Tag: promises of God

God Uses Trials and Tests of Our Faith to Draw Us to Himself

Genesis 22:12
He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

We are going to experience trials in our lives. This is as certain in our lives as death and taxes. Some of the trials will be small and some will be so big that we will nearly faint. In each case, no matter the weightiness, the real test will be the test of our faith.

Who of us could have answered God’s request to sacrifice a child like Abraham did? It was his faith that allowed him to go. Notice what Abraham said to the men who were with him before he headed up the mountain to the place of sacrifice. “I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” Abraham was resting on God’s promise to make him the head of many nations. Abraham knew that this was only possible through his son. Abraham had the faith that in some manner God would provide a way through this test.

Trials and tests are God’s way of drawing us close to Him and teaching us His ways. It is through the trials and tests that our faith is built up so that we can become the person that God has intended for us to be. God may not have created us to be a leader of a nation like Abraham, but He does have a specific plan for our lives. We can only fulfill this plan by putting all of our faith in the One in whose hands we rest.

Let us put all of our faith in the hands of Our Creator. Let us fulfill everything that He has set aside for us through our faithful obedience. Let us rejoice as our bountiful faith releases God’s supernatural plan for our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for each trial that You allow in our lives. We rejoice in knowing that we are resting in Your hands as we go through each of these challenges to our faith. We ask, Lord, that we will have the faith of Abraham. We pray that we will not turn away from any test that you set before us. May our character and our faith be built up in accordance with Your perfect plans for our lives. We ask these things in the name of the One upon Whom our faith is built, the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

Extraordinary Plan that God has for the Relationships in Our Lives

1 Thessalonians 5:24
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

The God who calls us to our Christian faith is faithful to fulfill His promises to us. From the moment that we surrender to His Son, Jesus, as Our Savior, He commences a good work in us that He promises to finish. He will be steadfast in His continuous work of sanctification in our lives.

New government authority, new boss, new co-worker, new neighbor, new acquaintance, new friend – not a single one is new by chance. God has placed each of those that are around us to teach us new things about ourselves. It seems impossible that such a plan could be put in place for each of us. But our God is a God of the impossible. He has no limits to His power and His authority. He loves us so much that He goes to an extraordinary, nearly unimaginable, level to insure that we are surrounded by a host of intercessors. These intercessors in our lives are placed there for one reason. God in His mercy and His grace wants to insure that we are properly prepared to spend eternity with Him.

In the life of the believer, there is no such thing as chance. Our sovereign God is always in total control of everything. Do not miss the flip side of our relationships with our surrounding intercessors. God wants us to join Him in the work that He is doing in the lives of those around us. We are simultaneously the other half of all of these relationships in our lives. We become the new boss, the new co-worker, the new neighbor, the new acquaintance, the new friend to someone else. And again, not a single one of the new relationships is by chance. God has purposely placed us in each relationship to be a giver as well as a receiver of His intercessory work in our lives.

Let us embrace every relationship in our lives. Let us be proactive in gleaning the good things from each person God has placed around us. Let us also be determined to be productive intercessors for each person that God has put in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your providence in our lives. We rejoice in knowing that You understand our weaknesses and provide intercessory support through those that You place around us. We pray, Father, that Your Holy Spirit will alert us to the intercession that You have planned for us. May we learn to grow through the circumstances that engulf us from time to time. May we be gracious and willing receivers of the intercession that You have placed in our lives. We pray that in turn You will provide the wisdom that we need to be fruitful intercessors for others as we engage them in the journey that is life. We ask all these things in the name of Our Most High Intercessor, Jesus Christ.

Trusting the One Who is Forever Faithful to His Promises

1 Corinthians 1:19
God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

At one time or another we have all heard someone say, “I am not worried. Everything always works out for the best.” Were they counting on God’s promise to work all things out for good or were they just feeling lucky?

There is temporal good and there is spiritual good. Temporal good is what men usually seek. The more complete spiritual good is what God bestows when men seek God. Through His grace both the temporal and spiritual needs of the men who seek Him are worked out perfectly.

Through the grace of God, we as followers of Jesus Christ do not have to wonder or worry about whether good things are coming our way. We have been promised by Almighty God that if we love Him and follow the calling that He has placed on our lives that all things will work together for good in our lives.

Does this mean that we will always live in riches? Does this mean that we will always live without illness? Does this mean that we will live trouble free lives? No it does not. What it does mean is that we will be broken from sin, we will be drawn closer and closer to Our Savior and in the end we will be made fit to stand before Our Heavenly Father and dwell with Him in our eternal place in heaven. That is Our Heavenly Father’s idea of everything always working things out for the best.

Let us put our full trust in the One who always does what He promises. Let us rejoice in knowing that His plan for our lives is based on working out our temporal and eternal needs perfectly.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us unto Yourself. We exalt Your name for the perfect love and forgiveness that we receive through Your grace and Your mercy. We thank You for the eternal blessings that are ours through the redemptive work of Your Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that the world may know Your Son because we boldly proclaim the name of the One who brings us our eternal riches. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Over All, Jesus Christ.

In God We Trust

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Our faith comes into play whenever we encounter pain, conflict or disorder in our lives. Our natural reaction is to try to fix everything ourselves. All too often, we do not turn to God until we have exhausted all of our own failed initiatives.

God wants us to turn to Him first. He wants us to grow into a place where we trust Him for everything, whether it be big or small. We grow into this place through our relationship with Jesus. The Psalmist David captured the relationship perfectly in Psalm 18:2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Let us believe that God is who He says He is. Let us trust in His promises to reward those who seek Him. Let our faith draw us near to Him.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the endless fount of faith that you make available to us through Your Son, Jesus. We praise Your name for the comfort that we enjoy because of the faith that we have in Your promises. Lord, we ask for the wisdom to turn to You first in all things. May You provide the grace for us to free ourselves from the need to try to fix everything ourselves. We humbly ask that all of our earthly efforts be in obedience to Your will and plan for our lives. We pray that through the love of Jesus all that we do will be as worship to You. We ask all these things in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Jesus Christ.

No Need to Question if We have Done Enough

John 13:13
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.

In every other religion in the world, except Christianity, the final goal is to have done enough to satisfy a god who provides eternal rewards for those who fulfill the demands. The followers of these gods live under a task master who has nothing to offer to those who bow before him.

For followers of Jesus Christ, the servitude to the Master is totally different. The Master has taken care of everything that is necessary for the servant to be worthy of eternal reward with Almighty God. The Master promises to perfect His strength in the weaknesses of every follower so that they are healed of their wounds, redeemed from their transgressions and made holy and worthy to stand before The Father for all eternity.

Sitting under this Teacher and Lord, Jesus Christ, means that we have someone who knows us better than ourselves, who is closer to us than our friends and family, who understands the deepest desires of our hearts and fulfills them. Through this Master, the Son of God, we have the security that our eternal destination is settled. There is no need to question whether we have done enough. In the words of Jesus himself, “It is finished.”

Let us follow closely the teaching of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us receive in faith every promise that He reveals to us in His Holy Word. Let us rejoice in all the eternal provision that He has made for us. Let us show the world our joy.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that everything that was required for us to meet You in heaven for all eternity was finished on the Cross. We bless the name of Jesus who completed it all on our behalf. We pray, Lord, that we may sit humbly at the feet of Your Son and surrender to the way, the truth and the life that is in Him. May we become vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness. May we become instruments of His good work. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord, Our Master and Our King, Jesus Christ.

Why God Delays in Answering Us

Matthew 7:9
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Prayer is an appointed means for obtaining what we need. We are commanded in the Holy Word to pray often and to be persistent in praying for our needs. Almighty God promises to hear our prayers in order to fulfill our needs in accordance with His will for our lives. If this were not so, then we would not be instructed to make praying a daily habit.

We may become frustrated when it seems that God is not answering our prayers. On the other hand, we have many examples in our daily lives that illustrate how “no” and “not now” are perfectly proper answers. As parents, one of our most important tasks is to train our children to become highly functioning adults. Thus, when our children reach the driving age and ask to start driving, we should be ready to take on the job of teaching them to drive. If, however, we know they are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of driving, our answer should be “no” or “not now”. While our commitment to them is to train them in new life skills, our more pressing commitment is to insure their protection when they are vulnerable.

While the Lord promises to hear and answer all of our prayers of need, His promises are bound by the higher covenant of preparing us for our eternal life in heaven with Him. So while He always hears our prayers, sometimes His answers will be “no” or “not now.” Each case will be determined by Him based on where we are on the path of sanctification and spiritual growth. He will answer us perfectly, in perfect timing in accordance with His will for our lives. He will apply the same principles in the lives of others when we are praying for what we perceive to be their needs.

Let us rebuke the need for immediate gratification in our lives. Let us learn the value of waiting on the Lord. As we wait, let us praise Him for His perfect answers and His perfect timing in all things.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for hearing and answering all of our prayers. We thank You that You often protect us by not giving us what we ask for when it will take us off the path that You have set aside for our lives. We pray for the strength to endure when Your “no” or Your “not now” seems so painful. We ask, Lord, that You help us to keep seeking You so that our prayers will come into alignment with Your will for our lives. We ask all these things in the name of our mighty and all sufficient provider, Jesus Christ.

The Magnificent Gift of Peace

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

When Israel had been under the hand of the Midianites for seven years, the Lord came to Gideon. He promised to bring Israel peace and victory over the Midianites. He asked Gideon to lead the way. Gideon questioned the strength of his people and he questioned his own ability to lead the people against the Midianites. After the Lord provided Gideon with a sign confirming His promise, Gideon led the Israelites in battle.

After the Lord provided the victory, Gideon built an altar to celebrate the victory and to praise God for His fulfilled promise of victory and peace. Gideon named the altar Jehovah Shalom to honor the one who brought the victory. Jehovah Shalom means the Lord is peace.

Jehovah Shalom is the name that we can call on when our faith is weak because our world is out of sorts or all odds seem stacked against us. What a magnificent gift we have in the promise of victory and peace offered by Our Savior. Jesus promises not any peace, but His peace. He promises us the same peace that allowed Him to face and overcome the tremendous unsettling in His spirit when He knew the certainty of His upcoming death and agony. Every unsettling event in our lives can be calmed simply by calling on the name of Jehovah Shalom for He promises us His peace.

Let us claim the peace that Jesus promises us. Let us show the turbulent world around us that there is peace in His mighty name. Let us draw others to Him because of the peace in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can be certain of peace in our lives even when turmoil surrounds us. We rejoice in knowing that the Prince of Peace is with us always. We pray, Father, that our faith will be strong in the face of all adversity. May we be steadfast in all that You call us to do. May we be certain to look to Your Son, Jesus, to be our rock and our foundation when we need to overcome our fear. We ask all these things in the name of Jehovah Shalom, Jesus Christ.

Seven Promises of God that Form the Foundation of Our Faith

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

God’s Word contains literally thousands of promises waiting to be claimed by faith. Everyone of them are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and everyone of them can be fulfilled in our lives as we come into agreement with Our Savior.

Each of the promises of God are meant for our good. All of His promises are waiting for us to discover and claim in His Holy Word. Each promise, as we find them, delights us and strengthens us. Yet within the thousands of promises in God’s Word, the seven promises below could be given consideration as the basis for our faith in the hope and assurance that is ours in Jesus Christ.

  • God has promised to supply every need we have. Philippians 4:19
  • God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. 2 Corinthians 12:9
  • God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13
  • God has promised us victory over sin and death. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
  • God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully. Romans 8:28
  • God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized will be saved. Mark 16:16
  • God has promised His people eternal life. John 10:28

As we cling to Our Savior, all of the promises of heaven pour out on us. We then become living vessels created to deliver on the promises of Almighty God.

Let us use what God has given us to contribute to the Body of Christ. Let us receive from the Body of Christ what God has prepared for us. Let us live in the fullness of all that has been set aside for us through Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that all of Your promises to us have been secured by Your Son, Jesus. We ask that the Holy Spirit may inspire us to search Your Holy Word for all the promises that have been set aside for us. We seek to wield the power of these promises in our lives and in the lives of those around us. May the Holy Spirit show us how to claim our eternal privileges by proclaiming Your Holy Word. May the Body of Christ be truly alive because we are alive in Christ. We ask all these things in the name of the Word of God, Jesus Christ.

He Will Bring to Pass All that He Has in His Will for Us

Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Jesus tells us to give Him our burdens and He will give us rest. God promises to give us the desires of our hearts if we delight in Him. The peace and joy of our Christian life will be determined by the constant application of our belief and faith in God’s Holy Word.

If we choose to involve God selectively in our lives, we can expect that the fulfillment of His promises will only be partial. It is in the full submission to Jesus Christ’s lordship in our lives that we experience the fullness of God’s grace. It is by putting God first in all things that we experience the joy that the world cannot provide.

To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. He has not promised to gratify the appetites of our flesh, but the desires of our new spirit in Christ. What are the desires of a new man in Christ? They are to know, love and serve the Lord, to cast our burdens upon Him and to leave everything else to Him. As we commit our ways to the Lord, He will bring to pass all that He has in His will for us.

Let us learn to trust in the Lord for everything in our lives, whether it be big or small. Let us rest, delight and rejoice in His ways.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy and Your grace in our lives. We praise You with every breath because each breath is a gift from You. We seek to turn over every decision in our lives to You. We seek to leave every trial and concern at Your throne. We pray that the Holy Spirit will instruct us in the ways of complete surrender to Our Savior, Jesus. May the world around us be drawn to You by witnessing the joy in our lives as we place all of our trust in You. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Our Provider, Jesus Christ

Resting in the Joy of the Lord

Matthew 6:34
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God has a perfect plan and purpose for our lives. He commands us not to fret or worry about our circumstances. He promises that He will work out all things for our eternal good if we seek first His kingdom. It is His plan that we come to Him daily with our prayers so that He may give us the strength we need to overcome our trials and so that He may set a hedge for us against the temptations that will be flung our way.

We must seek to find hope and joy in our circumstances as we learn to trust in God to fulfill His promises in our lives. We should avoid seeing ourselves trapped by our worldly trials. Instead, we should seek the comfort and peace of seeing ourselves gripped firmly in the hand of God – the only secure place in the universe.

Let us rejoice in the Lord Our God. Let us trust in His promises. Let us seek all that He makes available to us through His Son, Jesus. Let rest in the joy that is provided for those that trust in the Lord.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the author and finisher of our lives. We rejoice in knowing that Your hand is always upon us as long as we abide in You. Teach us, Father, how to look past our troubles in this world and look to the source of our solutions, Jesus Christ. We pray that our focus will always be on Our Savior and not on our problems. We ask all these things in the name of Our All Sufficient Lord, Jesus Christ.