You can’t have faith without hope…and hope without faith…they go hand and hand together. When shattered human emotions come to the point of hopelessness, there’s nothing left but disillusionment and a broken spirit. But if we have faith, we are lifted up and supported…encouraged and assured that God is there. Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He Who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” The Lord is always there to comfort the brokenhearted and grief-stricken. For faith will give way to hope…and hope will usher in faith.
Author: kezha1
A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ.
Acts 24: 25 ” As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient I will send for you.’ “
Felix, the Governor of Judea, was well acquainted with the “Way”…in fact he was even married to a Jewess named Drusilla. So as he listened to Paul speak about faith in Jesus Christ, conviction hit a little too close to home. Conviction by the Holy Spirit is an intense persuasion…a laying bare of our personal sin, and the realization of the judgment to come if we don’t repent. Paul saw this force at work by the Holy Spirit first hand and later wrote to the Thessalonians, “Because our Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” (I Thessalonians 1:5) Never underestimate the power of conviction by the Holy Spirit…for it is unrelenting and able to reach where no human words can.
Psalm 55:1-3 “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.”
Bad things happen to good people…for we live in a troubled and broken world where peace and unity is hard to find. But that doesn’t mean we have to cave in to all the ugliness around us. God has placed you on the earth at this particular time in history to make a difference…for you to be an influence, rather than being influenced by the wicked around you. Stand strong in the face of evil…pray without ceasing…tell others about Jesus.
Psalm 107: 26-29 ” …in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.”
Our bravery wanes when we’re faced with something bigger than us and feel we have no control. But whatever you’re going through today remember – nothing is bigger than God. The Lord can calm any storm in your life…whether it be outside your window or deep within your being. Look to God…cry out to Him, for He is there to come to your aid. For God can make a way when there seems to be no way…in all situations.
Hebrews 12:14 ” Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Holiness or sanctification is the process of making something holy. After all, holiness is necessary for salvation. We hear the Gospel, and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and our belief in the truth of God’s Word, we are saved and reconciled to the Lord. The very personal journey to holiness is an ever upward spiral of becoming more like Jesus and less like you.
Proverbs 11:17 ” A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”
Demonstrating kindness to others can only benefit ourselves…for it doesn’t cost a thing to be kind. Matthew 7:12 is considered “The Golden Rule”, its principle being, we need to treat others as we would wish to be treated. But instead, we human beings usually demand love, respect, and appreciation… whether we deserve it or not. The Golden Rule simply says…Do you want respect, love and appreciation?…then show respect, love and appreciation to others first. Jesus desires us to be proactive in our kindness…not waiting until someone is kind to us first, but rather reaching out with kindness first, regardless if it’s reciprocated or not.
I Thessalonians 1:2 ” We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
And I do want to thank each one of you! Today marks the 5th Anniversary of the Safetypinlove.com. This post is its 1639th devotional…reaching into 121 countries around the world. As I marvel at God’s work, His faithfulness, and His divine guidance, I want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you who have faithfully stood by me in this endeavor over the last five years. Your words of encouragement and support have spurred me on many times when I felt I couldn’t continue. So what have I learned in 5 years writing this daily devotional? I’ve learned that God can use anyone as long as they are obedient. He will take what you have, and then bless and multiply it for His glory. I’ve learned that my vision is minuscule compared to God’s vision…and that I shouldn’t limit His vision for me or for this Devotional. And finally, I’ve learned to be grateful…grateful for readers who share posts with others over Social Media, thankful for each new country that’s been added to the Reader base, and especially I thank God for you…whether you’ve been part of this for the last 5 years, or you’ve stumbled upon this for the very first time today…know that you’re not here by chance, but that God has brought you here for a reason. For the Lord loves you and His Word is alive and powerful and filling the world. To Him be the glory! Pam
Romans 12:1 ” Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Do you have an attitude of gratitude towards God? Is your perspective colored by thankfulness for what the Lord has done in your life? It’s then you fully realize the compassion and love God has lavished on you… and that you have been called and set apart for His work. For out of that profound gratitude will come a desire to serve and to live a life worthy of the calling. (Eph. 4:1)
Joshua 1:8 ” Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
So many times I get into the Bible, only to not be able to remember a single thing I read an hour later. It’s not that I don’t want to glean wisdom from the Word…it’s just that my mind wanders and my attention wanes. Meditation simply means to contemplate, reflect, or dwell upon…which then takes reading the Bible to a whole different level. When I can take a passage I’m reading and ponder how I can apply it practically to my life…the scripture will then morph into a plan, and an aspiration for me. I can take what I just read and apply it to my life and it then becomes part of me.
John 1:10 ” He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.”
I think as Believers, we all smugly think that if we had lived during Biblical times and had witnessed the miracles and teachings of Jesus…we would of immediately realized He was the Messiah. But would we? Humanity saw Him as just another man…indeed, a good man who taught with unheard of authority and passion, but still just a flesh and blood human like the rest of us. Would we have been able to recognize His divinity…when the incarnate Jesus Christ…the embodiment of God took on human form and lived among us? I would hope and pray so.
Safetypinlove 