Encouraging

WOW...Thanks for all of your encouraging responses to the blogs. It is amazing how just when I start to think that it is time to end the blogs, a number of encouraging comments arrive and I decide to continue a little longer. I am certainly not a writer like Carol, and I often wonder if I am actually communicating anything significant.

Recently I have been thinking much more about faith. It is so easy for me to put my faith in all sorts of things or people but lack the depth of faith in God that I desire. I am blessed with an outstanding class and our teacher Tom who continues to turn our focus on God as we study the Scriptures. As I continually see God in a new light and gain a better understanding of Him, I often ask myself why my first approach to any problem isn't always directed to Him and His Word?

As we continued our study of Mark 10 Sunday, we dug deeper into Jesus words to the blind Bartimaeus; "What do you want me to do for you?" On the surface that sounds like an easy one to answer, but as I roll that thought around, I move away from the trivial desires and find myself focusing on the BIG desires that will live long after I have left this world. And when praying for the more immediate issues, I find myself focusing my prayers more on the resulting eternal impact of the outcomes (His glory) rather than the desired solution.

In our study we discussed Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." We decided that this could be saying that the Lord will both plant the desires in our hearts as well as respond to them. Those have been challenging thoughts for me.

As I read Romans 1:12, I thought of you dear friends: "I am eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way each of us will be a blessing to the other." Thanks for being a blessing!

Love,

Chuck