“For All” – Day Fourteen

12 Sep “For All” – Day Fourteen

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:10 NLT – “In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”

Observation: As Peter penned these words, he had moved well past the incidents for which we often remember him: his attempt to walk on water just as Jesus did and his ultimate denial of Christ three times prior to the crucifixion. Acts 5 gives us a much different picture of Peter as he shared the saving grace of Jesus to the multitudes in spite of being imprisoned and beaten at the hands of the religious leaders of his day. The wisdom he had gained during his early years as a disciple is on full display and he reminds us that there will be suffering in our lives, but that our Heavenly Father will lead us through the difficult times to a place of peace and restoration on the other side.

Application: Suffering is a subject that none of us care to dwell on in the course of our daily lives, but, if we are honest, it is an inevitable part of everyone’s life. In our social media world, we are too often reminded of the brightest points in the lives of everyone around us. We follow along as our friends and relatives revel in vacations, promotions and accolades at every turn. We rarely get to see the struggle, pain and heartache that people go through. Yet it is most often during those difficult times of life that we learn to trust our Heavenly Father at a deeper level and truly know what it is to have a more fulfilling life. 

During the Christmas of 1993, my wife and I were eagerly expecting our second child. On December 24th, my wife began to experience lightheadedness and was turning extremely pale. We eventually felt that the ER was our only option. Doctors informed us that my wife had a tubal pregnancy and if we had delayed fifteen minutes longer, her internal blood loss would have been too significant to survive the ordeal. The following weeks were extremely difficult for us, but God led us each step of the way and even allowed Melody (my wife) to comfort a friend who experienced the same situation just six months later. 

Each time I reflect on those anxious moments in the waiting room, I think how those fifteen minutes could have deeply impacted my life. One delay on the road to the ER could have left me as a single father at the age of twenty-nine. I can only marvel at God’s saving grace! He led us to the healing hands who could save my wife and since that time has blessed us with two more healthy children (and our first grandchild in the next two weeks!) This experience was God’s way of strengthening our faith at a deeper level. Pastor Mark delivered a powerful point in a message recently: “The only way to understand God is to trust God with what we don’t yet understand.” Think of the peaceful calm that often follows every storm. That peace is so much greater when we place our full trust in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father.

Pray: Dear Lord, I thank you for your daily guidance and leadership in my life. Help me to accept the difficulties that I face each day as opportunities to allow you to draw me into a deeper relationship with you. You are Jehovah Nissi – the Lord our Victory. Today I claim the victory over all of my struggles because I know that you will lead me through each challenge that I face, no matter how difficult it may seem. Help me to share my victories freely with others so that they might trust you more deeply as well. Lord, I love you with all of my heart. Amen.

Kevin Moran 

Impressions & Facilities J-Teamer

Kevin Moran has been gathering at The Journey for seven years. He recently completed the first year of Journey Leadership Institute and serves on the Impressions Team and the Facilities Team. Kevin considers it a true blessing to serve at The Journey and to watch God do incredible things throughout Journey City. His best friend in the world is his wife Melody; they love spending time with their children who are spread from Chesapeake City to Knoxville to Long Beach, CA.

Going Deeper:

• Read Acts Chapter 5 and reflect on Peter’s boldness when he shared the gospel. The religious leaders who sought to take his life recognized the power of God’s plans (Acts 5:39). That kind of boldness is the direct result of trusting God in the face of suffering and watching him guide you through it. 
• Reflect on how God wants YOU to share in his eternal glory!