ask God every day to keep guiding me through His plan for my life.

Therefore, I will continue to use not only my Bible, but also devotionals and other books to help me to continue to grow as a Christian.  I know that the church I currently attend has several books that I can borrow.  Check to see if your church does.  It can help point you in a direction that you may not have even thought of.