Quiet Strength

This morning I went to Berlin Projekt instead of going to one of the concentration camps near here.  I didn't really want to go to one of the camp, so I decided to go to church.  I didn't really want to go there because Berlin Projekt is all in German with no translations so it's kind of hard for me to get much out of the services but everyone else was going so I went.  While I was there, I opened up my Quiet Strength devotional since I wanted to spend some time with the Lord and it was hard to get anything out of church.  I went to chapter 2 which is all about strength.  It was really refreshing because I have been feeling a little drained and weak.  There are a couple of guys on the trip that I am really trying to get to know and be close with but they keep shutting the door and its draining to try and keep pursuing them.  I told Austin this morning that I was drained from trying to pursue these two guys and that I didn't know if I could keep trying so hard without getting too drained, especially after pouring so much of myself out trying to keep things with Amy from ending like the way it did.  I don't think I'm still fully filled from all that.  But the thing that really was awesome and God's hand was about the idea of strength and where do we get our strength from and what makes us strong.  The book says that strength is "having the faith to look to God to change us and to obey Him in what He has called each of us to do ... It is revealed when your relationships get difficult and you want to just walk away."  It was great.  I know both of those sentences, but the great thing was I really felt like God was saying "keep going.  Trust in Me and this fire will burn hotter and deeper and it will spread to others.  Pursue."

I have talked about how Germany is secular and in my last post I mentioned that Berlin in particular is secular.  Being in the former East Germany, there are a lot more atheists here because of the communist regime.  But even the people who grew up in the church have an interesting view on faith and God.  A lot of pastors and priests here in Germany do not have much faith themselves.  It is an odd system here in Germany how the church works.  If a person registers as a Lutheran or a Catholic, part of the money is taxed directly to that church network so many pastors and priests go into that field because they know they can get a job and have an income.  As a result, a lot of people who to church don't really know or ever hear that Jesus is the way; all they know is that Jesus taught peace, love, etc and they think of being a Christian as a moral way to live but not a lifestyle.  It's a sad state of affairs.  It's not uncommon for people to say that they believe the bible is true and good but that Jesus isn't the son of God, even though he does claim it but they don't know it since they haven't read it or had someone tell them that.  I ask that whoever reads this post prays that their eyes will be opened to see the truth and that they be willing to learn more about Christ and desire to know Him.