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new way to look at life :: Thursday E-Devotion

"...who you become is not determined by your circumstances.  Rather, the outcome of your life will be determined by your outlook on life."  (Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion, page 64)
 
Problems or possibilities.  Obstacles or opportunities.  Heart ache or heart touching.  How we look at the stuff that touches our lives could very well open and close the doors that God puts in front of us.  How do we look at the tough times that hit us?
 
Matthew 19:26 (nlt) --- Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.
 
2 Thessalonians 1:12 (nlt) --- Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
 
The old thought...is the glass half empty or half full.  Makes lots of sense to me.  You see, when we take a new look or when we try to understand what we are going through we may come to the moment where we see God at work in our lives.  Maybe we see that God is opening a door.  We may see there is a situation where we can make a difference.  Maybe we could even see that our situations aren't as bad or life altering as they seem.
 
Take a look.  See if God is giving you a new way to look at life.  This is awesome.  Again, an old thought...it is time to make lemonade out of the lemons we have been given.  Better yet...it is time to help others see that God is good even when life sucks.  What do you think?
 
Psalm 91:9-10 (nlt) --- If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
 
Jeremiah 29:11 (nlt) --- "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
 
"Our greatest problems are not circumstantial; our greatest problems are perceptual.  When we look at life through the frame of Scripture, we begin to see things the way God sees them, and that is the key to overcoming adversity."  (Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion, page 64)

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