From the Heart by B.Demaere

The Purpose of Suffering I used to complain a lot while suffering and then one day the Lord showed me that it didn’t reflect who he was and now I also realize that suffering or trials are used to teach and remind us what we learn in the Word and practice joy through the trials. The example of joy More than one church in the new testament suffered persecution.  But the church in Thessalonica was a church that still received the word with joy despite of everything that was happening to them.  The Apostle Paul visited them once and never returned.  Why?  Because Satan stopped him from going back (2:18) A couple of  verses catch my attention in the first chapter: So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you.   In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become example to all the believers in Greece-throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.   (1Thessalonians 1:6-7) Joy is a sign of maturity I

  Focus on One I was prompted to look at something shiny and precious and low and behold, the word “Focus” came to mind. We all need to focus, not on our wealth but on the One who made it.   Shiny things and wealth and wealthy people will all disappear into eternity and be gone like grass in the wind. I was watching a short video about someone wealthy retaliating against what people were doing to him.   He was speaking to his audience with a few chosen words I would not want to repeat here.   Because of his foul language, I valued him less than I did before.   The language a person chooses de-values someone’s character very fast.   I am not saying that everyone should change their language to be a good person.   It must be a matter of heart about who you focus on while you speak. I am certainly not saying that you must focus on pleasing everyone around you.   No, you must focus on pleasing only One and that is God through Jesus Christ.   It takes a lot of the pressure off, and

  Voracious appetite A lot of diets are happening these days.   We want to be trimmed for our summer looks.   We try to suppress our appetite and look at our neighbour waistline and wish ours was thinner.   We do exercise and work hard on our bodies or get discouraged by our friend’s   high expectations of us.   We just don’t measure up to society’s level of expertise.   Unfortunately, what I have described happens often. We look outward for solutions to our problems, but, we are being eaten up by envy from the inside.   What is eating you up?   Come on, let’s be real? Do you have friends or family members who are doing better than you in life?   How do you feel about them?   Is that envy eating you up?   There is so much envy in this world.   Nations at war with others, for what?   Families fighting amongst themselves, is that not envy?   What about divorces?   Envy and jealousy are such an ugly thing.   I am not talking about the jealousy that protects relationships.   What