"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

I used to think nothing bad would happen to people who truly followed the Lord. In my own life, I've seen this isn't the case.
"God will never give you more than you can handle" but what we can handle is different for each person. Also, each person has their own struggles, temptations and "weak areas". Look at 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, mainly verses 7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness". Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong". Paul looked beyond what was happening to him, and saw what could happen through those circumstances. We each have our own things we are dealing with, but we need to look beyond them...to see if it is "working for the good of those who love the Lord and have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

We all also have our own decisions we have made and our own consequences that follow.
The thing about God not giving us anything we can't handle is that sometimes the things that are hard, aren't from Him. What we may think is from God might be what we want, and we put a "from God" sticker on it. Then we avoid discussions about using God's Word to test what we think He says. We get easily offended when we are questioned by others. And we pull away from people God would use to correct us. We don't want to give it up. We become comfortable in our decision. And after avoiding God's Word, avoiding people and walking on egg-shells, we silence the Holy Spirit and get comfortable in our ways.

I know about thinking something is from God, when really it was just me assuming it was.
I met someone and let myself get carried away into a relationship because I thought (told myself) it was God's plan. In the end, the thorn in my flesh was a broken heart by my own choice. God let it happen. But He didn't break my heart...and He didn't force me to stop what I was doing. I chose. And after my consequences, He was there to catch me. He didn't remove my thorn, or the memory of what had happened, but He gave me strength to make it through. He strengthened me to move forward. He helped me learn from it. To get something good out of it. He gave beauty to my mess.

I questioned God in my pain. I didn't understand why He let me get hurt, until I realized He may have brought the person in my life, but I let me impatience lead me. I assumed it was from the Lord without testing it to His Word and waiting for an answer. I told myself "it must be right" and went on praying "God have your way", when I wanted my own way.

I can tell you about being selfish, impatient and about waiting. But I'm not done with it yet. I'm not married and I don't know who my husband is yet. But I do know that rushing seems to have a track record of not working out well. We get stronger through our pain, but that doesn't mean we should walk into the fire. We should use God's Word before we make choices. We should seek His strength before we are in need of it. Paul talks about grace increasing where sin increases...but because of our sinful nature, some people may think it means you can do whatever you want. "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2) Learn your lesson...and turn away from things that will harm you. If your friend rushed into a relationship and got her heart broken, don't rush into a relationship. If your Dad says boys only have "one thing" on their mind, don't be with them alone. "Preserve sound judgement and discernment" (Proverbs 3:21) "Better a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to use discernment" (Ecclesiastes 4:13) "lean not on your own understanding; but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

God will be clear about things. He won't tell us anything without giving us a way to test what He says with The Word. This is why He is so reliable. If you don't have scripture, pray for it and wait until He provides it. Don't assume what God wants and don't assume what you hear is God until He gives you a way to test what He says. He knows humans, He knows saying "he said this" without anything to back it up or defend it, isn't going to hold in conversation. So pray for Him to show you. Get in His Word.

"When [satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Study God's Word, become fluent in truth so that you may know what is not from God. And when God speaks to you, if you know His Word more, you will know it is Him sooner :) and be able to tel the devil to shut up when He tries to act like God.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). We go through temptation...but God will give us a way out...we just have to take it. Don't wait until it's too late to wait for the Lord.

Are we guarding our hearts? Part Two

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the does of the field: Do not awaken love until it desires" Song of Solomon 3:5

Why would Solomon give such a charge? And what does it mean?

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This is a subject I never tire talking, writing or reading on.
I have watched many people in my life and people who cross my path fall captive to the worlds thoughts of love and purpose. I have heard Christians profess that God is the ruler over every aspect of their life, but never seek Him in relationships with the opposite sex.
Are failed relationships the result of love and then that love leaving, or is it the result of poor planning, unhonest honesty and no one keeping guard?

You hear success stories from many couples about how they knew they were meant for each other at a certain point in their relationship. But what about the ones before? Did they know their ex's weren't meant for them, yet they stayed with them until a drastic end? This is a question NO ONE brings up during "love story" telling time because everyone only wants to hear the good stuff...not the bad. Yet, all through life, we learn lessons based on mistakes and based on poor decisions...yet, we hide them. And then there are children, teens and even adults who are floating around in uncharted waters going along with everyone else because no one told them what lies ahead.

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"Sharing is Caring"

If people really cared about others they would tell them where they went wrong. What traps the devil set for them. How they got to the point of sin without knowing until it was too late. If no one is being open about their mistakes NO ONE will learn from them! If you, yourself learned, and came out knowing it wasn't right and are sure that you indeed made a mistake...that excitement and knowledge you get once out of it SHOULD lead you to warn someone else.

That is what I believe is in this verse. He was being captivated by emotions and temptations, he didn't want others to fall into the trap.

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Let's break it down...

DO NOT AWAKEN LOVE UNTIL IT DESIRES

There is no room for questions in that charge. Just don't do it!
But he also goes on it say when, which is totally cool. I think he knew that if he just said "do not awaken love" everyone would not believe him. He would be crazy. I mean how can we not awaken love, what would be the point in life, without love?

UNTIL IT DESIRES

This gives the impression that love has a certain time it is supposed to be awakened. Hum...who do you think set up that "time" for love? Who would be in control of loves "clock"? Who would understand exactly the right time for the love to be awakened?

None but the first LOVER-God.

DO NOT AWAKEN

Implies that we can awaken it before it's time.
Many people get stumped on sex before marriage. How could God set a rule, yet give us the ability to have it beforehand?
I'd say, Free Will.
Even though God has a perfect time for things...we have a choice to have it now, or later. The problem with having it now, when it's meant for later...is that we aren't ready.
God knows us better than we know ourselves...so He knows the perfect time, spot and mindset when we should have it.
It's like Christmas...if you go snooping around looking for the present before Christmas, then Christmas morning is less of a surprise. And if you open a gift, that was meant for Christmas morning...you ruin the excitement all together and often hurt the one that got it for you, and wanted you to be surprised that day.
God is disappointed when people open His gift before it is time to, because He knows the perfect moment and after that gift is opened...you can never get it back. That wonder and excitement that would have been there is now less than what it could have been.

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Not awakening love does not just mean not having sex.

Love is a deep longing for someone, a desire to love them with all that you are and give them all that you have. To be totally devoted to them without needing anything in return.

The love of a husband and wife desires to be awakened in marriage.

The love that is experienced when engaged...desires to be awakened with the proposal.

The love that grows while knowing each other so long and learning about one another desires to be awakened in courtship.

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Love is not a vending macine.

You don't pick what you want and it pops into your hands.

Love is a flower.

You have to have the right seed...the right soil that's ready to take care of the seed..the right season...and the right place where it can be warmed by the sun and watered by the rain.
It won't pop up in a day. It takes time.

And if you plan to have the right seed, soil, season and place...it will be a beautiful flower.

In times of drought you will have to water the flower...in times of winter, you will have to keep it safe.

The seed is...God's love and understanding His will

The soil is...your life, are you prepared for a seed? Are you soft and nourishing?

The season is...when God has prepared you and told you that you are ready

The place is...in obedience...

The sun is...God looking at your love, being the very food that makes it grow

The rain is....the Word of God, soaking the flower all the way to it's roots to strengthen it.

Some flowers can't stand the winter, some can't even drink the water, and some were planted in the shade away from the sun. It withers and dies.

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Are you ready for love?

Is this the time God set up?

Are you ready to to grow a flower?

If you aren't ready, your flower will not be all it can be.

If you aren't ready, you will miss the excitement meant for you when it desires.

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Continue to seek God's will and not your own agenda.
We really don't know it all. We barely know anything as humans.
God knows it all.
Trust Him.
And wait for the love He has already planned for you.
If you do, it will be a beautiful flower.

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For the flowers that were planted before their time and are struggling to survive or have withered away. Let God uproot your flower and place you in His light. There is still hope for you. You may not have gotten the excitement on Christmas because you opened your present early...but God still wants to bless you. It will take time to nourish your flower again...but if you stay in the light and let the rain seep into your roots you will be beautiful again.

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This is Mandy, The First Kiss Girl, and I'm so blessed God uses my hands to reach hearts for Him. Once again, The Lord wrote this, not me. And if you are reading this...it's for you. I bet He had a plan all along for this post :)

(There might be a Part Three...keep an eye out)