As the sand of the sea...

 "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."

Psalm 139:17-18

Encouragement for the Rough Times

Rough times come. We all know that, and we’re all very thankful when we get to a time of relative peace! This morning, as I was going though some memory verses, a particular verse jumped out at me.

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” —John 15:2 (emphasis mine)

The last part of that verse was very encouraging. Every branch that is bearing fruit will be “purged”. The Greek word for “purging” is kathairo, which means “to cleanse, to prune, or (figuratively) to atone”. It comes from the Greek word katharos, which means “to clean (literally or figuratively)”.

When we are following God, He tells us that we will be tested. Pruned. Cleansed. He’s making us better—better Christians, better people, drawing us closer to Himself and making us more like Him. Even though the pruning is never fun, He promises that the trial will never be too much for us (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So when the rough times come, remember this verse. Remember that He has a purpose in “purging” you, and while it may be hard to accept and keep going (I know it is for me!), He is making you able to “bring forth [even] more fruit.”

James 1:12 is a great encouragement as well,

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Keep pressing on the upward way!

My Identity in JESUS

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~Psalm 46~

A Promise for Friday—Jeremiah 33:3

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“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
—Jeremiah 33:3

What a promise! Praise the Lord!
-Esther