trbccoffeebreak

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

 Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him.  Slowly he edged around the corner of his car, feet dragging to the tune of his walker.  Captivated, I slowed my pace as I watched him grab a bucket out of his trunk that he used as a stool. Sitting down, he reached for his wheelchair and attached the wheels.  Struggle edged the roughness of his tired face, but it didn’t deter him.  Rising with the support of the walker, he fling himself onto the wheelchair and maneuvered toward the entrance to the gym.  Who are you picturing in your mind – who do you envision this man to be?  I would probably surprise you if I told you he was a man in his late 30s or perhaps early 40s.  I’ve seen him in the gym diligently working his arms, strengthening and improving what he has left despite his obvious limitations.  Not caving in or giving up, but rather pressing through the overwhelming workout it took just to get him in the front door.  How often do we persevere and press through challenges?  Do we simply accept where we are – perhaps giving up expecting nothing more because of our perceived limitations?  Or like this man, do we become creative and more determined?   Whether we are facing physical, emotional, spiritual or financial challenges we can choose to invest in strengthening our faith.    God’s Word is full of examples of ordinary people who, despite their circumstances, remained faithful to Him.  They fought the good fight, they kept the faith and received the prize – isn’t that what we want?

“Father, I entrust all the uncertainties of my life into Your sovereign hands – enable me to finish well, to press through and honor You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin

TRBC Coffee Break

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me’.” Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)

When all you have is stripped from you, like Naomi, it’s easy to turn bitter and think God has forgotten you or has decided to punish you. After losing her husband and two sons, Naomi left the country of Moab and returned to her people. She had two Moabite daughters-in-law, and she told them to go back to their people. One of the daughters-in-law, Ruth, saw Naomi as her own family.  She wasn’t about to leave her; Ruth was going to be stuck on her like a Band-Aid.

 Today a lot of things are disposable and the things that used to be valued are mere trial-and-error opportunities. If Naomi lived today chances are her daughters-in-law wouldn’t consider following her to the next town. Women are often abandoned by husbands who vowed to love and protect them, children are left in orphanages by their parents and the love that once seemed to be stronger than death simply disappears.  Too often, we are no longer setting our roots on the Rock, on the One who can help us, but rather on utopian realities that do nothing but devastate our faith. If we wish to be blessed like Ruth, we must deny self and follow after God regardless the cost.

 “Father, one young woman with such a strong faith and love that allowed her to leave father and mother and follow her mother-in-law to a new country shows us that You honor our faithfulness. Please help us to have faith like Ruth.”

For His Glory

 Luska Suzano

TRBC Coffee Break