Hardened to Difficulties
From November 2009
"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." Isaiah 41:10 amp
"...Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and distrubed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" John 14:27b amp
"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]." 1 John 4:18 amp
God says He will strengthen and harden me to difficulties. This verse has always sounded like such a good thing to me. Being hardened to difficulties. It doesn't say hardened by them, just to them. God's desire for His children is not a heart hardened by trials, but a heart protected by a hardened surface that the enemy can't penetrate. How does this come about? As we go through trials God strengthens us and hardens us to them so that each time another trial comes, it bothers us less and less.
The more God takes me through, the less I worry when hit with a difficult circumstance or trouble. Hurtful words and actions that we experience are never pleasant. However, I have found that the longer I walk with Jesus and the more I walk according to His ways, the less "ouch" nasty things produce. Things that would have caused much sorrow and tears in years past no longer even bring a wince now. I have experienced God's loving care enough to know that He is faithful, and He has never failed me. Better still, He isn't going to---ever. There isn't any need to fuss, fret, and fume over anything. God is faithful, and He is good. His care of me is perfect.
Is there a pressing need in my life? Do the children need clothing? Is a bill coming due? Is the larder looking a little sparse? Oh, I see. That's ok. Whatever is needed will come in at exactly the right time. That time is now? Hmmm. Really? Who says, man or God? What does God say regarding this situation anyway? Let's see...He supplies all my needs....He never leaves me or forsakes me....I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread...If I seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things will be added to me...He satisfies my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagles...Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights with whom is no variance nor shadow of turning...my children are taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace...He gently leads those with young...He leads me beside the still and restful waters...my cup runneth over...He restoreth my soul...The Lord is my Shepherd[to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack...and on and on and on the Word continues to testify of God's faithful and constant care of His children. A journey through the Word quickly disperses any fear, worry, or nagging doubt that may attempt to distract me from God's goodness.
1 John 4:18 tells us that he who is afraid has not yet reached the full maturity of love. That they are not yet grown into love's complete perfection. After reading these verses in Isaiah 41:10 and 1 John 4:18, I can't help but think that perhaps being hardened to difficulties is connected to reaching the full maturity of love. That's where I want to be, in the full maturity of love. I want to grow into love's complete perfection. I long to get to that place where I have walked so long with Jesus experiencing His loving care, provision, and protection that it is impossible for me to fear or even worry a teeny, tiny bit. What a wondrous realm of peace that must be. I'm on my way! Step by step, verse by verse, with every adjustment of my flesh towards Christ's life in me I'm maturing in God. Since 1John 4:8 tells me that God is love, then if I'm maturing in God, I'm maturing in Love. What about you? Are you growing into love's complete perfection? Are you allowing God to strengthen you and harden you to difficulties?
Our Heavenly Father's care of His children is so extravagant that not only does He protect us and strengthen us in time of trouble, but He also provides a way so that it doesn't hurt so much the next time trouble comes around. Such tender, compassionate care. I would surely hate to be an enemy of God's child! He's very protective of his own. His love is boundless and sure. I pray that you will experience the Father's extravagant and boundless care in a way that is more real that ever before. That before this season of Thanksgiving has past, you will have tasted of the great goodness of your Heavenly Father.
"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." Isaiah 41:10 amp
"...Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and distrubed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" John 14:27b amp
"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]." 1 John 4:18 amp
God says He will strengthen and harden me to difficulties. This verse has always sounded like such a good thing to me. Being hardened to difficulties. It doesn't say hardened by them, just to them. God's desire for His children is not a heart hardened by trials, but a heart protected by a hardened surface that the enemy can't penetrate. How does this come about? As we go through trials God strengthens us and hardens us to them so that each time another trial comes, it bothers us less and less.
The more God takes me through, the less I worry when hit with a difficult circumstance or trouble. Hurtful words and actions that we experience are never pleasant. However, I have found that the longer I walk with Jesus and the more I walk according to His ways, the less "ouch" nasty things produce. Things that would have caused much sorrow and tears in years past no longer even bring a wince now. I have experienced God's loving care enough to know that He is faithful, and He has never failed me. Better still, He isn't going to---ever. There isn't any need to fuss, fret, and fume over anything. God is faithful, and He is good. His care of me is perfect.
Is there a pressing need in my life? Do the children need clothing? Is a bill coming due? Is the larder looking a little sparse? Oh, I see. That's ok. Whatever is needed will come in at exactly the right time. That time is now? Hmmm. Really? Who says, man or God? What does God say regarding this situation anyway? Let's see...He supplies all my needs....He never leaves me or forsakes me....I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread...If I seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things will be added to me...He satisfies my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagles...Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights with whom is no variance nor shadow of turning...my children are taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace...He gently leads those with young...He leads me beside the still and restful waters...my cup runneth over...He restoreth my soul...The Lord is my Shepherd[to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack...and on and on and on the Word continues to testify of God's faithful and constant care of His children. A journey through the Word quickly disperses any fear, worry, or nagging doubt that may attempt to distract me from God's goodness.
1 John 4:18 tells us that he who is afraid has not yet reached the full maturity of love. That they are not yet grown into love's complete perfection. After reading these verses in Isaiah 41:10 and 1 John 4:18, I can't help but think that perhaps being hardened to difficulties is connected to reaching the full maturity of love. That's where I want to be, in the full maturity of love. I want to grow into love's complete perfection. I long to get to that place where I have walked so long with Jesus experiencing His loving care, provision, and protection that it is impossible for me to fear or even worry a teeny, tiny bit. What a wondrous realm of peace that must be. I'm on my way! Step by step, verse by verse, with every adjustment of my flesh towards Christ's life in me I'm maturing in God. Since 1John 4:8 tells me that God is love, then if I'm maturing in God, I'm maturing in Love. What about you? Are you growing into love's complete perfection? Are you allowing God to strengthen you and harden you to difficulties?
Our Heavenly Father's care of His children is so extravagant that not only does He protect us and strengthen us in time of trouble, but He also provides a way so that it doesn't hurt so much the next time trouble comes around. Such tender, compassionate care. I would surely hate to be an enemy of God's child! He's very protective of his own. His love is boundless and sure. I pray that you will experience the Father's extravagant and boundless care in a way that is more real that ever before. That before this season of Thanksgiving has past, you will have tasted of the great goodness of your Heavenly Father.
***SAMPLE TOPIC FOR CHRISTMAS FUN***
SNOWFLAKE MAKING MARATHON!!! How long has it been since you made a paper snowflake? Years? or was it merely days? No matter. Snowflakes provide us with yet another example of God's amazing creativity. As with fingerprints, no two are alike. The Christmas fun topic a.k.a. challenge today is this---MAKE A SNOWFLAKE! If you can't remember how, that's ok. I'll try and give a quick how-to here, but your best bet would be to google how to make a snowflake and go from there. OK, get a sheet of paper, white for the traditionalists, and any color or texture you want for everyone else. Fold the paper in half one direction, then in half the other direction. You could begin cutting now or if you prefer, you could continue to fold. Using sharp scissors (not fabric scissors), begin snipping little shapes out along the folded edge. CAUTION!!! Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT cut the folded edge completely. If you do, you will have only a portion of a snowflake rather than the whole. That's it. Keep folding and snipping until your "flakes" look like you want. Most likely, you won't be able to stop with only one.
Once you've finished, take a picture and/or scan your flakes to me and I'll post the pics on the blog! We'll have a blizzard for a day on A Mother's Reward. Now before you opt not to participate in this one, let me encourage you to at least try one. You might be surprised how therapeutic it can be to just fold and snip on a sheet of paper for a few minutes. It honestly is relaxing to focus on something completely unimportant and yes, naughty word that it is...FUN for even just a little bit of the day. So, try it, you might like it. Besides being fun to make, homemade snowflakes provide amazingly inexpensive decorations too. White ones on a dark colored tablecloth really stand out and create a festive look for the table. Hung from ribbon or fishing line at different heights in a window, they create a high-end look for a bottom of the barrel price. Opalescent glitter makes snowflakes hung on a lighted tree, wreath, or garland cause beautiful reflections. Snowflakes can be little bitty, monstrous, intricate, simple, red, white, blue, fushcia, glittered, plain, paper, fabric, heavy, or light. A snowflake cut out with an exacto knife(to avoid fold lines) from cardstock and covered with pearlized glitter could be attached to an inexpensive nightlight for a new winter decoration and/or gift. The possibilities truly are endless. Yea!!! You've reached the conclusion of the first Christmas Fun Topic Sampler! [Not all topics/questions will be this detailed and wordy---I promise] Find some paper, scissors, and go be "flakey"!