Philippians 1:29

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but to suffer for him."

We often love the "perks" of being a follower of Christ, but the suffering part, we aren't fans of it. I mean, who would be?

But the fact that we follow Jesus, can see how he wants the world to be yet we are surrounded by a sinful and fallen world is enough, if we really pay attention, to see how much we suffer.

The goal is to understand that we will suffer for Christ, but not to the point of depression.

Remember, that in our suffering we are building up and that we have a hope that no one else has.

Proverbs 1:28

"Then they will call to me and I will not answer, they will look for me but will not find me."

This is part of Proverbs where God is being honest with his people. If you do not pay attention, if you rebuke and deny him; he has every right to turn away from us.

He is the Creator of time and space and we are the created.

Does this make God "bad"? How can we ever put a label on an entity that created everything and has allowed us to live and multiply?

That's like the clay doll you make, coming to life, and then questioning you, it's creator.

1 Samuel 1:27

"I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted to me what I asked of him."

Prayer.

Does prayer work?

I absolutely believe that it does, but it is not always what we believe is needed.

Does that sound like a cop out? Yes, to the unbeliever and to the struggling believer, but never forget that we cannot understand completely God's ways or his "plan".

If we could understand it, we'd be God and we are not.

James 1:26

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues, deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."

If you are a Christian, want to be a Christian or wondering what Christianity is all about, I would tell you to open up the book of James. It is a great "how-to" on being a follower of Jesus.

Romans 1:25

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen."

Could there be a scripture more applicable to today's world? Especially in the U.S.?

Philippians 1:21

"For to me, to live is Christ to die is to gain."

I've been to some Developing Countries, and the above verse is something I have seen there, but not often here.

Christ is in us, but before we ultimately are with our Creator, we must die.

We must be willing to die...to gain.