How is our "Infiltration Capacity?"

Infiltration Capacity: the maximum rate at which a soil in a given condition will absorb water.

As I was studying for my geography exam today, I came across this term. It felt as if the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and asked: "What is your infiltration capacity?"

Of course, I wasn't sure what he meant. So he proceeded to remind me of the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20). In this parable, there are four types of ground the seed (the word) is sown into. A) The ground by the way side (beside the path or road), B) Stony ground, C) Thorny ground, and d) Good ground. 

The ground by the way side is not cultivated. It is hardened by the walking tracks and animal and human alike, not to mention carts being pulled by animals. Therefore, the Infiltration capacity for this ground is not very high. Not only is it hard to plant a seed there, it is hard for water to get to the seed, so the seed dries out and lays there. Birds come along and take the seed away. There will be no harvest in the ground by the way side. Many hearers of the word are barely fazed by it, before the enemy is able to strip that holy seed from their minds. 

The Stony ground has a little bit higher Infiltration capacity. After all, water can get caught between the rocks and soften the ground. The seed can even land there and begin to take root. However, due to the rocky soil, the plant that the seed produces has a very hard time seeing the light of day. It's hard for a plant to push its way through the rocks. Not to mention that rocky soil, because of the rocks mixed in with the soil, tends to be shallow. One good rain and many young plants are simply washed away to die. A few people may make it through their stony ground- very few.

The Thorny ground has a still higher Infiltration capacity. After all, the ground below the thorny plants is loose enough for a seed and can accept water when the rains fall. But, when the plant begins to grow, it finds itself being choked out by the thorns it grows underneath. Most people who make a start and fall away are in this category. The cares of this life choke out the seed of life. What cares? Riches, fame, materialism, parties, daily needs, housing, their next conquest, etc. The list goes on and on. 

Then there's the good ground. Good ground has been tilled, breaking up the hard fallow surface. Good ground has had the rocks and thorns removed. This ground has a high Infiltration capacity. Water soaks right in to aid the growth of the seed into a strong, fruitful plant. These people almost all will make heaven. 

Then, Jesus makes another amazing inference that can lead to a more modern definition for "Infiltration Capacity:" And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?"(verse 21)

When a candle is lit, the light infiltrates the darkness around it. Is our light shining? Are we blending in to the darkness around us, or do we stand up against the darkness and allow the light of Jesus to shine forth? How far into the lives of others can the Jesus within us infiltrate? Are we hiding his light under a bushel by trying to blend in and go with the flow? 

In another chapter, Jesus says we are the salt of the earth, but that salt is no good and is trampled by the worlds feet is it has lost it's saltiness. Why is the world slipping further and further into darkness? Why are the worlds voices rising up against us and the God we stand for? 

We, the church as a whole, have by and large ceased being that salt. We've stopped being the light. Our good ground has grown fallow, hard, and filled with rocks and thorns. We, as his people, need to repent and return from whence we have fallen! Then, and only then, will we be able to have the capacity to infiltrate the world around us and effect it for the good.  

Lord, please help us to become ground that you can infiltrate with the water of your word. Please allow us to live in such a way that your light can shine through and infiltrate and effect the darkness around us. 

In Jesus name!

What do you see in the midst of your troubles?

Isaiah 6

King James Version (KJV)

6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Isaiah was a very important man. He was a prophet. He was also near kin to the king. As such, he had the honor of being in the kings court as an adviser. 

When King Uzziah died, the land was turned over to his son, Jotham. Uzziah was a righteous king. Albeit, he made one severe mistake and the Lord placed leprosy on him because of it. According to 2 Chronicles 27, Jotham was an even better king that Uzziah had been. 

But, in Isaiah 6, Isaiah (nor anyone else) had no idea what kind of king Jotham would be. Would he follow the Lord, as his father had? Or, would he, like Solomon's son, turn his back on God and the people. It certainly was a possibility. How many children of wealth and power turn bad? Many.

But, here, in Isaiah 6, you can imagine Isaiah's troubled thoughts. As a king's prophet, he was accustomed to living well and having the best of everything. He was also accustomed to having the king's ear. 

In many cases, in the ancient world, whenever there was a change of kings, those that were in leadership positions for the old king, were put out of their positions and left to fend for themselves. They also were, sometimes- killed. 

So, Isaiah had a lot on his mind. Would he lose his job? His life? He didn't know what would happen. 

So, he did what we should do. He went to the house of God and sought the Lord. I'm sure Isaiah wasn't expecting what happened. Sure, he expected guidance. He expected to hear from the Lord for a word to help him in his troubles. He didn't expect to be ushered into the very throne room of heaven and see God almighty in all his glory.

When he saw the glory of God, and the majesty of heaven, Isaiah just knew he was done for. You can hear it in his response: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

"This is it for me," he seems to have thought.

Yet, unexpectedly, God didn't kill him- as he deserved. On the contrary, the Lord cleansed him. May we all learn from this.

Yes, God is holy. Yes, God expects us to be holy. Yes, God is judgement. But, as it was so eloquently worded in the book, The Harbinger (by Jonathan Cahn), "judgement is God's necessity. But his nature is mercy."

God cleansed Isaiah of his sins. Then, he acted as if they had never existed. And, as if Isaiah's problems really amounted to nothing at all, he ignored them. Rather, he offers Isaiah a promotion. He basically said, "Will you go and speak for me? Let me be your king? Let me worry about the future?"

In the midst of all of Isaiah's problems, the scripture declares he "saw ALSO the Lord." Herein lies the answer to our dilemma's. It doesn't say that he ignored his problems. It says that, though he did see his problems, he ALSO so the Lord.

He didn't just see him, however. He saw him "high and lifted up." He saw him as the ultimate being, on the throne and in control. He saw "the mighty God, the everlasting father." (Isaiah 9:6)

He also saw that "his train filled the temple." First of all, the temple was a huge place. This was not someone's living room, or a store front church. This place was so big that angels had room to fly (verse 6)!

In those days, royalty wore a train. But, it usually only hung down to somewhere just above the ankles. When a prince became a king, this was about how long his train was. But, every time he won a battle, the train was made longer.

Here, Isaiah saw the Lord in a huge temple. Yet, the Lord's train filled that temple! In other words, God had won battle after battle. And guess what? He's never lost a battle! So, when the Lord gave Isaiah a mission, he knew he could safely answer, "Here am I. Send me." Why?

Because he knew that by joining the Lord's mission, he was on the winning side.

So, in the midst of life's chaos and calamity, we can know we are right. In the middle of this worlds confusion and our troubles and problems, we can know that we are on the winning side. That, no matter what, if we stay with the Lord's will for our lives, we will be victorious.

So, rather than focus on our problems and worries, struggles and trials, lets see ALSO the Lord. If we can somehow pray our way into his presence and see that he is in control, then we can have hope that our trials won't last forever. And,we can know that we are on the winning side.

Who knows, maybe God will give us a mission, as well.     

Marc Royce 3.0- Called to be weak?

1 Timothy 6:11-12

King James Version (KJV)

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

If you (like me) are a fan of Davis Bunn's action character, Marc Royce, then get ready for a treat. What started in Lion of Babylon and it's sequel, Rare Earth, continues in Bunn's latest novel, Straight of Hormuz, due out November 5, 2013.  

Part three has more action, more plot twists, and even more problems to overcome. Seemingly isolated from his government, in conflict in his personal relationships, and facing a foe that is both intelligent and tricky, what's a spy to do?

However, for me personally, the true resolution of the book doesn't come at the very satisfying ending that leaves the possibility of another sequel (please?). It comes on pages 201 and 202 out of 332 pages. Marc Royce teaches us all a much needed lesson:

"I have spent my entire adult life training to be a warrior. To analyze and fight and succeed. To control risk and battle danger. And yet there comes a moment when I must go against my training. When I must accept that events are not to be fought against, but rather accepted in prayer. That at such times I cannot retreat into the safety of coldness and anger and still remain a faithful servant. There is NO (emphasis mine) harder lesson for me to learn than to recognize the moment when I am called to be weak."

Wow! What a lesson!

I can hear Paul (I believe) saying: 32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:32-34).

I can hear 2 Chronicles 20:15 : And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

We humans, especially men, seem to go through life trying to "defeat our enemies." Every situation we find ourselves in must be analyzed, strategized, and conquered.  We pat ourselves on the back for our ingenuity. Yet, sometimes, our Lord has to allow the situation to get so bad that we have no choice but to look up and ask for his divine help. That's usually when he moves his sovereign hand and brings victory- after we have submitted to him.

This is why I enjoy these books so much. Though Marc is an amazing character in literature, he is not presented as a superman. He is presented as well trained, intelligent, and dedicated, but as a real human being. He suffers the same doubts, fears, and weaknesses that we do.

Most importantly, he has to rely on God's help to bring the victory, just as we do.

If you want to read a good book just for enjoyments sake, Straight of Hormuz is an excellent choice. However, if you want to get more out of it than an afternoon or two's entertainment, then dig a little deeper.

This action book should come with a Christian study guide. It covers themes of relationships with the opposite sex (keeping ourselves pure), standing for truth (even when our superiors are against us), relationships with other believers, and much more.

Want to taste before you buy? Here's a link to the first 3 chapters:  (http://statictab.com/j4s7yd8). 

Good stuff, Davis Bunn. When's the next one coming out?

Mike and Dewain: A short story

Mike shuffled through the lines to pay his entrance fee for the “county fair by the sea”.

“What am I doing here?”, he thought.

Still, he continued forward. He idly ignored the happy family of four with the two year old, laughing in her daddy's arms. Her mother held their four year old son. He ignored the obviously in love couple flirting behind him.

He stared straight ahead with a grim look on his face. He couldn't watch. It reminded him of what he'd once had and lost. The anonymity of the crowd, he hoped, would ease his loneliness.

“That'll be eight dollars, sir,” said the girl in the booth. He paid the fee and meandered off into the fair.

As he watched the nearby ocean, memories assaulted him. His beautiful Evon and little Marie. He could see them playing in the surf. More scenes played across his mind. Laughing at Marie's three year old antics. Evon and he throwing water at each other. Holding Marie on one arm and Evon's hand with the other.

A weary smile crossed his face, only to be replaced by a wince of pain as other memories invaded his reverie. The frantic phone call from Evon. The car parts strewn about the freeway. The angry policeman yelling at him as he slid to a halt near the wreck. Firemen using the jaws of life trying to cut Evon out. He was told, but didn't remember, that he'd kept yelling their names. The terrible feeling of doom that had fallen over him as he saw them lifted from the wreckage. They weren't moving.

He physically ached whenever he thought of them. He quickly averted his eyes from the surf and moved further into the fairgrounds. He took deep breaths and let them out slowly, trying to regain control of his emotions.

“Pastor Moody?” he heard a voice say.

Surprised, he looked up to see two young couples. Aaron and Heather Sinsley and John and Erica Brown. He remembers their courtships and their weddings. Then, the young couples had moved away. The Sinsleys to his North Carolina Marine base. The Browns to Florida. He shouldn't have been surprised to see the sisters and their families together here on the coast.

“Just Mike, please. I haven't pastored for more than a year.”

An awkward silence fell. Some small talk. Some offerings of prayer. Then, the group parted ways. They didn't say it, but they obviously wondered how he could've walked away from his calling. Mike wondered how he could have stayed.

“How could you take them?” he asked God for the millionth time.

Again, no answer came. So, he'd trudged on through the neon lit booths and rusty rides. Leaving his ministry behind, he'd started driving a truck. He made a good living and he wasn't bothered. How could he tell people about the love of Jesus anyway?

A piercing scream caused his blood to freeze. A thousand memories resurfaced. He forced them down and tried to walk away, but the press of the crowd gave him no choice but to move toward the cries of help. Soon, the sirens blared and the police had come, followed shortly by an ambulance. Curiosity overcame him and he made his way to a clear vantage point.

From there, he could see the scene. The young couple that had been ahead of him in the entrance line lay on the ground, their bodies twisted. Their screaming and confused children were being held back by the young couple that had been behind him. One glance told Mike that the couple was dead, having fallen from the top of the roller coaster, somehow.

Renewed rage at a God who would allow this to happen filled him. He tried to leave, but the crowd had him hemmed in.

“How could I have been so blind?” he inwardly screamed. “I told people for all those years how God loves them and he allows this kind of stuff to happen.”

A movement caught his eye.

An old man stepped from the crowd. He had gray hair, carried himself with authority, and used a shepherds staff- of all things.

“Is he trying to look like Moses?” Mike thought.

The man walked right past the officers trying to control the crowd. His attention was focused on the bodies. An EMT tried to block him, but, something about him caused the EMT to allow him access.

The crowd went silent. Hundreds watched as the old man stepped forward, knelt down, layed his hands on the corpses, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he simply said, “In the name of Jesus, arise and be made whole.”

“Moses” (as Mike now had him dubbed in his mind) got up. Suddenly, the breath entered back into the bodies. The bones that were broken were now straight. The skin that had been opened and pouring blood, was now as smooth as a newborn's. The couple stared at each other in confusion. The other couple, who now had tears rolling down their faces, released the two children. Immediately, the kids ran to their confused and healed parents. The family embraced.

The crowd stared at “Moses” in awe. He ignored them all and headed straight for Mike. A strong hand reached out and rested on Mike's shoulder.

“My name's not Moses, it's Dewain. I've come a long way to see you. We need to go somewhere where we can talk.”

Shock displaced anger, and Mike allowed himself to be led away. They walked right out of the park and down the road.

“Why am I following this guy?” he asked himself. “He could be just out of the psyche ward, for all I know.”

Yet, for all the reasons he could think of to walk away, the memory of those two bodies coming back to life kept his feet moving. As much as he wanted to leave, he wanted answers more.

Dewain suddenly turned left down a well worn path into the woods. The night was dark and the humidity and temps were high. As they walked, Mike kept being hit by tree limbs and palm leaves. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, an opening appeared.

A fire with two tents nearby greeted Mike's vision upon entering the clearing. The tents were little more than white pup tents. A circular row of rocks surrounded the fire. Around this, sat three small canvas chairs. Mike hears the sounds of running water nearby.

“Won't you have a seat, Mike?” Dewain said as he motioned toward the chairs.

“Why are we way out here? You said we needed to talk. We could've talked anywhere. Why here? Wait. For that matter, how'd you know my name?”

“I cannot answer all your questions at once. Perhaps if we were to sit, we could have a better discussion?”

Begrudgingly, Mike sits, as does Dewain.

“Now, I suppose you need answers.”

“Answers to what?”

“To why your life fell apart, of course.”

“And a man who lives in a tent and dresses like Moses is gonna give them to me?”

“Things aren't always what they seem, my friend.”

“It seems to me they are. You want to answer all my questions about life, and you don't even have your own place to live?”

“Like my Lord before me, I have no place to lay my head.”

“How can you possibly understand what I've been through? I suppose you call yourself a prophet. Truly, you're a vagrant psychologist!”

The old man's face reddened and his countenance grew fierce. With authority in his voice, the man stood and faced Mike. “If you won't ask your questions, then maybe I should ask some of my own.”

The authority in his voice and the fire in his eyes caused Mike's angry retort to stick in his throat. The prophet continued. “Who do you think you are? How could you just walk away from the lives that the Holy One intrusted to your pastoral care?”

“How did you know...?”

“I know far more than you could possibly imagine, boy! Life is hard. Sin ravages the land right down to its roots. Souls die and face eternal flames every hour of every day. Some of those that trusted God have walked away because of your lack of a backbone. Did you think that the world revolved around you? Did you think that you had control? Only one being in the universe has control, Mike, and you certainly ain't him! How could you just walk away from them?”

Mike angrily stands. “Evon and Marie were my life! I'd die a thousand deaths for them at any time. Yet, God saw fit to take them from me. What did they ever do to deserve that? How could a truly loving God allow them to die- mangled in a car like that? How could I tell people about a loving God after seeing that? What testimony could I possibly give them that could ever compare to the loss of my family?”

In the past, on the few occasions someone had questioned him for leaving his ministry, Mike's angry retort had shamed them and turned them away. Not now. 

Dewain got nose to nose with Mike, his eyes glared and veins extended on his forehead. “How DARE you! How dare you stand here in your arrogance and blame your loss and your own lack of intestinal fortitude on the almighty.”

“But, he...”

“HE is always right,” Dewain screamed. “HE is righteous. HE is Holy. HE knows all and sees all.”

“If he's so righteous, then WHY did he take my family?” Mike's hands shook with his pain.

The prophet now spoke in a softer tone. “Evon had cancer, Mike. She was going to die a slow and painful death. Marie's life would've went in a downhill spiral from losing her mom.”

Shocked, Mike asked, “How did you know about her cancer? We'd just found out.”

Dewain gently placed his hands on Mike's shoulders. “I am his emissary, Mike. I spend my life going where he sends me. He gives me tasks and messages. He tells me what I need to know.”

When Mike looked up, he saw tears rolling down Dewain's cheeks.

“I've walked in your shoes, Mike. I lost my son. I wrestled with the very things that are tearing you apart now.”

“So...” Mike paused to get his composure, “God took my family?”

“No.”

“But, you just said...”

“I told you what God knew. God didn't take them, though. The enemy of your soul caused their deaths in order to destroy your life and ministry. The Lord simply allowed it, because it suited his purposes.”

“How?”

“It showed mercy to both Evon and Marie. They are both in eternity, happily engaged with their savior and the many that have gone on before. They have no more pain or suffering.”

“That's fine and wonderful for them, but what about me?” Mike said. “How can I.... How can I continue without them?”

“By giving it to him, Mike. This experience can either break you or make you. He longs to hold you in his arms. He desires to ease your pain and comfort you.”

“I walked away in anger.” Mike said- as he shook his head in defeat. “He won't have me.”

“Yes, he will.”

“But, the Bible says 'No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.' He wouldn't want me.” Mike started to walk away.

Before he could leave the clearing, Dewain responded, “Mike, it also says 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”

Mike froze in mid-stride. Could it be? He looked back at the old prophet.

Tears flowed down his face. “Yes, son. He is willing and able to forgive you. He is ready to use you again.”

Mike remembered his wife and daughters deaths. Yet, now he could almost see... Wait! This isn't in his mind. Suddenly, as if through a window, he could see them! They were running towards the clearing. His clearing! They were laughing and smiling. They ran right up to Dewain.

Dewain was now facing away from him and hugging Mike's family. Yet, his clothes were changing texture and color. His skin darkened and, as the prophets robes slipped down his arm, Mike could see a nail scar on his wrist.

“What in the world....?” Mike whispered. He tried to step forward, but it was as if an invisible barrier were there. He lifted his arms and tried to reach for them, but his hands could go no farther than his feet. He screamed their names, but they couldn't hear him. Tears rolled down his face. He balled his hands into fists and dropped his head, his eyes closed against the sight.

“Why, Lord?” he asked. “Why show me this? Are you trying to taunt me? Haven't I felt enough pain?”

Gentle hands gripped his shoulders again. “I show you this to help you see where they are and what's awaiting you on the other side- IF you return to me. They truly are in a better place. Walk with me down the path's I choose for you. You will see them again in glory.”

Mike's knees lost their strength and strong hands guided him to the ground. Strong arms embraced him, as he began to pour his heart out. All his pain. All his hurt. All his anger. All lain at the master's feet. When he finally reached the end of himself, strength infused his being.

Mike stayed there, engulfed in love like he'd never felt. When he finally opened his eyes, the old man smiled.

“Dewain, I....”

“Shhh, son. What you have seen and felt, go and tell. Others need to hear your testimony. Go and tell them what great things God has done for you.”

“But, I'm not worthy.”

“You've been made worthy, son.”

Suddenly, as if a mist were being blown by a gentle breeze, Dewain and the rustic camp site began to disappear. The voice repeated, as if on the air, over and over, “You're worthy, son. You're worthy .”

A sharp raven's cry broke the spell. Mike looked around in surprise. He stood in the same clearing- alone in the sunshine.

“Was it a dream?” he wondered.

Immediately, a familiar “still small voice” inside him answered, “look down”.

He could see two sets of footprints- his own boots, and a set of bare feet that looked as if there was a hole in the middle of each foot. A soft smile appeared and fresh tears ran down his face .

“Thank you, Lord. Thank you.”

In response, he heard, “I love you, son.”

As he turned to leave, the old Shepherd’s staff was still there against an old oak.

“Take your staff, and go tell them of my love.”

Mike picked up the staff and headed back into the rest of his life and ministry. He'd been gone too long already.         

The Nest, part 2

"And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS (emphasis mine) purpose." -Romans 8:28

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." - Psalms 126:5

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a little Robin's seemingly futile attempts at building a nest. Given the location (the window sill above our front door), the very small frame it was attempting to build on, and the wind that seemed to blow the nest apart, it seemed a lost cause. However, today I must report to you that "Mildred" (my wife's name for the mother robin) was not only successful in her attempts, but she now has a small brood of baby robins to care for.

This got me to thinking, again. Life is not easy. Our lives seem to be filled with troubles that follow us from the cradle to the grave. Yet, the prosperity preachers continually shout how wonderful and blessed our God wants our lives to be. The usually unspoken flip side of this false doctrine is that if a person is struggling, then somehow they had a lack of faith- or didn't have enough faith with which to hold onto their miracle.

Mildred kept working at her appointed, and impossible, task in spite of her circumstances. She dealt with the wind. She avoided the predators. She stayed watchful and vigilant as she worked. Finally, the nest was done and she began the even more consuming task of caring for the eggs. After the chicks were born (can you call a baby robin a chick? I don't know.), she set out to find food and keep herself and the little ones both fed and safe from harm.

I believe that we humans tend to constantly look for easy street. We are continually trying to avoid the hard things in life. Worse, we've twisted our theology so badly that we- contrary to 1 Timothy 6:5 - suppose that gain IS godliness. When we find ourselves struggling we somehow believe, much like the disciples in the storm while Jesus slept, that God has abandoned us. Not so.

Every test and trial that we go through will be turned for our good IF:

a) we continue our love for the Lord, and

b) we walk in our calling, or if you'd prefer another term, his purpose for our lives.

When we find ourselves struggling in the storms of life, we need to keep loving Jesus. When everything in our lives that we try to do - like Mildred's nest- is continually falling apart in the winds of life, we need to keep loving Jesus AND keep trying to accomplish that which God has given us to do.

If we will - again, just like Mildred- we will see the dream take shape and life spring forth from a hopeless situation! We cannot give up and stop trying. No matter how bad the situation, God WILL make it work for good in both our lives, and his kingdom. How many people that point a finger at our lives and watch us struggle, may become that new born saint? How, you ask? As a result of them witnessing the Red sea parting in our lives. How many of our children will remember that we never gave up on God in our struggles and find the strength to keep living for God in theirs.

No. The struggle isn't easy, but it will be worth it- no matter the situation- to see others enter the kingdom through the "word of (our) testimony." Life's hard, but God specializes in making something beautiful out of our messes, if we let him. If you're struggling today, hold on to Jesus and keep working at your mission. One day, it'll be worth itl. God is truly good- and he makes our circumstances work out for good- all the time. And all the time, God is good.