HATRED

I was watching the John Piper video again that I posted a while back about the prosperity gospel. I just felt the need to get a little jump in my step if you know what I mean. And that will always do it for me I'm pretty sure. I just think he is so dead on with that. I was thinking about my past the other day and I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't trade my trials (as small as they were) for anything.  I didn't have a bad life by any means I'm just saying it was what most people would call ideal. But if one day someone can benefit from the fact that I had no family, except my Aunt, my mom almost killed herself on Christmas this year and called me from jail when I was 15 years old to tell me I'd have to find a new ride home.... if through all of that... which please please hear my heart in this... I am not in anyway trying to have a pity party here... I wouldn't trade those things for anything.. because if one day someone can see just how big God is because, through all that pain, his grace proclaimed through me, BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD. GOD IS ENOUGH. Oh man how I would never trade any of it for an "easy" life. Like JP was saying, I just do not foresee the poorest people looking at the rich American Christian and saying wow God gave you a BMW?? No wonder you love God I'll love him too, maybe he'll give me fancy things. NO!! People don't see a reflection of God in money. It can't happen. People see the real God when , as JP said, in the times when it hurts the most, when your family is shot to death in your home or your little girl flies out of the car windshield and lies dead on the ground, or when you don't have enough money to pay the bills or when you are diagnosed with cancer... it is in those times when you say GOD IS ENOUGH... that is when the world sees God for who God is. I need to examine myself more daily... am I praising the created thing or the creator. If suffering shows just how glorious my God is... then give me trials and give me poverty. Blessed be the name of the Lord.