From the Heart by B.Demaere

  “Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, got you are with me; Your rod [to protect] and your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.” (Psalm 23:4 Amplified) Normal Christian Life What is the normal Christian life?   The answer is Psalm 23, It does not mean an easy life but sometimes of great testing.   These should not surprise at all if we are in the footsteps of our Saviour. I am going through that valley right now and this is not fun, but I must focus on Jesus and trust that he will take me on the other side.   Although, he might feel like he is at a distance when we go through the valley…We have three comforts to draw from.   Oh he never leave us alone, remember he is the Good Shepherd of the sheep.   If the shepherd would leave his sheep, they would become a meal to a wolf or wild dog.   No, no and no! That would be the furthest thing on his mind… to leave you alone.   He loves you so much. The three comforts of t

  What a Comfort! Here I can only but transliterate from the French Bible into English.   The French Bible says it so well:   (Zechariah 2:12) “Whoever attacks you will attack what is most precious to me”.   This is the literal translation of what it says in the French Bible. I thought that personally it was so comforting to that whoever messes up with me will have to face my heavenly Father. In the context he talks about the nations and Israel, but Israel is God’s people as I am as well. In this verse I put myself in the place of Israel and the opponents are the nations. You can also find comfort in this that as a God’s child you are protected like Israel and you are the apple of his eye, the very target of his concern.   It’s only when we see our position with God through the eye of faith that we can appreciate his Presence in our lives. God ahead you can do that appropriately with some of the promises made to God’s people. Also, God promises that the nations will be

  Don’t be so hard on yourself. Don’t be so hard on yourself.  I used to hear that often in my downcast state of depression.  Maybe people who are often depressed are too hard on themselves.  There seems to be a commonality. Have you heard that also? Maybe too often? What it meant in my life was that I would be anxious about what my accomplishment be or be worried about other people’s opinion were.   Beat myself regularly because of my past mistakes. Look at me, my past still matters to me more than my present.   Consequently, living in the past was poor thought management because while our children were growing up, I forgot some of the history.   I was editing out the filming of my own life.   So, living in the past cheats you out of quality of your life.   I recommend living in the present and looking forward to the future.   Living in the past can leave the person filled with regrets.   My comfort is in God, and I can trust him that he will use my own troubles and use them

  All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation!  For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you.  Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.  We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort. When Paul talked about sufferings he could have been talking about the suffering for Christ through persecutions or hardships through their own problems happening in the church at Corinth (chapter 2:5).  He was certainly very honest in his dealings with that church .  He also had to be de