Good morning Dear friends and Prayer Partners! This is the partially overcast day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! We had a wonderful thunderstorm that poured rain for about an hour last night! We really needed the rain and God supplied!
This morning as I stepped outside where everything was wet, I was struck by the brightness of the crescent moon and Venus, both in the eastern sky! Lovely!
Yesterday, was not so cool for my walk, but better than a month ago. The maple leaves are starting to turn color and fall on the boardwalk and soon the leaves will be falling off the other trees. We do have our seasons in Florida, although not as vividly as the northern states.
I was surprised and pleased to see a baby gator at the edge of the shrubbery, just wriggling and turning around all by itself. That's why Mama has not given up! As long as there is one baby, she will be on guard, although she wasn't visible yesterday. I've learned she could still be under the water.
From the Promise Bible NLT:
Where do I find the strength to keep going when I'm tempted to give up?
Galatians 6:9 "Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time".
Endurance comes from keeping our thoughts on the promise of the harvest, not the problems of the moment.
What purposes do endurance and perseverance serve in my life?
1Peter 1:6-7 "Be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. "
2 Peter 1:5-9 "Make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin."
Endurance is like the fire that purifies precious metals and hardens valuable pottery. It cleanses, clarifies, and solidifies our faith. Living through the trials and tests of life is often the most significant way to discover the riches of our faith.
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
