God created the natural world not only for our enjoyment, but for many lessons of life that can be seen in His Creation. Consider this spider story from The Word For You Today:
© 2008 Donna L. Watkins - Spider
Everything a spider needs to survive and succeed in life, God put within it. Swipe it with a broom and before it hits the ground, its fall is broken. It just reaches inside, releases another protein-filled silk-like thread, slides down, finds a safe place, then comes back stronger than ever and builds a new web. What's the message of the spider? Everything you need, God has placed within you!
The Bible says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness ... He has given us His very Great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).
What has God given us? "Everything we need." What has God made us participants in? "His divine nature."
Wow! We've got what it takes! You do and so do I! We can make it no matter what life has thrown at us. Finance problems, divorce, death of loved ones, diseases, depression, fires and violence. Within us is the power to regenerate the cord of strength to glide on to some place else. A quiet and peaceful place. A place of peace, grace and joy. It's within our grasp - it's within ourselves!
Your future is not determined by your past or by your today. It's determined on how you choose to react to all of the past days and today's circumstances. We will shrivel up and become bitter about the rest of our lives because of the sour candy that's been handed to us while the rest of the world moves on not even recognizing your pain?
Grief and pain are necessary in life, but we can't choose to remain there. God has provided so much more and getting into His Word to absorb, memorize and apply our own faith to it is that special place He's created for us to have a place of "peace, grace and joy." It's the ONLY place! Nothing the world offers will ease the pain of your loss.
But within you .... is the power! Do what it takes to remain in faith. Spend time in the Bible, in Christian books, in biographies about people who have overcome. Go to the library and take a big bag to carry home your choices. Use the time you would spend moaning, groaning, whining and kicking at what's been dealt you. It's a great temptation to wallow. It's rather comfortable, but the mental torment will literally eat you alive.
Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
You're choice! You've got the way of escape. Spin your thread and move on -- stronger, wiser and more faith-filled than ever. And then ... help somebody else to see the value of spinning. You still have what God put within you. You CAN make it. The battle is over your future. Take it back!
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