Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Opportunity=Great Joy

My friend, Vee sent me this verse that she has been going through for a little bit and I think that it's absolutely perfect.

James 1:2-4-"Dear Brothers and Sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

I've never realized what a wonderful word opportunity is.
op·por·tu·ni·ty- n. pl. op·por·tu·ni·ties:
A chance for progress or advancement.

God gives us opportunities ALL THE TIME. Are we taking them?
Why aren't we? Don't you want to ADVANCE and move forward in your relationship with Christ? Don't you want intimacy like you have never even known? I know I do.

I just love that God is SO much bigger than ANYTHING we are going through. And just the thought of how big and loving and powerful He is, is an opportunity for GREAT JOY. Don't you just love that?! God can provide JOY in our toughest situations.
That just excites me and I pray that I can recognize the opportunity everytime I've hit a bump in the road...because I believe it could cause intimacy and pursuit like I have never experienced, which is what I want most in life.

Just go through this verse on your own. Hash it out. Make it mean something to you. Share what you got out of it!!! I would really love that.

Peace
Liz

4 comments:

sfc said...

liz....this is sooo amazing. i am going to share this with Cherry when i see her today and put this verse on a notecard for her so she can put it on her fridge. what an amazing young lady of Christ you have become and I cannot tell you how proud I am of you. keep up the good work! if you don't ming add Cherry to your prayer list. she is really struggling and has quite a long battle ahead of her. I love you! MOM

Liz said...

Thanks mom. That verse is seriously so amazing. I can't believe I hadn't heard of it before, but I guess God just sent it to me at the right time.

And will do, Mama.

Kyle P said...

The verse itself answers the question why we arent taking advantage of our oppotunities. Its because we consider them to be burdens instead of blessings. While James says we should consider it a joy we just think, oh why me, why cant someone else do this, i'm not ready for this, this isnt really God talking its just my own mind, i dont have to act cause someone else will. But God didnt choose someone else he chose you and he chose me. So when we finally start thinking of oppurtunites as blessings and not burdens then we will truely be blessed by them and experience that great joy

Liz said...

That's good stuff, Kyle. Thanks. :)