Faith in the Unseen

Reflections on CAMPUS Winter Retreat 2012

-Psalm 40:8 "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
My desire to do anything come from my heart. Whether it's a good desire or a bad one, that shows the state of my heart. If I desire to do God's will, I will put His law in my heart. If God's law/will is in my heart, I will desire to do His will.

-Job struggled for 42 chapters because he did not see the conversation that happened between God and Satan in 1:6-12. The details of the battle between good and evil are unseen to us. Am I still faithful to God in tough times, though I do not see those details?

-Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal

-Faith is being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised

-2 Kings 5:1-15 A little no name girl was taken from her family and home country to live with Naaman. Because he listened to what she said, he was saved but physically and spiritually.
---God uses little no name maids
---A disruption of lifestyle may have a purpose
---What am I willing to give up for my salvation and that of others

-God not only solves the problems we think we have, but also the problems we don't know we have

-Those who realize their salvation is free are those who are willing to give the most

-Philippians 2:6-8 "Who, being in the very nature God...made himself nothing...being found in appearance as a man..."
Jesus coming to earth and associating with man, letting us talk to him, at him, about him, correct him, etc, is like a professional chef going to work at McDonalds and letting the employees tell him how to cook a burger and make a sandwich, while remaining calm and not using his knowledge to just change everything.

-Do I live considering what people think of me or considering what God thinks of me?

-Mark 4:35-40 is the story when Jesus is on the boat with His disciples, sleeping during a storm
Even when facing death, we should not be afraid, because God is with us. It may seem sometimes that He doesn't care, that He's sleeping. But He does care and has everything under control!

-Nothing good ever comes from worrying