The prodigal son...daughter
Moses, scared to talk; Thomas, doubtful; Peter, impulsive; David, adulterer; Issac, deceptive; Job, conceited; Sarah, doubted God; Rebekah, laughed at Him; Samson, tempted and blinded by it... How many more broken examples can there possibly be in scripture? We are all in there already, just repeating the same mistakes and learning g the same lessons.
Lessons we could avoid altogether if we stay close to the Word, study it, eat it, become a part of it, a part of Christ. We can't do that without picking it up and reading it; its not something we can buy through the offering plate or earn through our own merit. It's a gift! One worth plastering on a billboard and offering to every person we know. All He asks for is love, and in return I get a new heart, a new mind, and a new Spirit to enjoy my time here with, and a promise of heaven eternal with Him. Hopefully I have a better way to beat the valleys now, only time will tell for us all
i want to read it though and I know God wants me to so I'm gonna catch up haha
I really gotta catch up on this thread, I've been skipping to the end to get rid of the notification and not reading it this week, bad, i know
I hate to say it, but I don't think we can altogether avoid it...that would make us without sin...but I do know that we are saved by grace and that we can grow from our mistakes. Not by making the same ones over and over, but new ones will come...just when I think I'm doing great I get convicted of something else...lol! Or i do something really stupid and know I'm guiltyBut the thing is that we catch ourselves sooner, we know what trouble is all about and we avoid it.
There are certain valleys that have seared us so badly that we would never go back to, of course. It is a learning process, isn't it?
My strength is in prayer. He really does walk with me and talk with me that way better than any other. I am not so strong on opening my Bible...it is a very weak point with me...but then, at the same time i don't fill myself with garbage either...no TV...no radio...I fill myself with positive things, like devotionals and Christian music...and talk to God constantly through my day. If I have a question I will look it up in my Bible and concordance, but to just read it...I have never been able to do that.
But most often when something comes up, a bible reference pops into my mind from all that childhood teaching. Gotta thank the preacher for that
I had a very sound and very solid teaching as a kid, that's for sure.
After figuring that I would have to confess in church for all y public sin for the rest of my life, there had to be some better way of doing it other than just sitting in a pew and singing once a week. Just like quitting drinking, I had to WANT to be there, WANT to hear the words, WANT to repent. Or I would just be faking it, and God would know 
And those verses are becoming like little pieces of conversation here and there. I recall one about comitting these words to remembrance, and another about writing them on our hearts. They're like little shields throughout the day now. It's great to be able to use those verses as a guide and suggestions as to how to make this life more enjoyable or peaceful, maybe even happy
