Book Review: Out of the Ordinary
Review by Cora Cheung, 14 yr old, Hong Kong Out of the Ordinary—God’s Hand at Work in Everyday Lives By David Roper I liked this book a lot, but reading all of it in one day is quite an overload. There is a lot of information packed into those 170 pages. I enjoyed his writing [...]
life’s cliffsnotes
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people (v.20).
READ: Genesis 50:14-22
When I taught high school English, my students’ use of CliffsNotes was an ever-present reality. I encouraged them to use these study guides along with reading the novel or play. While it’s true that the literary interpretations found in the guides could help them understand difficult passages, nothing could replace a firsthand reading of the complete works. To read the CliffsNotes in lieu of reading a novel would be like reading a recipe for apple pie instead of tasting the real thing. Shortcuts leave us shortchanged.
The same is true in our spiritual walk. Trials are our classrooms for character development. When pressed by the Potter’s hand, however, we’re tempted to claim that life is unfair or to look for a way out (Jeremiah 18:6).
Well-acquainted with the pain of others’ choices, Joseph knew hard times. The most important lessons he learned, though, came from what he believed about God’s heart (Genesis 50:20). The question is not whether difficult times will come but what our response will be when they do.
Jesus said that rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). So the challenge is to seek the goodness of His hand in the midst of whatever trials we encounter. Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 emphasis added). In order for things to work together for our good . . .
• we must love God, demonstrating it by our obedience (John 14:23).
• we must want to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives (Romans 8:28)—to become like His Son (v.29) for His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As we do these things, like Joseph, we will know God’s goodness even during hard times. —Regina Franklin
How has pursuing a CliffsNotes version of a trial shortchanged your character development? How can you stay focused on what God is doing when you face a challenge in life?
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Loading ...when the ground shakes
July 17, 2009
READ: Psalm 18:1-6
In my distress, I called upon the Lord. —Psalm 18:6
Several days after a devastating earthquake in the San Francisco area, a young boy was seen rocking and swaying on the school playground. His principal asked him if he was okay, and the boy nodded yes and said, “I am moving like the earth, so if there’s another earthquake I won’t feel it.” He wanted to prepare himself for another shaking of the ground.
Sometimes after a trauma, we brace ourselves for what might be coming next. If we’ve had a phone call that brought bad news, every time the phone rings we feel panicky and wonder, What has happened now?
The “ground was shaking” for the psalmist David after King Saul tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:10). He ran and hid. He thought death was next and told his friend Jonathan, “There is but a step between me and death” (20:3). He wrote, “The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid” (Ps. 18:4).
David cried to the Lord in his distress (v.6) and found that He was a stabilizer, One he could trust would always be with him. He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; . . . my stronghold” (v.2). The Lord will be that for us also when the ground shakes under us. — Anne Cetas
To survive the storms of life, be anchored to the Rock of Ages.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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