"Trouble And Distress"

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair." 2 Corinthians 4:8 

This verse was written over a thousand years ago, it sounds like it should have been written today: troubled on every side, perplexed. Seems like no matter which direction we turn there is trouble. Seems like the times in which we live are perplexing, who can understand what is going on. 

 

They were troubled on every side. The word troubled here means to be pressed. They were pressed, oppressed, afflicted, persecuted and suffering. They were perplexed. Perplexed means: to be without resources, to be in straits, to be left wanting, to be embarrassed, to be in doubt, not to know which way to turn. But read the verse again. Though they were in troubles on every side, they were not distressed. Though they were perplexed, they were not in despair. 

 

How was that possible? How did they handle what they were going through? "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (Verses 6,7)

 

The answer is "For God". He gave them light in the dark places of suffering. He shined His light in their hearts in times of hopelessness. They had a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ, the Son. They knew the Lord was with them and in them. They had power in the times of trouble and perplexity, and they knew that the power to stand, to be at peace, to overcome instead of being overcame came from God. 

 

Are you in trouble? Are you being pressed by life? Are you perplexed? You don't have to be distressed by it. You don't have to be in despair because of it. As the Lord gave them all that they needed to walk through these times, He will give it to you also. All that you need- strength, peace, power, wisdom, guidance, healing, provision, grace, help etc.- is available to you. "For God" will give you all you need. He did it for them, He will do it for you.

 

Have a great day. Are you troubled? Are you perplexed? You don't have to be distressed or despair. God will give you everything you need to overcome.

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 4

"Omnipresent God"

"Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?" Jeremiah 23:23 

The Lord is a very present help to us in time of trouble. He is not a God that is a far off. He is not far away when we are in need, although He is accused of being so. To those who feel like He has left you, let me ask you a question-- just where would He go seeing He is an Omnipresent God (everywhere at the same time)?

 

There are times when His presence is with us in a special way- a way where we can "feel" it, a way where we "know" He is there. There are times when we feel like we are sitting in His very lap. His presence engulfs us, and His peace overtakes us. But when we don't feel or sense that type of presence, we can rest assured that He is still there. His presence fills the whole of creation. There is no place that He isn't. "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." (Psalm 139:18)

 

Jonah thought he could escape to a place where God could not see him... wrong. God saw him on the ship. God saw him in the belly of the whale. Adam thought he could hide in the garden and God could not find him... wrong. God saw him. He saw him when he ate from the tree. He saw him when he tried to hide. 

 

You cannot get away from God, He is everywhere. That is why He isn't far away when you need Him. Even one of the Hebrew names for God is Jehovah Shammah- meaning God is there. Where is the place called "there". This "there' means He is right there/here where you are. If "there" is "here", then "here" is always "here" no matter where you are. Therefore, God is there with you no matter where you are. 

 

Don't think God is not there. Don't think that He is far away. Don't think that He isn't near. Don't think that He has left. He is right there.

 

Have a great day. God has not left you. He is Omnipresent, where would He go?

 

For further reading:

Psalm 139; 46:1

Genesis 3:10

Jonah 1:10

"Established Heart"

"His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies." Psalm 112:8 

How do we live a life at rest and peace inwardly? How do we resist caving into fear when it comes? The answer is in having an established heart. What is an established heart? It is one that is unmovable and firm. It is firm in its conviction. It is firm in its belief. It is firm in its confidence. When something is "firm", it is unmovable, unshakeable, un wavering- it is solid. So how do we get an established heart? 

 

"Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments." (verse 1) This established heart is the characteristic of a person who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments. It is not something he obtains on his own- through his education, through a strong resolve, through seer determination. No matter how determined you are, no matter how resolved you are, when fearful situations arise your own human strength will fail. It is not strong enough to withstand it on its own. But when we fear the Lord and are established in Him, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we fear the Lord, His peace that passes understanding is imparted to us. When we fear the Lord let the enemy come, but we are not afraid because our confidence is in the Lord that He is with us fighting the battle on our behalf.

 

This established confidence of heart only comes to those who fear the Lord. Those that fear Him are those that have surrendered their lives to Him. They are the ones who follow and serve Him. They are the ones who love Him with all their heart, soul, strength and mind. They are those who don't just profess to know Him but truly know Him. 

 

This established heart stays established through God's word (that delighteth greatly in his commandments). When our delight is in the commandments- God's word- and we read it, hide it in our hearts and meditate upon it, we are strengthen in our faith. Our faith becomes unwavering because it is rooted and grounded in God's word and promises which cannot fail. His word gives us a firm foundation upon which we build not only our hope but our lives. His word is like a solid rock- a firm foundation. When we are built upon it, we don't have to fear because our lives will stand firm. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (Matthew 7:25)

 

The Lord is our Rock and His word is our Rock. When our lives are built upon Him, our hearts are established. When they are established, we don't have to fear when the rain comes, when the floods come, when the winds blow, when the enemy rises, when the fire threatens, when the lions roar, or when evil approaches.

 

Have a great day. When we fear God and love His word, our hearts will be firm in faith and we don't have to fear whatever comes our way.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 23:4

Philippians 4:7

2 Corinthians 2:9

2 Chronicles 20:15

"The Insignificant"

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Matthew 10:30 

The Lord is often accused of not caring. Many question if He is even there and knows what they are going through. It may feel as though He is removed or far away at times, but He isn't- He is right there. He is aware of the situation. He is watching over you. He knows where you are and what you are going through. You and your situation is not hidden from Hm. 

 

He is so aware of you that He even knows the number of hairs on your head. Your hair is made up of enumerable individual hairs. Each one plays a part in making up your "hair". If He numbers the hairs on your head then that means He counts each and every one. It also means that He knows each and every time you lose one and He changes His count. 

 

What is one hair? It is "insignificant". There is no value in a hair. It isn't worth anything. We lose individual hairs all day long and aren't even aware of it. The fact that the Bible tells us that God knows the number of them lets us know that if God cares and is aware of even the most insignificant part of us, then He certainly must care about that which is more significant.

 

The Lord is more aware of when you lose one single hair than you are. He takes time to change His count and renumber them. Can you count the number of hairs on your head? Does just one hair mean that much to you? So, when you start feeling as if He doesn't care and isn't aware, think about the number of hairs on your head, and remember if God cares about even the most insignificant part of you then He cares about what is most significant. 

 

Have a great day. God cares about even the most insignificant thing about you, so therefore, He cares about the significant as well.

 

For further reading:

Luke 12:7

Hebrews 4:13

"Understanding the Bible"

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." 2 Timothy 3:16a

A cousin and I were talking the other evening and he made the statement that in all the other religions of the world their "Bible- Sacred Book" isn't hard to understand.  Their followers all get the same meaning and same understanding when they read it.  He said the Christian Bible is hard to understand, it contradicts itself, its followers don't get the same interpretation, and they can't agree on what it means.  Have you ever had anyone say that to you?  I've heard it a lot.  But it isn't true.

On one hand the Bible is not hard to understand.  Its message is so simple that even a child can understand it and respond to it by faith.  On the other hand, it is not easy to understand because the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned-- the word is spirit and truth.

I told him that I disagreed with what he was saying. This is why.  The principles of the Bible are not hard to understand.  And they are not hard to interpret.  The Ten Commandments are principles of the Bible-- what's so hard to understand about "Thou shalt not kill"; "Thou shalt not steal"; etc.?  The principles of salvation are not hard to understand; the Bible is very plain and clear on the subject... "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  The wages of sin is death.  But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."  Anyone can understand the principles and it doesn't take a Bible scholar to interpret them.  

The reason there "seems" to be so many different interpretations (why you and I both can read the same verse and get a different meaning) is because the Bible is NOT just black words on white paper.  It's alive; it's a person- (John 1:1,14) "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.  And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory as that of the only begotten of the Father."  Jesus Christ is the Living Word. Therefore, the written word is alive.... it's Christ.  That's why I can read a verse today and get one meaning and read it again tomorrow and get a different meaning.  It's Christ written on paper.  And because it's Him, can we ever fully understand Him?  Doesn't He reveal Himself to us a little at a time.  He is infinite so there is no way that as we read the scriptures we can get all the understanding at once.  It has been said that it will take God an eternity to reveal Himself to us because He is so great.  It's like this... God will "peel back" layers and layers of His divine nature to us as we read His word and commune with Him in His presence.  This is one reason why there are many different interpretations... God may show me something different about who He is as I read it than He shows you as you read it.  I may have needed Him in a different way than you did so He met me where I was at through what He revealed to me.  

Have a great day.  It's not really that hard to understand.  

"Check Your Evidence"

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."  Romans 14:12

We've all heard the question asked, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?".

If you were put on trial before men for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to bring a guilty verdict?  What kind of evidence would you present?  Perhaps it would be something like- I read my Bible, I go to church, I teach a Sunday School class, I pay tithes, I support missions, I feed the hungry and cloth the naked and visit the sick.  If these were some of your answers, you probably would be convicted by man of being a Christian.

Let me ask you this question again, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"; only this time you aren't standing before men but before God.  When you present your evidence to Him would there be enough to convict you?  Perhaps the evidence that you would present before God would be- I have prophesied in your name, I have cast out devils in your name, I have done many wonderful works in your name.  If this is the evidence that you would present to Him, it wouldn't be enough.  There is only one piece of evidence that we must present to the Lord in order for Him to say that we are guilty of being a Christian. 

While we must be doing the works of God, this is not the proof that we are indeed Christians.  There will be a group that comes to Him on that day professing all the things that they have done for Him and in His name, but He'll say "depart".  Why?  "Because I never knew you." (Matthew 7:22,23) The criteria for being a Christian is "knowing" the Christ of Christianity.  If you don't know Him- if you aren't having a personal relationship with Him, based on what He did for you at the cross- then you won't be "convicted" of being one of His followers.  (There won't be enough evidence.)  

While man judges one way- by the things we do- God judges another way- by Who we know.  Do you know Him?  Are you desiring to know Him more?  Or are you just doing "works" but don't know the One you are working for?

Have a great day.  Can you produce the right kind of evidence for an indictment?      

"Respond With Worship"

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped."  Job 1:20

Job had just received word that all his children were dead, his flocks destroyed, and his servants killed; in short, he lost everything (all at the same time).  What did Job do, how did he respond, what was his reaction?  No doubt Job grieved deeply, no doubt he was overwhelmed by what had happened, you know his heart was broken, and he was distressed, but in spite of it all, he "fell down upon the ground and worshipped" God.  

How do you respond to the trials that come your way?  Do you respond with worship?  Or do you blame God for what has happened?  Do you have a pity party by sitting around feeling sorry for yourself?  Do you get depressed and become a mental basket case?  None of us have faced such tremendous calamity as Job, but we can still learn something from the way he responded to what happened to him.  Praise and worship seem like the last thing you should do when difficulty strikes, it seems foolish and out of order, but it is exactly the first thing you should do.  It will cause you to be lifted up above your situation instead of it being lifted up over you.  It will cause you to get victory over it instead of it getting the victory over you.  Worship will take you into the very presence of God, where you will find everything you need to walk in peace, strength, and joy.  Job knew this; he knew his only hope to make it through this was in God.  (It's our only hope too.)

Have a great day.  Let worship be your first response.

"The Substitute"

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:  and by it he being dead yet speaketh."  Hebrews 11:4

Abel didn't bring God what he wanted Him to have when he brought his offering to God, he brought Him what He wanted.  How many times has God required something of you and you tried to please Him with something else?  Has God spoken something to your heart, has He put His finger on a particular thing, yet you'd rather give Him what you want Him to have?  Cain got in trouble for this.  He knew that God required a lamb, yet he brought Him vegetables.      

There are many reasons why we try to "substitute" what we want to give up for what God wants us to give up.  Sometimes we are so fond of that thing we just don't want to part with it.  Another reason could be laziness.  We would have to get out of our comfort zone in order to give it to God. Still another reason could be that we aren't willing to pay what it would cost to give that thing up.  Who knows? There are many reasons. 

When God speaks to you to bring a certain thing to Him and you try to substitute it for something else, you need to stop and look into your heart and ask yourself the question, "Why don't I just give Him what He wants?  What's stopping me?  Why can't I do it?"  As you find out the answer, ask the Holy Spirit to help you get past it and give you the grace to be obedient.  

Remember, just because we bring God something, doesn't mean that He accepts it.  Cain brought Him something, but He rejected it.  Abel brought Him what He wanted and it was accepted.  "Obedience is better than sacrifice."  

Have a great day.  What has the Lord asked you for?  Have you given it or tried to substitute it with something else?

      

"Compromise Equals Danger"

"Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments."  Psalms 119:6

As I was seeking the Lord for His word to us this morning, the word "compromise" kept coming to me.  I felt impressed to go to the dictionary and read the definitions for compromise.  Interestingly, one definition says- to lay open to danger.  This definition is not what I normally think of when I think of compromise, but how accurate it is.  When we compromise the standards of God's word for anything else, we open ourselves up to danger.  God's word is a safe boundary- it is a protection to us.  

I was in a waiting room one day and the television was on.  The program that was broadcasting was one of those courtroom programs where the judge settles the disputes between the two parties.  The case that was on was between a man and woman who had been living together (not married) and were now separated.  These people really were in a mess.  He accused her of this and she accused him of that; one wanted compensation for something and the other wanted restitution for something else.  Sadly, this is not an isolated incident- it's become a common occurrence.  Why are these lives in such a mess; why are they finding themselves before a judge trying to settle these disputes?  Why are they living in turmoil?  Because they "went their own way".  They did what they wanted to do.  They governed and controlled their own lives instead of letting the word of God govern it.  

When you compromise the principles of God's word (for anything or anyone) you are asking for trouble.  You are opening yourself up to danger.  In the natural you are opening yourself up to danger of disease, financial ruin, poverty, slander, accusations, exposure, a broken heart, pain and grief.  In the spiritual you are putting yourself in danger of being chastised, disciplined, danger of judgment, as well as opening yourself up to attacks by the enemy.  The only truly safe place for us to be is within the boundaries that God has set up for us in His word- to compromise would be to get out of safety and into danger.

Have a great day.  We cannot afford to live in compromise... it is a dangerous place.  

"Knowing Who is More Important Than Knowing Where"

"Now the Lord said unto Abram, 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee'."  Genesis 12:1

God told Abram to move but He didn't tell him where he was going.  He just told him to get up and leave from where he was.  Pretty scary.  It's one thing to move and you know where you are going, but it's an entirely different matter when you are told to move but you don't know where to.  

There are times in our lives when God tells us to move because He wants to take us from one place in the spirit to another.  He wants to take us to a higher level (from glory to glory), but we don't always know where that place is.  All we know is that God said, "Move".  In other words, He wants to change something in us.  This can be pretty scary, too. 

The thing that caused Abram to obey was the fact of "Who" it was that was telling him to move.  He knew Who had told him to go so he went.  Why?  Because he knew that the One Who told him to go was trustworthy and faithful.  "Knowing Who" told him to go was more important than "knowing where" to go.  

If God is leading you somewhere but your understanding is darkened and you don't know exactly where you are going, don't worry as long as you know Who is leading you, you can rest assured that it is in your best interest and for your good.  God will never lead you astray.

Have a great day.  You can trust in Who is leading you even when you don't know where you are going.

"Precious"

"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious..."  1 Peter 2:7a

Is the Lord precious to you?  Is your relationship with Him something that is precious to you?  Is it something that you value greatly?  Or do you take it for granted?  When something is precious (valuable, highly esteemed) to us, we treat it a certain way.  We take care of it.  We don't neglect it.  We don't abuse it.  We watch over it.  Back to the original question, is the Lord and your relationship with Him precious to you?  Next question, "How precious?"

You are very precious to God; He puts a high value on you.  He loves you very much and cares for you deeply.  So much so, that He gave up the very best He had to give (His Son Jesus) to ensure a relationship with you...that's just how precious you are.  Even now, God goes to great lengths to watch over this relationship that He has with you.  

There is another question.  Do you and God have mutual feelings concerning your relationship with one another?  Do you think He is as precious as He thinks you are?  God has a greater capacity to love than we do, after all, "God is love".  But do you love Him as much as is possible for you to?  Take a few moments to look at your relationship with the Lord.  As you do, consider the things that we have talked about.

Where does He stand on your "value" scale?  Is He on the top...more valuable than anything else?  Is He way down at the bottom...under everything else that you hold dear?  Or is He somewhere in the middle...above some things, but below others?  Where should He be?

Have a great day.  On a scale of one to ten...how precious is God and your relationship to Him?

"Praise In Faith And Reality"

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised."  Psalm 113:3

When the sun rises at the dawn of a new day... we should praise the Lord.  When the sun sets in the evening... we should praise the Lord.  When we praise the Lord at sunrise- at the beginning of the new day that He has blessed us with- we praise Him in faith.  Faith that today He will meet and supply my every need.  Faith that He will give me this day my daily bread.  We praise Him at the start of the day for all His goodness and benefits that He is going to load us with today.  We praise Him in faith knowing that He won't leave us nor forsake but that He will be with us this day.

At the end of the day- the going down of the sun- we praise Him in reality, not in faith.  We praise Him because He did meet and supply our every need.  We praise Him because He did give us our daily bread.  We praise Him because today He did load us with benefits, and He was with us just like He promised. 

At the rising of the sun- a new day- we praise Him in faith for what He is going to do for us today, but at the end of the day we praise Him because of what He did do for us today.  In the evening we praise Him for bringing to pass that which we praised Him for this morning by faith.  

Have a great day.  We should give God praise by faith before He brings it to pass, and we should give Him praise after He brings it to pass.  

"Your Life Will Show It"

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 

We used to sing a song in church when I was growing up and it went like this, "If you're saved and you know it say, Amen. If you're saved and you know it then your life will surely show it. If you're saved and you know it say, Amen."

 

"If you're saved and you know it then your life will surely show it." Christianity is more than a profession; it is a lifestyle. Actually, it is the person of Jesus living His life through you. There are many who profess to be a Christian, but their lifestyle does not back it up. 

 

You can't live a sinful life and be a Christian. The word Christian means "to be Christ-like"-- Christ-like in action, deeds, word, conduct, attitude and so on. You can't be Christ-like and act like the devil. If you are then the truth is not in you.

 

If you are saved, if Jesus is living in you, it will surely be seen- there will be no doubt. There are people who call themselves Christians, but they are not doing what Jesus would do, they are doing the opposite. They are getting drunk, cheating, lying, committing adultery, cursing, following unrestrained pleasure, they are rude, mean, hot tempered, bitter and full of anger. Would you find Jesus living like this? No. Then why, or how can you if you are what you say you are? You may do some religious deeds- go to church, give offerings, sing in the choir, give to charity, but religious deeds don't make you a Christian. (May I remind you that it was the "religious leaders" who cried out to Pilate for the death of Jesus.) 

 

We have been deceived and we are being destroyed because we have believed the lie that says all you have to do is join the church, get baptized, do some other religious deeds, believe that Jesus is real and try to be good and that makes us saved. That does not make us saved, or a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes us a car. We are saved by grace through faith, it is a gift of God and not by works. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are saved by repenting of our sins and turning from our wicked ways. If there is no turning from sin, then there is no salvation. If there is no salvation, there is no relationship with Him. If there is no relationship with Him, then there is no evidence that we are a Christian. Talk is cheap, anyone can say anything, but only the person who is the "real thing" can produce the real evidence in their lives. What you really are is what will be evident in your speech and your lifestyle.

 

Have a great day. If you're saved and you know it then your life will surely show it-- does it show it?

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 29:13

Ephesians 2:8,9

John 13:35

Luke 6:46

1 John 3:9

"Never Abandoned"

"...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee...." Hebrews 13:5b

 

I believe we need to continually remind ourselves that the Lord is with us-- especially when we are going through difficult times. If we aren't careful, we can easily believe the lie that God has abandoned us. 

 

He has not abandoned you-- never has, never will. He didn't abandon the disciples while they were in the storm. He didn't abandon the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. He didn't abandon Daniel in the lion's den. He didn't abandon the children of Israel at the Red Sea. He didn't abandon Joshua as he faced the battles in the land of Canaan. He didn't abandon David when he stood before Goliath. He does not change, so why would He start abandoning His people now? He wouldn't.

 

There are those who believe that because they go through difficulties, trying times, hardship and testing that it is a sure sign that the Lord has abandoned them. Going through these times is not proof that He has abandoned you. While we live on planet earth there will always be difficulties and problems. This is why we must remind ourselves daily that He is with us- regardless of what is going on in our lives. 

 

Are you feeling like He has left you? Are you feeling abandoned by God? Don't live by your feelings, don't trust them, they aren't true- they change constantly. Live by His Word- it is faithful, and it is the truth- and it says He will NEVER abandon you.

 

Have a great day. God will never abandon you in difficult times. 

 

For further reading:

Deuteronomy 31:6,8

Joshua 1:5

Matthew 28:20

Sudden Storms

"And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep." Matthew 8:24

There have been times when I awoke to the sound of thunder and flashes of lightening when there were no storms in the forecast.  Life is like that sometimes. There is no sign of a "storm" brewing in our lives. The "skies" are blue and everything is going well. Then all of a sudden you hear the roar of thunder, and your life is being filled with wave after wave.

 

When the storms come upon us suddenly, what is our attitude? Is it like the disciples? Fearful? Accusing God? Is our attitude like Jesus? He was not distressed by the storm. He was not frightened. He was not afraid. He was asleep. He was resting in the arms and will of His Father. He knew His Father was with Him. He was at perfect peace. His disciples should have been also because they were not alone-- He was with them. They should not have been fearful because they had His word to guide them through. 

 

Storms are a given in life. Some we see them coming, others happen suddenly. But what will our attitude be when they do? One of peace because we are at rest trusting in God's faithfulness. Or one of fear and worry?

 

Have a great day. What is your attitude when storms of life come? How do you respond to them?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 8:23-25

Psalm 56:3; 23:4

"Understanding Victory"

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30 

We are getting ready to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is said that hindsight is 20/20. On this side of the cross we have a clear understanding that what was done was the greatest act of love and complete victory. But to those who were there it looked like defeat. As they watched the events of that evening unfold, as they saw their Jesus being arrested, tried, convicted and crucified all they could see were their hopes and dreams being destroyed. 

 

When we are going through times of great testing, we tend to be more like those disciples. We don't view the situation as something good. We can't see how anything good can come out of what we are going through. It looks hopeless. It often looks like defeat. But may I remind you that even in the darkest time, even when all hope seems lost, even when you don't understand why, God hasn't left, He is watching over the situation, and He is still in control. 

 

The situations that look like darkness, He can bring light from. What looks like death, He can bring forth life. What looks like defeat, He can bring forth victory from--- the cross and the empty tomb are a testimony to that. 

 

Don't look at your situation as "defeat", trust that God somehow, someway, is working all things together for your good. Even if you don't see any good in it, and even if you don't understand it now, perhaps you may never understand it all this side of heaven, but like the old song says, "We'll understand it better by and by". 

 

Have a great day. Even though we may not understand what looks like defeat, God is still working to bring victory. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

Genesis 45:1-8

"He Rejoices Over You"

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 

The Lord God is Mighty. He is a powerful Warrior fighting our battles for us. But He is also a gentle, kind and compassionate Savior. He has a heart for you. He loves you. He rejoices over you with singing and dancing. He delights in you. You are the apple of His eye. You are the object of His affection. He loves to hold you close to Himself. He desires to embrace you. 

 

Often, we see God as "one-sided". He is "either" or "but not "both". If that is how you see Him, you need to enlarge your vision of Him. He is the Lion and the Lamb. Do you see Him as One who is hard and cruel always waiting to "get you" if you mess up? Most people have no problem seeing Him in this way. They have a struggle with seeing Him as someone who truly loves and cares about them, and as someone who is for them and on their side. They can't fathom God rejoicing over them with singing. 

 

Perhaps that is you? How do you see God? A hard taskmaster? One who is out to get you? If it is, it is time you start seeing Him as One who loves you dearly and deeply. He rejoices over you. He has joy in you. He takes delight in you. He sings over you. 

 

Have a great day. God loves you so much, He sings and rejoices over you. 

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17

Romans 5:8

Psalm 32:7; 103:13

Isaiah 62:5

"Struggling Or Soaring?"

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 

As I was driving the other day, I noticed in the sky two birds. One was soaring effortlessly and the other one was flapping its wings nonstop. The only difference I could see between the two was that the one that was soaring was only a couple of feet higher than the other one. I thought to myself about the "flapping" bird, "If you would just catch the wind and go a little higher you would not have to struggle so much and could soar". 

 

Many Christians are "struggling" in this life. They are constantly "flapping" just to make it through. The are struggling to have peace, struggling with problems, struggling to know what to do, struggling with temptations, etc. Instead, we should be "soaring". 

 

How do we get from struggling to soaring? By going a little higher. Going higher means that we press in a little closer to the Lord. It means that we move out of the flesh and into walking in the spirit. As we press in a little closer, we will catch the wind of the Spirit and He will take us into that place of rest and lack of struggle- the place where we soar.

 

The Lord doesn't want you constantly struggling. He wants you soaring- like the verse above says. But the key is to go higher. Wait upon the Lord. Draw close to Him. Get your strength from Him. Get your rest from Him. Get that second wind from Him. Get the wisdom you need from Him. Get the grace you need from Him. He is the Wind that will take you higher and cause you to soar.

 

Have a great day. Are you struggling or soaring? Draw a little closer to the Lord and catch the wind of His Spirit which will take you higher so you can soar.

 

For further reading:

Zechariah 4:6

Matthew 11:28

"Fullness of Time Is Perfect Timing"

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." Ephesians 1:10 

There is a time called "fullness". It is in that time when promises come into manifestation, when faith becomes sight, when answers come. They don't come until then. Joseph did not come to the palace until the "fullness of time". The Israelites were not delivered from Egypt until the "fullness of time". Abraham did not receive the promised son until the "fullness of time". The Savior, Jesus, did not come into the world until the "fullness of time". 

 

Why didn't Jesus come earlier? Why didn't He arrive a hundred years earlier? A thousand years earlier? Why weren't the Israelites delivered sooner? The answer is simple yet not always easy for us to understand. It is because the time "fullness" has to come. This time is determined by the sovereignty of God and the counsel of His own will. 

 

Why aren't some things happening sooner in our lives? Why are they delayed? What is holding it up? We tend to get caught up in time elements. We want things to happen right away. But there are some things that will not occur until the "fullness of time". And when is that time? It is when God says it is. 

 

When a woman gets pregnant, she doesn't give birth the next day. She has to wait until the "fullness of time" for the child's birth. When a farmer plants a seed, he doesn't harvest a crop the following week. He has to wait until the plants have grown and matured. Without the waiting, the baby would not survive and the plants would not produce fruit. This the reason for the fullness of time. 

 

When is the fullness of time? Who knows. It is different lengths of time for different situations. But what we can say about it is that it is also the "perfect time". It is perfect because it is determined and brought forth by God Himself. So, we need to learn to be content, patient and trust while we are waiting on that time to come.

 

Have a great day. There is a time called "fullness". It is determined by God's sovereignty, so we need to learn how to trust Him while we are waiting because it is also called "perfect timing".

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 1:11

Psalm 27:14; 1:3

Isaiah 55:8,9

 

"Look At Jesus, Not The Problem"

"Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us." Psalm 123:2 

I woke up this morning with a chorus repeating over and over in my thoughts. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

 

If you look at it long enough, whatever it is, that is what will have the most power in your life. This is why we are not told to "look at the mountain" but to "speak to it". If you continue to look at it, it just gets bigger and bigger and before long it will completely overwhelm you and take control. 

 

The same thing will happen if we look at Jesus, He too will begin to become bigger in our view than even the largest problem. When Moses looked at the Lord in the burning bush, He became greater in his eyes than Moses' fear of Pharaoh. When Peter looked at Jesus, Jesus became greater to him than his fear of stepping out of the boat. When David stood before Goliath, he looked to the Lord and the Lord became much larger than the giant. 

 

If you are looking at that impossible situation, if you are looking at the overwhelming problem, if you are looking at that daunting circumstance, then you are looking at the wrong place. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look at Him. He is greater than the problem. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above whatever the situation needs. He is bigger than anything that you are facing. His ability to handle whatever it is you are going through is more powerful than the thing that is coming against you.

So where are you looking and where should you be looking? Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things- the problems, the mountain, the giant, the fire, the wilderness, the situation, the storm- will all begin to look smaller compared to Him.

 

Have a great day. Whatever you look at long enough will be what looks the biggest. So, turn your eyes upon Jesus and not the problem.

 

For further reading:

Numbers 13:33

Ephesians 3:20

Hebrews 12:2

Matthew 17:20