Inspiration

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Helen

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
15,476
21,155
113
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
th

That is one of my very favourites :)
But they missed the second half of the verse .."They shall rise up on wings like eagles ...etc ♥︎
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Waters

Helen

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
15,476
21,155
113
Faith
Christian
Country
Canada
  • Like
Reactions: Nancy

Pearl

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Encounter Team
Apr 9, 2019
11,341
17,174
113
Lancashire
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
  • Like
Reactions: Nancy and Helen

Nancy

Well-Known Member
Apr 30, 2018
16,761
25,324
113
Buffalo, Ny
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I haven't read that one, the only one of hers I read was the very first one, I think it was just called 'Joni'.

Well, feel free to download the one I sent. I saved it to my computer, it is PDF form.
xo
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
Apr 30, 2018
16,761
25,324
113
Buffalo, Ny
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
This is an excerpt from an awesome book I'm reading titled "The Scars That Have Shaped Me" by Vaneetha Rendall Risner...wonderful book and achingly honest!

What If?
"I’ve spent a lifetime considering the what-ifs. Those
questions have a way of making me uneasy, destroying
my peace, leaving me feeling hopeless. When negative
possibilities loom before me, I can’t seem to rein in my
thoughts. Just asking “What if . . . ” unsettles me.
People in the Bible were unsettled by what-if questions, too. When he was told to lead the Israelites, Moses
asked God, “What if they don’t believe me?” Abraham’s
servant asked about Isaac’s future wife, “What if the young
woman refuses to come with me?” Joseph’s brothers asked,
“What if Joseph bears a grudge against us?” All of them
wondered what would happen if circumstances went awry.
Just like we do.
We all face a staggering array of what-ifs. Some
are minor inconveniences while others have potentially
life-altering repercussions. What if I lose my job? What if
I never have children? What if I get cancer? What if my
spouse dies? What if my husband never loves me? What if
my child never believes in Jesus?
The uncomfortable truth is any of those things could
happen. No one is free from tragedy or pain. There are no
guarantees of an easy life. For any of us. Ever.
I was considering this sobering reality on a silent
retreat years ago. Over the course of several days, I had
brought numerous longings and requests before the Lord.
I wanted them fulfilled. When would God do it? As I
penned my thoughts, I felt that familiar fear gripping me.

Enough?
The question echoed in my mind: What if my inmost
longings are never met and my nightmares come true? I
didn’t even want to entertain that possibility. As I sat in the
empty chapel poring over my Bible, I sensed God asking
the same question I have wrestled with for decades. “Am
I enough? Even if those frightening things happen, am I
sufficient?” Each time that question had come up in the
past, I’d pushed it out of my mind.
But in the stillness of the chapel, I knew I needed to
face this. I sensed God whispering again, “Vaneetha, am I
enough? If none of your dreams come true, am I enough?
If your health spirals downward and you end up in an institution, am I enough?

What if the Worst Happens?
If your children rebel and never
walk closely with me, am I enough? If you never remarry
and never feel loved by a man again, am I enough? If your
ministry doesn’t flourish and you never see fruit from it,
am I enough? If your suffering continues and you never see
purpose in it, am I enough?”
I wish I could have automatically responded, “Yes
Lord, you are enough.” But I agonized. The weight of those
questions felt crushing. I didn’t want to give up my dreams,
surrender those things that were dear to me, relinquish
what I felt entitled to. I reflected on my unwritten, oneway “contract” with God, where I promise to do my part
if he fulfills my longings. I reluctantly admitted that part
of my desire to be faithful was rooted in my expectation of
a payback. Didn’t God owe me something? But what if I
didn’t get it?
I knew I needed to relinquish my desires, but I was
incapable of doing it myself. I begged God for help. To
release my expectations. To let go of my dreams and
embrace his. To not predicate my obedience on his gifts. I
sobbed as I opened my hands, filled with my dreams, and
surrendered them to him. I didn’t want to love God for
what he could do for me. I wanted to love God for who he
is. To worship him because he is worthy and not because I
expected something in return."


Enough?
"The question echoed in my mind: What if my inmost
longings are never met and my nightmares come true? I
didn’t even want to entertain that possibility. As I sat in the
empty chapel poring over my Bible, I sensed God asking
the same question I have wrestled with for decades. “Am
I enough? Even if those frightening things happen, am I
sufficient?” Each time that question had come up in the
past, I’d pushed it out of my mind."