We have God’s favor

When we accept the Lord Jesus into our life, we have God’s favor.  That is because at the cross Jesus took all our sins, faults, failings, everything that displeased God upon Himself. How big and great a factor our Lord Jesus is in our lives, when we let Him! I am convinced that one of the battles of faith in our lives is to see the greatness of our God and Lord Jesus, to see and know that God surpasses anything and everything that we face in life. That we need to see Jesus and His greatness and not the problem! Because of Jesus all the blessings of Heaven are raining upon us and blessings are chasing us down (Deuteronomy 28:2). The key is our faith in this, our belief in this. Remember, because of Jesus, we are no longer ourselves but have Christ’s identity. We are now a new creation. God’s favor gives us an advantage.  With God’s favor the impossible things will become possible.  We read in Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”.”  The key ingredient to unlock the favor of God in our life is faith and belief in Christ. Simply look to Jesus because He is the answer and the end of your struggles. God has a place and a plan for each of us.  It doesn’t matter how difficult a situation or how bleak it looks, just look to Jesus and know that He has the answer and that all things are under His feet!  God has a beautiful future for each one of us.  We can even find comfort in Job. He did not have Jesus to look to, but put his trust in God. In this manner, whatever we are facing, let us put our trust and our hope in the finished work of Jesus!

The book of Job runs 42 chapters.  We do not know how long Job’s suffering lasted, but we know that it was more than a week (Job 2:13), and possibly months (Job 7:3).  There is no question that Job went through great suffering.  Before his suffering, the bible says that he was the greatest of all the people of the East (Job 1:3).  What did he lose, what happened to him?

• His oxen and donkeys were stolen by the Sabeans and his servants killed (Job 1:13-14)
• Fire from heaven came down and burned up his sheep and servants (Job 1:16)
• The Chaldeans took his camels and killed more of his servants (Job 1:17)
• The house where Job’s children were was blown down, and all his children and the people who were with them died except one. (Job 1:18-19)
• Job got boils from head to toe (Job 2:7) and he turned black with fever (Job 30:30)

What was Job’s wife’s reaction to this?  “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die”!” (Job 2:9).  Did Job get negative, did he get down, and did he curse or blame God?  No, his faith and trust remained with God!  It says in Job 10:12, “You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.”  Job remained faithful to God in the middle of the storm, in the middle of difficulty.  At this point I am sure that Job didn’t see an end to his troubles; he didn’t know what God’s plan was for him, yet he remained in faith.  Job wasn’t restored until the 42^nd chapter.  He was restored because he remained faithful to God.  “¹¹ Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful (James 5:11).”  What was the restoration of Job?

Job 42:10-13

¹⁰ And the Lord restored Job’s losses^[a] when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.  ¹² Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters.

Let us not fear, worry, or fall apart.  Let’s remain and abide with God.  Let’s carry ourselves with confidence, not because of what we do or have but because of who we have, Jesus!   Let’s always remember and declare in our prayer life and our whole life, the favor of God, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done.  God’s vision and plan for us will be accomplished.

Kari Jobe – Forever (live) with Isaac Wimberley

This is moving and will bless you! I also found what Isaac Wimberley says toward the end and include below. God bless!

Kari Jobe web site

Isaac Wimberley web site

If there are words for Him then I don’t have them. 
You see, my brain has not yet reached the point where it could form a thought that could adequately describe the greatness of my God,
and my lungs have not yet developed the ability to release a breath with enough agility to breathe out the greatness of his love,
and my voice, you see, my voice, is so inhibited, restrained by human limits that it’s hard to even sing the praise of…  You see,
if there are words for Him then I don’t have them. 
My God, his grace is remarkable,
mercies are enumerable,
strength is impenetrable.
He is honorable, accountable, favorable.
He is unsearchable yet knowable,
indefinable yet approachable,
indescribable yet personal.
He is beyond comprehension,
further than imagination,
constant thru generations,
king of every nation.
But if there are words for Him then I don’t have them.
You see, my words are few,
and to try to capture the one true God, using my vocabulary will never do,
but I use words as an expression,
an expression of worship to a savior,
a savior who is both worthy and deserving of my praise, so I use words.
My heart extols the Lord, blesses his name forever.
He has won, my heart captured my mind and has bound them both together.
He has defeated me in my rebellion, conquered me in my sin.
He has welcomed me into his presence, completely invited me in.
He has made himself the object of my sight,
flooding me with mercies in the morning,
drowning me with grace in the night.
But if there are words for Him then I don’t have them. 
But what I do have is good news,
for my God knew that man-made words would never do.
For words are just tools that we use to point to the truth.
So he sent his son Jesus Christ as “The Word”, living proof.
He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.
For by him all things are created,
giving nothingness formation,
and by his words he sustains, in the power of his name, for He is before all things and over all things he reigns, holy is his name, so praise him for his life…
The way, he persevered in strife, the humble son of God becoming the perfect sacrifice.
Praise him for his death…
that He willingly stood in our place,
that he lovingly endured the grave,
that he battled our enemy and on the third day rose in victory.
He is everything that was promised,
praise him as your risen king,
lift your voice and sing,
for one day he will return for us and we will finally be united with our savior for eternity, eternity.
So it’s not just words that I proclaim,
for my words point to “The Word” and “The Word” has a name,
hope has a name,
joy has a name,
peace has a name,
love has a name and that name is Jesus Christ.
Praise his name forever!

-Isaac Wimberley

Thanks

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

 

Psalm 31:19

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

 

Psalm 69:30

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

 

Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

He that is With You is Greater than what is Against You!

Deuteronomy 5:33

³³ Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

He that is With You is Greater than what is Against You!

How beautiful it is that God is greater than any obstacle, or situation that we face.  We never want to forget this, and the many times He has been with us and with all who turn to Him and seek Him with all their heart, and that walk in love (1 Corinthians 13). When we do this, God has promised to be with us.  Let us never loose confidence and become downcast over situations or circumstances that we face.  Rather, let us continue to turn to God and cast every problem or worry to Him (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Job 22:21-28

²¹ “Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
²² Accept instruction from his mouth
and lay up his words in your heart.
²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
If you remove wickedness far from your tent
²⁴ and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
²⁵ then the Almighty will be your gold,
the choicest silver for you.
²⁶ Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
and will lift up your face to God.
²⁷ You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows.
²⁸ What you decide on will be done,
and light will shine on your ways.

Romans 8:31-36

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[a]

2 Chronicles provides an account when God was with someone.  His name was Hezekiah, the King of Judah.  Sennacherib, the King of Assyria came and invaded Judah, his intent was to wage war against Jerusalem and Hezekiah.  Hezekiah prepared for the siege, and encouraged the people:

 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

⁷ “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. ⁸ With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

Sennacherib sent his officials to Jerusalem with his message to King Hezekiah and the people.

2 Chronicles 32:10

¹⁰ “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

Sennacherib went on to ridicule God and to try and destroy Hezekiah’s and the people’s confidence.  Hezekiah did not loose heart, but turned to God.

2 Chronicles 32:20-22

²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. ²¹ And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.

²² So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them^[a] on every side.

2 Kings 6 provides another account when the Lord was with one of his servants.  This time it was Elisha, who was surrounded by the King of Aram’s forces.  Elisha’s servant was alarmed.

2 Kings 6:15-18

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

¹⁸ As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Elisha too was ultimately preserved.

The last account out of scriptures to relay is from Acts Chapter 28.  Here Paul is on his way to Rome to have his audience with Caesar.  He tells his captors not to sail, due to the danger to them and the ship.  As Paul predicts, he, the crew and passengers are shipwrecked on Malta.  However through the storm Paul has confidence, and even a word from the angel of the Lord that everyone would be preserved.  Paul even bolsters everyone’s confidence by telling everyone on board that the ship would be lost, but they all would survive.  As Paul told them, everyone gets to the shore.  Then Paul is faced with another life threatening danger that God preserves him from.

Acts 28:3-6

³ Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

God preserved Paul from this bite and many other hardships and difficulties throughout his life.

Let us not loose confidence, but trust, and turn to our God in faith.  Let’s declare the promises of God over our life, and maintain a connection in prayer to our God who will answer us and provide for all who turn to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powerful Promises of God – Bible Verses

I hope that these verses, these promises of God over us all, encourage you like they do me.  Please feel free to add additional verses in the comment section.

Deuteronomy 7:6-15

⁶ For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. ⁸ But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. ¹⁰ But

those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

¹¹ Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

¹² If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. ¹³ He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. ¹⁴ You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. ¹⁵ The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.

Deuteronomy 15:6

⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: ³ “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. ⁴ “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. ⁵ “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.  ⁶ “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.  ⁷ “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.  ⁸ “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.  ⁹ “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. ¹⁰ Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. ¹¹ And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. ¹² The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. ¹³ And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. ¹⁴ So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Job 22:23-30

²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents.  ²⁴ Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.  ²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your gold^[a] And your precious silver; ²⁶ For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.  ²⁷ You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.  ²⁸ You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.
²⁹ When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person.  ³⁰ He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Psalm 2:7-8

⁷ “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

Psalm 30

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.
³ O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.^{[a]  4} Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.^[b]
5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 34

⁸ Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  ⁹ Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!  There is no want to those who fear Him.  ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.   ¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.  ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  ¹⁸ The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. ²⁰ He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

Psalm 139:7-10

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

Proverbs 1:33

³³ But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:10 

fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 61

² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”  ⁴ And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.  ⁵ Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.  ⁷ Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear^[a] when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

2 Esdras 2:20-32

Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, Heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearness. Keep the old and young within thy walls.
Wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will give thee the first place in my resurrection.  Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness still come.  Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet.  As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number.  Be not weary: for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance.  The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing against thee, saith the Lord.  My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.  Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee, saith the Lord.  Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the Lord Almighty.  Embrace thy children until I come and shew mercy unto them: for my wells run over, and my grace shall not fail.

 1 Corinthians 10:13 

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

⁶ But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

¹⁰ Now may^[b] He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹² For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 19:26

²⁶But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Romans 8:37-39

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 1:6

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

 Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

2 Peter 1:4

⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds

This morning I received a beautiful word from a friend.  It is out of Psalm 77 and from it we can gain further insight on how  to deal with adversity and challenges. I am sure that we can relate to verses 1-10.  But when we come to verse 11 the mood shifts to one of praise and thanksgiving when the psalmist recalls the great deeds of God!  Let’s count our blessings this morning.  Let’s recall the greatness and favor of God!  This will set the tone for a great and wonderful day.  Let’s thank God for the little things and the big things!  Let’s set our mind today for victory and success, let’s cast away every negative thought and idea with the love of God (1 John 4:18).  The love of God is perfect and it is poured into our hearts through the holy spirit (Romans 5:5).

Psalm 77

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

¹ I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
Oh, that God would listen to me!
² When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.
³ I think of God, and I moan,
overwhelmed with longing for his help.
Interlude

⁴ You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
⁵ I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
⁶ when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
⁷ Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
⁸ Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Interlude

¹⁰ And I said, “This is my fate;
the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
¹¹ But then I recall all you have done, O LORD;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
¹² They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

¹³ O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
¹⁴ You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
¹⁵ By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Interlude

¹⁶ When the Red Sea^[a] saw you, O God,
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
¹⁷ The clouds poured down rain;
the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed.
¹⁸ Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your road led through the sea,
your pathway through the mighty waters—
a pathway no one knew was there!
²⁰ You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Psalm 136:23-26 (The Message)

^23-26 God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits!

‘Before they call, I will answer.’ (Isaiah 65:24)

I came across this wonderful story recently.  I was told that it was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.  I hope it warms your heart as it did mine.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). ‘And it is our last hot water bottle!’ she exclaimed.

As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

‘All right,’ I said, ‘put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.’

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.   ‘Please, God’ she prayed, ‘Send us a hot water bottle today. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the  baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.’

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, ‘And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?’

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the  spot. Could I honestly say ‘Amen?’ I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes.

I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.  From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas – that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.   Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the….could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, ‘If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!’ Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!  Looking up at me, she asked, ‘Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?’

‘Of course,’ I replied. That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child  five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it ‘that afternoon.’

‘Before they call, I will answer.’ (Isaiah 65:24)

The Lord is watching and guiding you to blessing!

Psalm 139:7-10

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

Our God is all seeing and all knowing, and He is with us at this moment.  Sometimes we may not feel that way, but yes He is with us.  The evil one wants to make us feel alone, forgotten, forsaken.  Let’s not fall into his trap.  Let’s remember and keep alive the saving power of the Lord in our life.  Let’s continue to reach out to Him.  He is our great God, our deliver and our Savior.  I love what it says in Job.

Job 22:23-30

²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents.  ²⁴ Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.  ²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your gold^[a] And your precious silver;  ²⁶ For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.  ²⁷ You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.  ²⁸ You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.  ²⁹ When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person.  ³⁰ He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

This describes what our great God will do!  We only need to turn to Him and seek his path of righteousness.  The evil one wants to cast us down, he wants to make us feel that there is no hope, no future.  But the future for us is bright and secure.  Remember the three boys who were cast into the furnace.  They had sustaining faith that saw them through their difficult trial.  The King presented them with a challenge.  Were they going to serve our Lord God, or bow down to an idol?

Daniel 3:12-15

¹² There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”  ¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

They had a high position working for the King.  They had power and comfort, a good life in comparison to many.  They could have maintained this life with one simple act, bow down to the golden idol.  They did not forget their belief in God, that the Almighty was their gold!  They had been in difficult times before and chose to serve God.  He sustained them.  Now they needed to have sustaining faith!  They had no assurances as to how this would turn out, yet they placed themselves into the hand of the Almighty.  Here is what they said:

Daniel 3:16-17

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

We know that these boys were delivered from the furnace.  However, even if they had not been delivered from the physical pain and death, they still would have been delivered for their eternal life.  We need only look at the example of Jesus who endured suffering and pain and now sits at the right hand of God.  God’s purpose for Christ was not to dwell any longer on the earth.  God’s purpose for the three boys however, was still on the earth.  He used an impossible situation to glorify His name.  Their test became a testimony!  We are still here; God is not finished with us yet.  He has a purpose for us, a path of blessing and prosperity.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Let’s follow the example of these three boys and put our trust in God even though we do not know how it is going to work out.  Let’s activate our sustaining faith!  Even though the knowledge and wisdom of the earth from the evil one says there is no hope.  Let’s hold on to the knowledge and wisdom of our God!

Matthew 19:26

 ²⁶But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Our God is with us right now at this moment.  He is leading us down a path of greatness and brightness.  When it becomes really difficult, He even carries us.  He will never give up on us or leave us.

 One night a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Scenes from his life flashed across the sky
and he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life had flashed before him,
he recalled that at the lowest and saddest times of his life
there was only one set of footprints.

Dismayed, he asked, “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you’d walk with me all the way.
I don’t understand why, when I needed you most,
you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious child.
I love you and I would never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering
when you saw only one set of footprints…

That was when I carried you.”

 – Footprints in the Sand

When we start to feel alone or forgotten, that there is no hope, let’s reach out to the Lord even more.  Let’s activate our sustaining faith and declare His promises over our life.  Let’s put away our thoughts and ideas and put our full trust in Him.  Let Him carry and take us to where we need to be.  We can be assured that the place He takes us will be a place of brightness, prosperity and blessing!

Attitude & Emotions

This morning I have thought a lot about attitude.  What is our attitude toward life?  Isn’t it true that our attitude largely shapes our emotional state?  For us, who believe in God and our Lord Jesus, the future is awesome and bright.  While others face the ups and downs of life, we face the up and ups of life.  It is all dependent on our perspective, our emotional response to what happens in our life.  The bible supports the fact that those who serve the living God face the up and ups of life.

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

When we believe this, then we know and are assured that God has either brought the situation into our life, or allowed the situation.  Consider the greatness of God and all that He has accomplished over time and eternity.  We need only consider the exodus out of Egypt of the Jewish people when they were at the Red Sea.  It looked like it was their end.  Many of them lost hope, but not Moses.

Exodus 14:10-18

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”  ¹³ And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”  ¹⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. ¹⁶ But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. ¹⁷ And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. ¹⁸ Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Moses remained in faith; he didn’t fall apart and think that it was over.  He was strengthened in the Lord.  The Lord even reassured him and told him to go forward.

Let’s look at the example of David.  Consider the time when Ziklag attacked.  This is in 1 Samuel 30.  David and his men were away fighting.  While they were gone, their city was attacked and burnt.  Their wives, sons, and daughters were taken captive (1 Samuel  30:3).  It says that David and the people wept, until they had no more power to weep (1 Samuel  30:4). David’s wives were also taken.  It says in the 6^th verse that David was greatly distressed because the people wanted to stone him.  What would we do in this situation?  We come home from work and find our house burned to the ground with all our possessions gone.  We find that our wife and children have been kidnapped!  We would weep and be sad just like David.  But David did not stay down.  He turned to God and remained in faith.  He sought the strength of the Lord.  He asked the Lord what should I do?

1 Samuel 30:8

⁸ So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”  And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

David found his strength in the Lord.  The Lord told him that it was going to be all right.

We will have difficult moments in life.  God looks beyond the moment into our eternity, an eternity that He wants us to share with Him.  Our future is bright and secure with the Lord.  In the end every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 7:17, Revelation 21:4).  We will have moments when life becomes difficult, when we may feel like giving up.  At times like these, let’s follow the example of Moses and David.  Let’s get our strength from the Lord, let’s turn to Him, because He is with us and understands us.  He will strengthen, lead, and guide us.  The problem or difficulty that we see as great is no problem for Him.  Remember He created all things.  Let’s turn to Him and stay in faith with a positive attitude.  Do not let negativity or bitterness rule emotions.  Let’s remain in hope, joy, and peace.  Let’s declare the promises of God.  Let’s remember that we have the favor of God.  God will supply all and give us a beautiful future to be with Him.