{"id":14332,"date":"2007-07-30T13:58:18","date_gmt":"2007-07-30T13:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2007\/07\/30\/day18\/"},"modified":"2007-07-30T13:58:18","modified_gmt":"2007-07-30T13:58:18","slug":"day18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/day18\/","title":{"rendered":"When Life Gets Too Hard"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. …<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

The lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Come and see the works of the lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he bums the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

The lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Character Check<\/strong>\nWhat one thing could I let go this week, trusting God to take care of it?<\/p>\n\n

In Business Terms<\/strong>\nMost of us view success as fame, accomplishment, and acquisition. Our society has chosen personality over character. Christian success must be built of character, not of personality or skill. The great qualities in life are involved in the positive characteristics of a person, such as wisdom, integrity, honesty, loyalty, faith, forgiveness, and love.<\/p>\n\n

The Everyday Bible<\/em> gives an interesting translation of Psalm 131: “Lord, my heart is not proud. I do not look down on others. I do not do great things and I cannot do miracles. But I am calm and quiet”<\/p>\n\n

How can we claim Christian success unless our hearts are calm and quiet? Thomas Kelly, the eminent Quaker philosopher, said that inside each person there should be a quiet center that nothing can disturb. The great Christian mystics continually talked of the throne of God, which is in the innermost part of our heart, where no storm, tribulation, or temptation can disturb.<\/p>\n\n

Scripture says, “Greater is he who controls his spirit than he who takes a city.” Obviously our condition is more than our accomplishment. Our greatest accomplishment is our condition.<\/p>\n\n

—Fred Smith, Sr.<\/p>\n\n

Something to Think About<\/strong>\nIt is a man’s business to do the will of God; God takes on Himself the special care of that man; therefore that man ought never to be afraid of anything.\n– George MacDonald<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. … The lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[1585,1587],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[154],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[156],"tax_ctp_tags":[3559,4067,4264,4699,4822,4867,5265],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-14332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_ctp_authors-fred-smith","tax_ctp_authors-fred-smith-sr","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-character","tax_ctp_tags-god","tax_ctp_tags-integrity","tax_ctp_tags-presence-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-rest","tax_ctp_tags-sabbath","tax_ctp_tags-weakness"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nWhen Life Gets Too 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