God is the epitome of faithfulness. He has promised in His Word that He keeps His word. He promised to provide for us. Not necessarily in giving us what we want but what we need. He promises protection. He promises deliverance, and comfort and guidance. With God’s faithfulness in these areas, it provides inspiration for us to be faithful in loving one another, sharing the gospel and trusting Him.
One of the major areas of faithfulness is gratitude. When we are grateful for what God has provided, we grow. He blesses us continually in gratitude. In gratitude, we develop patience. God’s faithfulness to us is not merited by us. His faithfulness is who He is. Jesus’ death and resurrection is evidence of this. He is faithful in giving us hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.
This is a short post albeit it very important to grasp that God has everything we need. Through His faithfulness, He has provided.
Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua received the commandment to be strong and courageous. And he did just that. It is really important that we trust God on this journey. When we don’t trust Him, we are telling God He can’t take care of us or won’t. Joshua believed God for the promised land and thereafter. Joshua displayed faith. The Bible talks about our heroes of faith. Joshua was definitely one of the heroes. Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith is is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
2nd Corinthians 5:7 – “For we live by faith, not by sight.” NIV
What does it take for you to believe God? Do you need to see it first? That then, is not faith. It is no simpler than taking God at His word; however hard that may be.😫
I have to admit that there are times the information is repetitive. That is significant in that we must build a strong foundation. Repetition of the correct information builds the foundation.
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
As I sit and ponder this, I realize that there are many times the choices I make are not the best. However, the Scripture above tells me that even then, God is working out the good for our benefit. I do give God the praise and glory today because no matter what He loves me and is always looking to give me what’s good for me in spite of my humanity.
This Scripture also gives me rest. Not saying I want to make the wrong choices. When I do though, God is right there making sure by His protection that it works out for my good. This is not to say there won’t be consequences. They may very well be there. He is still right by my side to make sure that I get through them. The comfort of God’s love for me is everything.
God’s Hand
I would like to encourage you today. No matter what, God is with you. His word states that he will never leave you nor forsake you. Psalm 9:10 – “Those who know your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You.” David wrote a good portion of the Psalms. His relationship with God is an excellent example of what that means. David was not perfect. He was repentant and humble when he did make some bad choices. And, he did.
God lets us know that making wrong choices doesn’t remove His love for us. His word shows us by the testimony of those gone before us. Stay the course because you can’t do anything He doesn’t know about or isn’t aware of.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God. And thank God for that!
Even when the skies are troubled…
Romans 8:35-37
Verse 35 – “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?
Verse 36 – “As the Scriptures say, “For Your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”
Verse 37 – “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us.”
There is always hope even when it’s a little cloudy.
Today my focus is on the Scriptures Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Verse 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Verse 12 – “In those days when you pray, I will listen.”
Verse 13 – “If you look for me whole heartedly, you will find me.”
These are some of my favorite Scriptures. When I begin to feel apprehensive about a situation or circumstances, I turn to Scripture. As believers, we must remember that God is in control. He has us in His hands. It reminds me that God does not intend to harm us. He loves us. He wants what’s best for us. We need to look for God wholeheartedly. Seek Him while He may be found. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can go boldly to the throne of grace. We need His grace to grab ahold of the hope He promises.
The handiwork of God
Many times, I accept that when I get worried or fearful, it is because I want my way. We are not to be fearful. God did not give us a spirit of fear.
2nd Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” His perfect love casts out fear.
God is well aware of our weaknesses. He knows that surrendering and relinquishing the control we think we have over our lives is like pulling teeth with no anesthesia. It is very difficult. Our pride does get in the way. However, I ask you to consider taking God at His word. Receive His word and then believe His word. We can hear the word of God (receive) but believing His word is the next rung on the ladder.
We can trust God. He is faithful to His word. He know the plans He has for your life; plans for a future and hope.
One of my favorite testimonies from the Word of God, is the testimony of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneggo. Their claim to fame was walking through the blazing fire coming out unscathed. Why were they able to walk through the fire unscathed? When I prayed over these Scriptures, the Holy Spirit revealed to me there were 3 reasons: position, peace and power.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneggo positioned themselves in God. They decided to believe God and did not waver. They were threatened with bodily harm. Did that deter their stance? No, it did not. They positioned themselves and provide a clear example of not being double-minded; not wavering under pressure. Be positioned in Christ.
They were at peace. When you know what you believe and why, you relish in the peace of Christ. You rest in that He has everything under control. He left the peace that passes all understanding for us. Be at peace in Christ.
The power of God moved in their circumstance. God is not only willing, He is also able to move in any situation or circumstance you have, including those of fire. Do you have the power of God moving in your life? Do you need it to? The power of God is available to us all. Not by demand. By positioning yourself, holding His peace and thereby, allowing the power of God to move.
…Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Today’s reflection is about what’s going on and being grateful that I know who God is and that His plans and purpose for my life are in His hands. This week has had some disappointments, feeling sick and revising things. When disappointments come, we must get quiet and seek the Lord for clarity and/or peace. Sometimes He may not give us clarity right away and waiting is very difficult for us, as we all know. However, I will worship while I am waiting.
As I have been reading through Numbers, it is revealed that the anxiety and impatience of the Israelites caused dire consequences. I am reminded that trusting God is so important. He will give us what we need because He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. And, while waiting can be so uncomfortable, it is comforting to know that no matter the circumstances, God has my back. Continue…!
After making decisions on the blog and moving forward, things come out of nowhere to challenge the new focus. One of the things that irks me is when I sabotage myself. This week has been crazy for me. I made wrong decisions that have major negative impact and trying to recover to get back where I was with so much enthusiasm is an uphill climb. The thing about making dumb choices is you have no one to blame but yourself. Okay, now that that diatribe is over, I am once again focused. One thing to learn from making wrong choices is to consider the consequences that will follow. The consequences add more situations that you have to make decisions on and this is extra work.
As I move forward, I realize that there are times when you have to see the true reality of making those wrong choices. I look forward to when making the right choices is a breeze. I believe it is feasible but it takes constant awareness and trust. My trust in God and His plan for my life keeps me holding when I have made some major mistakes. At this moment in time, I do count my blessings. I am still breathing and yesterday is gone. Today is a new day and I don’t have to make those same mistakes again. And, although I have added some new situations to work out, they are nothing that God and I can’t work out together. However, I do have to say that God will be in charge and I need to follow His direction. This is my journey.
