Proverbs 24:10
"If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!"

Yesterday I mentioned needing to learn to have faith, trust, and patience in the Lord and His plan. When I read this verse this morning, I was reminded of the start of yesterdays journey. I am like a baby Christian. I am at my weakest when there is trouble which shows how small I am in my faith.
I realize that many people of faith struggle with this. Abraham, David, the gospel writer John Mark and Peter are just some men of faith that when tough times came they hit the ground hard. These men, though, never gave up their desire for the Lord. They were persistent in knowing Him and learning more about Him and being with Him.

I remember a few times when I kept making the same mistakes...one after the other...each time asking for God to forgive me and help me stop. Then 2 days later, there I was asking for the same thing again. I remember thinking God has to get so tired of this! When is He going to give up on me? Maybe I should just give up. But I remember these men mentioned above, I remember my parents never letting go of Him and I was reminded of how I am nothing without Him. John 5: 19- "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself." John 15:4-5 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

I have realized something and I am not proud of it at all...in Luke 8 producing a crop is discussed. Verses 11-15- " This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." I read this and found myself between a rock and a hard place (metaphorically speaking of course). I am that seed that fell on the rock and, often times, the seed that fell on the thorns. I long to be the seed that fell on good soil. I want to have a good and noble heart and produce a crop.

I find it sad that after all these years of reading the word, I have never retained it. I think it sounds good for the moment and then its forgotten.

So today I have decided that if I long to be that good seed...the one with the noble and good heart, the one that hears the word, retains it and produces a crop then I have to change the way I do things. That is why I like blogging...I read something that means something to me and I can apply it to my life and look at what needs to be refined. Hopefully, when you read it you can apply something meaningful to your life to...just remember this God loves you no matter what. He longs for you to love Him back. He never tires of your mistakes and your imperfections. He welcomes all us sinners into His loving and merciful arms. Don't think twice, like I did, about ever giving up on Him, because He will never give up on you. If the God who calmed the storm, who parted the Red sea, who has the power to move mountains, and who raised His son from the dead can love you and protect you...then He can move you through any obstacle in life, any struggle you are having or mistake you are making. When you falter, your strength may be weak and small, but His is not!