No matter what the world throws at you this coming year…remember that with the Lord you can overcome it. Whether it be troubles pressing down upon you from the outside, or anguish that comes from within…you can rise above them all with His help. Don’t try to make it on your own…God is there, ready to take those burdens. And in the end, you’ll rise victorious over all the pain and suffering.
Tag: word of god
Daniel 3: 16-18 ” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’ “
The three Hebrew children knew just where their strength came from…there was no need to defend themselves before the king. For their faith and trust in God enabled them to rest in the knowledge that the battle was the Lord’s, not theirs. We too don’t need to fight our battles alone…the Lord is standing ever ready to advocate for us. All He asks is that we walk in faith while He does the work.
James 1:23 ” Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
You know your face better than anyone else…every nook and cranny – every spot and wrinkle. You’re familiar enough with your face that you can readily pick yourself out of a group picture. We need to know the Word of God in the same manner. We can’t causally listen to His Word allowing it to go in one ear and out the other. His Word must go deep inside…changing us for the better – not being dismissed and forgotten. The key is to contemplate, internalize, and apply His Word to your life…mirroring His life with yours.
Deuteronomy 4:32 ” Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? “
The Lord is God. Over the ages we have heard and seen His awesome signs and wonders. We have been privy to these in order that we might “know” beyond a shadow of doubt that the Lord is God of all. There is no other above Him…the Lord is God.
II Chronicles 20:17 ” You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…”
You don’t need to fight those battles alone. You don’t have to stand unaided in front of the enemy of this world defenseless and vulnerable. The Lord tells us very specifically in this scripture what our role should be in battle. We are to stand our ground and commit ourselves to trusting God. We are to hold our ground, not wavering in our belief that God is in control and fighting on our behalf. Finally, we are to watch as the Lord works… giving us the victory.
I John 4:4 ” You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Just imagine what Godly power and boldness you could possess if the significance of this verse could sink deeply into your soul. There would be no limit to your trust and faith in the Lord. You would speak to mountains and they would throw themselves into the sea. You would pray for people and they would be instantaneously be healed. Grasp this scripture and the importance of its meaning…ponder it…receive it…walk in it.
Matthew 10:29 ” Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”
The next time you feel worthless, or insignificant…look outside at the little birds in the tree. Our Heavenly Father knows the moment any tumble from the sky, but you also need to know that you are so much more valuable than any little bird in His eyes. ( Matthew 10:31) To God, you are esteemed, treasured, and cherished. So today, if your self-worth is in the toilet…go outside and look at the birds.
II Corinthians 4: 1-2 ” Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.”
In a Believer’s life I think there isn’t anything potentially more volatile than secret sins. Hidden sins will lead us to compromise and dilute the truth in our own mind…rationalizing things until we can live with ourselves. They cause us to hide things out of shameful awareness and dispair…which spirals us down the slippery slope into depression. Secret sins need to be dealt with…not left to simmer and develop into more. Besides, you’re only fooling yourself if you think that hidden sins are really hidden.
John 6: 67-69 ” ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.’ “
Other followers had turned away, but the Twelve Disciples knew something they didn’t. They had the certainty and assurance only given to them by the Father above. And this faith that Jesus was truly the Messiah was evident in Peter’s response…”Who else can we follow, for only You have the Words of Life…only You are the long awaited Messiah.”
Jeremiah 23: 23-24 ” ‘ Am I only a God nearby?’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I can not see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.”
God is omnipresent…present everywhere at the same time, which is extremely difficult for the human brain to wrap itself around. We would like to put God in a nice simple box, but He can’t be contained…His power and majesty unable to be held within the boundaries. So attempting to escape the Lord is futile…there is simply no hiding place that the Lord can’t find you. You may run, but you can’t hide. The Lord will pursue you to the ends of the earth until you finally turn to Him…so why not do it today? Really, aren’t you tired of running?