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Wednesday... Oh, if my life was easier.


Wednesday... Oh, if my life was easier.

We so many times look at our life and wish that it didn't have all that it has in it that cause us more work, more difficulties and more annoyances. We just don't see the benefit. We just see the problem, we just see the how it affects us in not making our life easier.

The writer of Proverbs 14:4 (Amp) starts by saying, "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean." And we can say that in many ways. How much better it would be if I was alone. How much cleaner the house would be if we didn't have kids. I hate getting up so early to go to work. I wish I didn't have this problem in my life. My life would be so much more enjoyable, so much easier to live.


But this verse doesn't stop there. It goes on to say, "But much revenue [because of good crops] comes by the strength of the oxen." The NLT says, "but you need a strong ox for a large harvest." 

There is so much more to life than just having it to be easy. This is such a good proverb.

Over in 2 Corinthians 12:7b (NLT) Paul writes, "So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud." And he prayed and prayed for it to be taken away. He wanted this torment in his life to be taken care of so it would be easier for him to live, yes, even easier to be a blessing for God and really be noticed. But God saw it in a different way.

Verses 8-10 says, "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, persecutions, and trouble that I suffer for Christ, For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So what is there in our lives that really annoys us but may be there for a purpose? Maybe God doesn't want our manger to be clean but to be used for a revenue, for a large crop, for us to become strong.

Oh, we would love for our life to be easier but Jesus didn't take the easy way and Paul didn't either. 

What did Paul say? "That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, persecutions, and trouble that I suffer for Christ, For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God takes that which Satan throws at us to hurt us and he changes it to be used for his purpose.  God knows what we really need. So let's not look for an easy life but a life used by God. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning


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