King David knew where his strength and confidence came from…it was in his relationship with the one true God and His unchanging kindness and mercy. David relied on God’s wisdom rather than his own in making decisions…confident yet humble, knowing God’s Will was perfect every time, in every situation. Yes, David messed up some, but he was also called a man after God’s own heart for good reason.
Tag: our faith and trust in Jesus
Galatians 3:22 ” But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
We are all sinners. We are all caught up like fish in the net called evil. There is not one among us that is righteous…for we are all bound over to disobedience. But we have a Savior…His name is Jesus, who came to save us from our sinful life and give us hope. For when we put our trust in Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel…that promise spoken about in this Scripture is made alive in us…the wonderful promise of eternal life in heaven through His Son, Jesus.
Luke 17: 5-6 ” The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you.’ “
How do we go about increasing our faith? First, it’s about believing and accepting the Gospel Message…that Jesus came to save and redeem us from eternal punishment by His life, death and resurrection. Secondly, our faith is built up every time we trust and obey God and then see Him working in our life. Thus, over time, our faith increases, like layers of bricks being built up to form a strong wall. Finally, with that increasing faith comes a confidence that there’s nothing impossible for God.
James 2:14 ” What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?”
James, the oldest half-brother of Jesus, was telling us here we should demonstrate our inward faith by outward actions. So it’s basically the difference between having living faith or lifeless faith. Between just giving lip-service to the needs we see around us or actually jumping in to help others. A few verses later James adds to this, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24) So in the life of a Believer, faith and deeds must go hand in hand…there is not one without the other…and so in this lies the big difference between living and lifeless faith.
I Chronicles 29:11 ” Yours, O 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, O Lord, is the Kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.”
Great and mighty is Your name, O Lord, for Your magnificent glory is on display for all to see. We thank you today for Your love and mercy…and praise You for all You’ve done for us. We lift Your name on high, for only You rule and reign over heaven and earth. Amen.
Psalm 112:7-8 ” He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.”
As the song title goes, “Whose Report will you Believe Today?” The bad one the Doctor has just delivered to you…leaving you sad and filled with pain and calamity. Or the report of the Lord’s which is filled with certainty and promise? For when our strength comes from Him and not ourselves, we can rest securely, without fear…leaning heavily upon God’s grace and mercy.
Hebrews 10:23 ” Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding on for the day. Holding on to our courage and the hope of which we boast, (Hebrews 3:6) and remaining steady in our sense of confidence that God is truly in control of the chaos around us. And as long as we can affirm to ourselves His goodness and love…we can hold on for another day.
Psalm 100:3 ” Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”
We may not understand the circumstances…but You do Lord. We may be overwhelmed by what we see…but we have faith that You remain in control…for we are the work of Your loving hands. We thank You that You are a righteous and holy God…full of kindness and faithfulness towards Your people. And so we will be still and put all our trust in You today.
Job 22:2 ” Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? “
The short answer to both these questions is, No! Even the most intelligent man in the world is of no practical use to God. As Isaiah 55: 8-9 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” For Luke 17:10 says, we are just unworthy servants totally dependent on the Lord for His benevolence and must trust that He is in control of any and all situations.
I Corinthians 9:24-25 ” Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
No one walks casually into the Olympic Games and announces they’ve decided for the fun of it to compete in a race. Olympic athletes train for years…fully committed in all aspects of their lives with concentration and drive. And in the end for a few, their heroic struggle pays off with a gold medal. Our Christian life is one of training daily and fighting for victory over temptation. James 1:12 tells us, ” Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” We are in training for a crown of life, a crown of glory that will never fade away, and eternal victory.
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