Can Joy Be Found in What God Provides?

A man well into his midlife years labeled a current significant loss as the story of his life. For this person, others always have been to blame for the tragedies he consistently has experienced. If this attitude continues into his senior years, he is in danger of developing permanent bitterness.

To prevent bitterness, each person must acknowledge the existence of what is good and find joy in what God is providing. 

This will not negate irresponsible choices of the past, but help you establish new patterns and choices for living now and in the future.

God is always at work to show you how to benefit from the obvious mistakes of the past. Believe God is concerned for your future, which potentially can be good as you cooperate with God to make it good. Pray for guidance in finding godly, successful people to mentor you. Trust in the Lord always instead of your own understanding. 

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My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.

~James 1:2-4 Contemporary English Version

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Faith: Rx to Prevent Failure

At some level during everyone’s lifetime, failure is immanent. Like stress, it’s only a matter of time until it occurs, but then how it’s perceived will determine if it is an unmanageable disaster or a learning opportunity. On one occasion the disciples of Jesus were unable to heal a young boy who was suffering from seizures, but Jesus immediately healed the boy.

Perhaps lack of faith can be linked to many failures. Although Sampson was ordained by God to be a judge of the Hebrew people, he failed to gain their respect and trust. God gave him unusual strength, but he failed to use it in ways that honored God.

Samson appeared to be out of step with God most of his life, ensuring failure. He permitted greed and lust to push God's purpose for him into a secondary place. The Lord God desires to increase your faith so you have confidence to do His work. Unflinching faith in Christ Jesus generates victory rather than failure and defeat. 

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Faith, you see, can only come from hearing the message, and the message is the word of Christ.

~Romans 10:17 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

Keep on obeying this message; do not merely listen to it, and so deceive yourselves.

~James 1:22 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

~James 1:2-4 Good News Bible

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Subscribe to the Attitude Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.