Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
4 But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love 5 that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah — it is by grace that you have been delivered. 6 That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, 7 in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The good news of the Bible is that God is rich in mercy. Mercy is compassion toward people who have willfully done wrong and deserve to be punished.
“Rich in mercy” (2:4) means that God demonstrates lots of it. That’s a huge comfort for people who know their own heart, can see they need God’s mercy.
The experience of receiving mercy gives us relief that goes beyond words.
We were utterly smothered, suffocated in sin and totally unable to get ourselves out of it. God’s great mercy frees us in ways that only God can accomplish in us.
Paul writes that this mercy flows because of God’s “great love for us.”
In other words, divine mercy doesn’t just spring from superficial kindness. The root of God’s mercy runs much deeper. This mercy flows from the heart of God.
It flows from God’s love.
And what does this mercy do?
It gives us new life! Paul writes that God “made us alive with Christ.”
Here is God’s (Psalm 23, 121, 139) provision for a world in need of salvation.
But for God’s rich mercy to have meaning in our lives, it needs to be accepted and embraced.
If you find it too difficult to accept the mercy that God offers each one of us, pray for God’s Spirit to awaken you to the wonder of knowing this mercy in your own life.
The Scriptures are clear about the good news of God’s great love for us and the richness of his mercy.
John 3:16-18 Complete Jewish Bible
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son.
In Ephesians 2, Paul helps us better understand who we used to be before the grace of God transformed our lives.
Before we knew Christ, we were dead in our “transgression and sins” (v. 1).
We “followed the ways of this world” while being controlled by the devil (v. 2).
We gratified the “cravings of our flesh”, following its desires and thoughts.
We were even “deserving of wrath” (v. 3).
But, take a long look at the contrast that begins in verse 4!
The conjunction “but” introduces God’s actions toward us while sinners.
This is the good news: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.”
In the Greek text, the word “God” immediately follows “but,” placing it in an emphatic position.
God is the subject of the passage.
When highlighted against the backdrop of our desperate and sinful condition, God’s grace toward us is abundant and invaluable!
To emphasize the fact, Ephesians mentions “riches” five times and “grace” twelve times.
God expressed the value of His grace by making us alive with Christ!
He raised us up with Christ and “seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (v. 6).
Saved by His grace, we are His “handiwork” or “workmanship”—you are a work of art, God’s masterpiece! (v. 10).
What an incredible contrast!
What an indescribable transformation!
Going Deeper
How valuable is God’s grace to you?
In what ways can you show God how valuable He is to you today?
In what ways can you share how invaluable God is to you today?
In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
Praying …
Psalm 103 Complete Jewish Bible
103 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul! Everything in me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless Adonai, my soul, and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses, he heals all your diseases, 4 he redeems your life from the pit, he surrounds you with grace and compassion, 5 he contents you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice to all who are oppressed. 7 He made his ways known to Moshe, his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el. 8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace. 9 He will not always accuse, he will not keep his anger forever. 10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve or paid us back for our offenses, 11 because his mercy toward those who fear him is as far above earth as heaven. 12 He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, Adonai has compassion on those who fear him. 14 For he understands how we are made, he remembers that we are dust. 15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass, he sprouts like a flower in the countryside — 16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone; and its place knows it no more. 17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him is from eternity past to eternity future, and his righteousness extends to his children’s children, 18 provided they keep his covenant and remember to follow his precepts.
19 Adonai has established his throne in heaven; his kingly power rules everything. 20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his, you mighty warriors who obey his word, who carry out his orders! 21 Bless Adonai, all his troops, who serve him and do what he wants! 22 Bless Adonai, all his works, in every place where he rules! Bless Adonai, my soul!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[a] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Today it is just a small matter of speaking into our smart phones or if you drive a newer model vehicle with navigation, and saying; “siri, Alexa, google, take me to such a place, and step by step, turn by turn directions will appear and as you are driving, it will speak to you in a male or female voice where, when to turn.
If you miss your turn, GPS might say; “recalculating, recalculating …” and will give you another set of directions and verbally communicate them back to you.
People are always looking for ways to get from point A to point B. With GPS today, many of us can find our way easily around town or on a trip. Most routes are clearly marked, and we just have to hear, listen to and follow the directions.
People also search out new ways of doing things. Innovators try to find better ways to make things work. Medical researchers seek out ways to cure cancer.
Business owners look for ways to expand and to improve their bottom line.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus talks about being the way—and he is referring to the way to real, everlasting life.
This is the most important thing for all of us to know.
We may reach a destination, find a cure for cancer, and make a business more efficient and profitable.
But if we do not know the way to full life with God, what have we really, truly attained?
Finding cures and new ways to improve things in life may be helpful blessings for a while, but they do not solve all of our problems and struggles.
Only God can do that, in eternity.
There are always people who claim that there are many ways to God.
But there is really only one way—through Jesus, who himself is God.
He is the one who came from heaven, lived, died for our sake, conquered death for us, and then ascended to rule at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
He is the ONLY way, and he invites us to journey into full life forever with him!
Many days, but not all, I feel, something brewing.
Some fresh glimmers of hope and encouraging change on the horizon.
And following a slow, stretched-out season of what has felt like the same ole, same ole, laced with increased anxiety, chronic pain, dwindling energy, and swelling isolation, and any potential change is absolutely very much welcome.
And I give God all the glory for the potential opportunities, including promising pain relief. But even still, this thick thorn remains in my side.
A raging roadblock in my spirit, weighing me down and instilling doubt.
It’s the narrative in my inner being—words of insufficiency and incompetence and just flat-out inability.
I’ve been relentlessly praying for God to work in and through me—to show me his way. And he has certainly opened some sun-shiny doors.
But if I’m being honest, I can’t see how I can carry out and work through all the things he seems to be calling me to.
Do you ever wonder how you will conquer the missions and ministry’s before you? How will you take on all of those commitments you’ve committed to?
How will you take the steps toward the dream opportunities stirring up desire within you?
Or wonder how you’ll do it all well?
I do.
I asked myself over and over again,
“Where will I find the time, the energy, and the mental and emotional capacity?”
I bet you’ve had similar thoughts.
Psalm 139:1-12 English Standard Version
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, 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. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
But, we are neglecting a truth amidst these circumstances and contemplations.
If God truly leads us to these things, won’t he also lead us through these things?
I read a familiar verse the other morning in my devotion time, and it spoke truth directly to my wondering, wearying heart.
In verse five of Chapter 14, in the book of John, the disciple Thomas says to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
This is a sentiment many of us feel when we’ve come to a confusing crossroads of potential choices, tasks, or opportunities, joined by what seems to be a lack of ability, margin, and resources.
We might ask God, What is all this, and how am I supposed to handle it?
But as I kept reading, my fresh perspective on the first statement of the following verse—so familiar to us as Christians—fueled my confidence in the answer to the “how will I manage”thoughts.
Verse six reads, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”
John 14:6 Amplified Bible
6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus is the only way.
When we don’t know, or can’t see, the way forward and through.
Jesus is the only way forward and through.
This means that as long as I remain in him and with him, and he is thus also in me and with me, I don’t have to fear my faithful steps and choices.
Because the way will be with me, he will make a way, because he is the way.
And he is in me just like he is in you.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
The Great Commission
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted [that it was really He]. 18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Friend, the Lord led you to where you are.
He opened the perfect doors, and he carved the precise path.
So keep following him closely, and remain in him always.
He will sufficiently strengthen, steer, guide and supply you with all you need. All the way. Because our sovereign loving Lord is… remains … the ONLY way.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God, for you are my refuge. 2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good outside of you.” 3 The holy people in the land are the ones who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god multiply their sorrows; To such gods I will not offer drink offerings of blood or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup: you safeguard my share. 6 Pleasant places were measured out for me; I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor; at night my inmost being instructs me. 8 I always set Adonai before me; with him at my right hand, I can never be moved; 9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my body too rests in safety; 10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss. 11 You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
A fundamental lesson for believers is to learn that we need not despair but always be filled with hope.
Even in the extreme cases of addressing the death of loved ones, the apostle says, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
The reasons Paul did “not lose heart” is because he knew certain truths about God and His wonderful work—truths which are also true with us as believers.
Each of us can and should also master this lesson of “no despair.”
No one needs to lose heart.
Yes, each of us at specific points will be tested, tried, perhaps even tempted to give up our hope to live (like Paul 2 Corinthians 6:9), but we need not lose heart.
Losing heart is similar to losing hope.
We no longer possess the spirit to persist, endure and do our best.
“Lose heart” describes a perspective of the world where one no longer sees a way forward that works.
If we look around and live by sight, we can understand how such conclusions are made and accepted, but those that live by faith live in light of eternal truths and need not despair.
In Light of Eternal Truth
There are several steps to resist the loss of hope despite what trials one faces.
The first is to admit to our weaknesses.
Acknowledge Our Weakness
I don’t think we realize the importance of admitting to our weaknesses, but this is exactly where Paul began: “but though our outer man is decaying” (2 Cor 4:16).
The outer man no doubt refers to our physical bodies, though perhaps it also includes other things such as those elements that are linked to our bodies like our minds and emotions.
The secularists only consider the existence of our physical bodies and our life experiences, denying the spiritual world, but this aversion to spiritual matters was not true back then.
In any case, we can fully understand what he means.
One friend just fell and broke her ankle. Others still face seasonable allergies.
Still others, including me, are aging, and our strength, alertness, and memory, year by year deteriorate. Paul used the word decaying, which represents a daily decline and worsening of what otherwise was an excellent working system.
By recognizing our weaknesses, though Paul does not elaborate on this point, we can find the strength that we need.
Before something can be fixed, we need to study what is wrong, perhaps x-ray a broken part. This is the reason doctors take X-rays. I remember looking at my left hip’s X-ray depicting the 7 individual fragments all around the head of my femur. My hip was fixed with a partial prosthetic not a full complete prosthetic .
22 years later for MRIs; Helpful advice necessarily mentions one’s weaknesses.
This is true spiritually too because we need faith to come into God’s presence.
Satan seeks to make us doubt God’s good intention or His control of the world’s affairs so that our prayers—the real change agent—are ineffective.
On the other hand, when we trust God, by fixing our minds on God’s promises, it allows the Spirit to strengthen and nourish our faith and enable our souls to turn on the Light of Christ, entrust our souls to our true Creator (1 Peter 4:19).
By glancing—not staring—at our weaknesses, we can acknowledge them and aggressively seek out our Lord’s strength.
When we hide all our weaknesses, we tend to unwisely support our complaints with doubts and excuses about our passive pursuit of resurrection refreshment.
When this doubt is put aside, however, and we admit our weakness before the throne in faith, then we can sincerely ask Him for help.
Our peace with God (Romans 5:1) brings us to the place of extraordinary faith which in turn leads to awesome fortitude.
Romans 5:1-5 Living Bible
5 So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. 4 And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. 5 Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Our Strength
Without understanding how we get our hope and strength, we will be confused at Paul’s statement, “yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (1 Cor 4:16).
Paul reveals the operation of this renewal process in the previous verses of Romans 5:3-5.
Paul was well-acquainted with his tribulations—a term which includes every affliction common to the human race.
Paul has somehow come to exult “in our tribulations” (Romans 5:3). He continues to express how this works in verses 4-5.
When troubling times come, the great, all-encompassing love of God is poured out through the Holy Spirit. This awesome love provides comfort and strength in our souls so that we persevere in our faith, seeing all sorts of fine fruit.
Paul, like us, did not seek for such trials, but when they come, we, like him, if and as we move forward, will also discover a shower of extra grace from God.
Paul refers to this renewal process when he mentions the inner man.
While the ability of our bodies can walk, swim, bike, run, defend, or otherwise help our distressful situations, God brings in His abundance of other resources to outfit our souls—which he refers to here with the term “inner man.”
Ezekiel 34:25-27 New American Standard Bible
25 “And I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful animals from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will make showers fall in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its produce, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have saved them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
Paul did not seek such trials, but when they came (and they did come with a hard vengeance) we, like him, also discover a shower of extra grace from God.
But Paul doesn’t speak about improved circumstances here. There were no improved circumstances that helped his inner spirit.
It was while Paul was in a Philippian jailhouse that he instructed us to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4).
The joy does not come from expected, unexpectedly good or easy circumstances but from the Lord Jesus Himself even though he is unjustly chained in a jail cell.
Nehemiah 8:10-11 New American Standard Bible
10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your [a]refuge.” 11 So the Levites silenced all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”
Faith, trust, hope in the indelible message of truth of God’s Word confers onto Paul a key biblical mindset that allowed him to discern his true circumstances.
One cannot see the spiritual world, at least usually, but it doesn’t matter.
He makes a comparison only possible through a deeper spiritual understanding of reality, including a picture of the spiritual world and all future tomorrows.
For example, Paul could only speak about his trials as “momentary, and light affliction” because he knew his suffering, though difficult, was quickly passing in light of eternity. The truth of the eternal age, adorned by its glory, makes all the events on earth, especially the difficult ones, as of minute consequence.
The little discomfort (though it doesn’t feel that way when enduring it) is seen in the light of the great rewards of the future.
The accompaniment of pain can produce an “eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison” if rightly lived out by faith. No pain, no gain—the old adage goes.
And so, by faith and trust, we see a greater set of truths enclose and swallow up the miseries and injustice experienced on earth.
This biblical perspective demonstrates the dramatic way truth can positively affect our lives. By situating each element side by side, which we experience on earth with the eternal, the suffering becomes incomparable or immeasurable.
In other words, we need not be overly concerned with the enormous pain like childbirth for the following joy will eclipse the momentary pain experienced.
Something Greater Here
In conclusion, I want to identify the greater principle(s) from these verses.
Paul first allows us to be genuinely broken and humbled by our circumstances.
Our true identity doesn’t come from how people mistreat us but by how God will treat us in the future.
Nor is our worth measured by what we have or don’t have here on earth for our circumstances are temporary.
They are momentary when viewed by the greater picture of the eternal world.
Besides, God will greatly reward us in the age to come for properly enduring the brief difficulties we suffered here on earth.
So we can use our sickness, trauma, loss of limb, fraying mind, and dire poverty to do the previously unthinkable, unrecognizable, action to bring glory to God.
They all become special opportunities to give praise to Him.
Let me give an example.
Maybe my arm starts troubling me as I get older.
I do what I can to lessen its pain and to make it better, but it remains troubling.
So for that indefinite time, God gives me the opportunity to especially praise Him by using my weakness as a prop to praise Him. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
If I live in faith, recognizing His great reward (Heb 11:3), then I can bring glory to His name through the use of my arm.
Though I admit my arm hurts, instead of complaining and living focused on its discomfort, I am cheerful and I am as busy as possible serving others.
When I see the Lord, my arm’s pain will become a relic from the distant past, but the Lord knows that I sacrificially used it in pain and faith to comfort or otherwise help other brothers and sisters.
And so the seeming ignoble times become glorifying moments, a time to wrestle our hearts, trust, and minds into a victory of trust in our Lord issuing forth eternal blessings.
I don’t run away, walk away, retreat, forget, minimize the present blessings of comfort and joy within these times of trials, but my focus is on the eternal here.
In a blink of an eye, time will end, God completely erases tears from your lives.
God will give His people their new bodies and kindly reward them (which is also pure grace).
We need to follow up this theological perspective by making life commitments to live by faith, so prepare to embrace any difficulties with the sword faith (Eph 6:17).
Our lives become marked men and women of faith, consciously journeying with the others listed in Hebrews 11, taking each hard moment and translating it into a beautiful, God-glorifying picture further ushering in God’s eternal kingdom and finds eternal remembrance in the rewards you obtain.
Conclusion
No believer’s situation, no matter how difficult or unpleasant, disables the believer from mastering these special opportunities to secure these eternal rewards. Difficult circumstances enable God’s people to gain these rewards at a quicker pace. No one but you and I can exclude ourselves from these rewards.
Jesus in John 15 speaks about bearing fruit.
We don’t live for the fruit, but it remains an important part of the image of every healthy fruit tree.
I know it’s too easy to get down over our circumstances, blame God for our problems, but the truth—heightened affliction increases our opportunities for eternal reward—lives on.
Instead of being glum, we can, like the eagle flying low in the valley, feel the rush of warm air and rise up in faith trusting that, one day, all will be good.
Think of one or two people around you, maybe you, who have lost heart. What characteristics best describe them?
Would you say, “lose heart” is the same as lost hope? Explain.
What is our “outer man” (4:16)?
Describe our “inner man.”
How does one’s inner man become renewed?
Why does our inner man need renewing?
Why does Paul use the word “momentary” in verse 17?
Was the “light affliction” light?
Have you ever been hurt or received unjust treatment? How did you respond? How might your experience, if it was not by faith, differ if you responded in faith, considering it as an opportunity to gain reward?
Give three personal examples to prove that you live for the eternal world which cannot be seen rather than this earthly world.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
2 1-7 So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
It is not unusual—in fact, it’s quite common—for Christian faith to be regarded as a kind of illogical belief in utterly improbable events. For some, faith is seen as a crutch to prop up less rational people as they navigate life’s challenges.
Such critics may be surprised to learn that in reality, Christianity calls on its followers not to neglect their minds but unconditionally critically engage them.
Psalm 139:23-24 The Message
23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
When we read the Bible, we discover that it never invites us simply to feel things; it never attempts merely to sweep us up in an emotional surge. God never once asks for or endorses the disengagement of our thinking processes.
Instead, God’s word repeatedly shows us that Christianity is actually a call to think rightly and deeply about God, His world, His covenants and our place in it.
When the apostle Paul addressed the Ephesians, we read that he was “reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus,” which was likely a school for philosophy or rhetoric (Acts 19:9).
Paul wasn’t just singing songs or attempting to stir up some high emotional experience. No, he essentially said, Citizens of Ephesus, I want you to think and reason with me today.
In Thessalonica, too, Acts tells us that Paul “reasoned” with the people, “explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (17:2-3). The book of Isaiah begins with a similar call to think earnestly: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18).
This exhortation to think and reason isn’t just for proclaiming the gospel but for growth in Christian maturity too. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul said, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking” (1 Corinthians 14:20).
He wanted the church to think intently and intensely about the issues they were facing.
Paul was even more direct when he wrote to Timothy: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”
We do need God’s Spirit to be at work in order to think rightly (Luke 24:45; 1 Corinthians 12:3), for our intellects are as affected by sin as every other part of ourselves (Ephesians 4:17).
But it is as we expend mental energy to consider the wisdom of the Scriptures that God will give us greater and greater understanding.
To follow Christ, then, is not to take a step of blind faith into the darkness but to have your eyes opened to the light of rigorous truth.
It will take a disciplined lifetime—and more!—to unearth the riches of the truth you encounter in God’s Word about His Son, but one thing is sure: today, as every day, God wants you to know Him and honor Him with all your mind.
In the journey of faith, understanding is imperative for spiritual growth and application of God’s truths.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, emphasizes the importance of deep contemplation on the teachings he imparts.
He encourages Timothy to actively engage his mind with what has been said and seeks divine help for clarity and insight. Such understanding is not merely intellectual but transformative, influencing one’s actions and spiritual life.
Hebrews 4:12-13 The Message
12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.
Consideration and contemplation are both repeated themes in the scriptures, underscoring that true knowledge of God comes from disciplined meditation on His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit go to work and to illuminate our hearts.
This aligns with the recurring biblical principle that wisdom and understanding are gifts from God, necessary for fulfilling our calling. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
By inviting Timothy to reflect and pray for divine guidance, Paul stresses that God alone can grant the understanding needed to navigate life’s challenges and to serve effectively in ministry.
In essence, our own thoughtful and prayerful approach to Scripture leads us to a far deeper understanding and more fruitful living, highlighting the significance of seeking God’s truth, God’s Life, God’s Way, also God’s wisdom in all matters.
In the name of God, the father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 1 The Message
1 How well God must like you— you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats, you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings, you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.
2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.
6 God charts the road you take. The road they take leads to nowhere.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The great majority of humans are striving after wind.
We all go from pillar to post chasing all sorts of things to satisfy our souls but keep ending up empty-handed or badly unfulfilled. We will anxiously wonder, “Who will show us some good?” Put differently, “Where can I find truest joy, meaning, and hope in the frenetic pace and frustrating pursuits of this life?”
Thankfully, the psalmist does not leave us to wonder about what we need most:
“Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD.”
The great need of David’s day—and our day, thousands of years later—is to embrace and be embraced by the living God.
So David points rightly out just how the greatest pleasures pale in comparison to finding the one true, living God.
Abounding, focusing, in life’s good gifts, be they grain or wine or anything else, is certainly no bad thing. But truly knowing God is infinitely, gloriously better.
How many people today live in the hope that the experience of tomorrow will only bring them the joy they seem to lack today?
“Just a little more money; then I can be happy. Just a little more of this or that, and then I will be satisfied.”
But it’s not the vain fleeting promise of a nicer car, a bigger house, a perfect spouse, or a better job that truly gives us lasting peace and rest.
There is only one way to be able to lie down and sleep in peace, content and secure.
What makes such rest possible?
Who makes such rest possible?
Our Psalmist, laying his head down on his pillow … exhales …
“You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Only when we find all we need is breathing in, breathing out the Lord, knowing the Lord and knowing He is smiling at us, will we all be able to lie down without anxiety or regret.
As you lie on your bed at night and reflect on the day, or as all of tomorrow’s to-dos race through your mind, how will you hold it together?
What will give you the stability and security that every human being in the world longs for?
In the end, it won’t be the amount of money in your account. It won’t be the home-security system. It won’t be enjoying admiration from your community.
It is the Lord alone who leads His beloved children to true peace, rest, and security.
In the arms of the Good Shepherd, you can dwell in safety and rest in peace.
Be sure, when you lie down tonight or when worries rear their heads today, to remember that the Lord loves you and is looking after you (Psalm 23, 121).
This is where authentic rest and genuine peace are truly, eternally to be found.
Oh Lord, my God When I, in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, in humble adoration And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art How great Thou art, how great Thou art
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 121 (AKJV)
A Song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Fact or Fiction: God Should Be the Biggest Influencer of Your Wellness Journey?
Many people refer to God as “The Great Physician.”
Certainly, that’s one of many appropriate and valid ways to think of Him.
Since He created us and is all-powerful, He can certainly arrange for us to be healed when we need it.
He’s also willing and able to come alongside us and bring healing through the hands of healthcare providers, and He likely intervenes and protects us from sickness from time to time.
Since His ways are immeasurably higher than ours, His thoughts higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), we’ll never know exactly why He may choose one option over another. Those reasons are probably as varied as the people He has created.
That being said, it’s always appropriate to go before Him and ask for whatever it is we need, whether that’s healing or we just want Him involved in helping us to enjoy staying healthy (Hebrews 4:16), Kingdon living into His Spiritual Gifts.
Suggested here are five reasons (of many) God should be the biggest influencer of your wellness journey.
1. God Knows Our Bodies Better than We Do
In addition to being “The Great Physician,” God is also “The Great Creator.”
I once told a friend to whom I was witnessing that God is “The Great Engineer” because my friend’s background is engineering, and I believed he’d get a kick out of the connection.
It’s also true that God engineered our bodies with many complex systems and processes that keep us alive.
For example, there’s the cardiovascular system, nervous system, respiratory system, circulatory system, and so much more.
There’s a very intricate blend of many minerals and vitamins that are needed to keep the body functioning at top capacity.
If anything gets out of balance for any reason, we will all experience health problems. Truly, He “formed our inward parts,” and we are both “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139: 13-14). He knows how to restore order and can reveal that through healthcare providers, His Word, or a combination of both.
2. God Designed Us to Thrive in His Service
The healthier we are, the easier it is to be involved in the work of the Lord with the talents, skills, and gifting’s He has given to us. God has put many types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs on this earth for our benefit.
The vitamins, minerals, fiber, and natural sugar these items provide help the body maintain its health and even make some repairs on its own.
Even the animals are for our benefit since many of them provide the protein our bodies need to function properly.
Believe it or not, even a reasonable amount of carbohydrates and fats are necessary.
Getting enough water and sleep are likely the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle.
Experts generally break down essential nutrients for a healthy lifestyle into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients are what provide our bodies with energy, and in general, those are made up of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Micronutrients are basically made up of vitamins and minerals, which support the immune system, metabolism, cells, and more, according to Healthline.
3. God Modeled and Encourages Rest for Our Renewal
God set up the idea of adequate rest from the very beginning of time.
In the book of Genesis it specifically states that God “rested” from creating everything on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2).
When Elijah had been extremely busy with God’s work and was very tired and possibly even feeling burned out, he went and slept under a broom tree for a while (1 Kings 19:5-8).
Today, it’s just as important for us to get adequate sleep.
When we’re sleep deficient, we’re more vulnerable to colds, the flu, and even more serious ailments.
When we get adequate sleep (about 7-8 hours per night), it benefits our mental health, heart health, blood sugar regulation, our ability to function mentally, benefits our immune system, reduces stress, helps with physical functioning, helps with weight management and control, according to the Sleep Foundation.
4. God Created Us to Move and Be Active
We live in a day and time when many of us spend our work day behind a desk.
So it’s important to take time to exercise.
Not only does adequate exercise lower stress levels, but the release of endorphins enhances our mental health and the physical activity puts us at a lower risk for serious diseases.
Adequate exercise can also help with a better quality of sleep, according to Healthline.
In general, about 30 minutes five times per week is considered the minimum amount for maintaining your present weight, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
That can also be broken up into 15 minutes twice per day if that’s a better scheduling fit.
5. God Offers Health Guidance through His Word
The Lord was very involved in even the practical aspects of the lives of the Hebrews in the Old Testament.
Many of the laws He instructed them to keep in the Old Testament were connected to helping them maintain their health in practical ways.
In the 11th chapter of the book of Leviticus, the Lord was very specific about what the Hebrews should and shouldn’t eat.
Today, many people refer to this specific diet (with minor alterations) as The Mediterranean Diet.
It has been linked to being especially beneficial to those who struggle with heart disease or come from a background that puts them at much high risk for heart disease, according to The Cleveland Clinic.
It’s also believed that this diet may help stabilize blood sugar and lower cholesterol and triglycerides, according to Medline Plus.
In addition, The Endocrine Society has found the Mediterranean Diet may help reduce the symptoms of menopause.
For more information on the Mediterranean Diet, check out The Bible Cure by Dr. Reginald Cherry.
While the focus of this passage is on God, on “him who is able,” I want to draw our attention to one other key phrase in this passage —“his power that is at work within us.”
Paul has earlier prayed that God would “strengthen you [the Ephesians and us] with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16).
While the Holy Spirit is far more than just God’s power, the Spirit clearly does live in us to bring us God’s power!
As we journey through this year, each day we will remind ourselves of God’s personal presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit within us is a powerful blessing that empowers us and transforms us.
Let’s never forget that we are not only saved by grace but that we are also vastly empowered by this gracious gift of the Holy Spirit within us to live for Jesus!
In the name of God, the Father and God, the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 103 The Message
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! So bless God, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. Bless God, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are— everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
45 This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen king[a]:
“I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations, to strip other kings of their power, and to open city gates that will not be closed again. 2 I will go in front of you and make the mountains flat. I will break the city gates of bronze and cut the iron bars on the gates. 3 I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places. I will give you those hidden treasures. Then you will know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. 4 I do this for my servant, Jacob. I do it for my chosen people, Israel. Cyrus, I am calling you by name. You don’t know me, but I know you.[b] 5 I am the Lord, the only God. There is no other God except me. I put your clothes on you,[c] but still you don’t know me. 6 I am doing this so that everyone will know that I am the only God. From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord and that there is no other God. 7 I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and I cause trouble. I, the Lord, do all these things.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In Isaiah 45, God promised the Israelites release from bondage to Babylon and deliverance for his wayward people through a Persian king named Cyrus.
He says to Cyrus, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Isaiah 45:3 NIV).
During his conquest, Cyrus literally found treasures that the Jews had buried as they were taken into captivity.
Like King Cyrus, who found treasures hidden in the darkness, you, too, can find treasures—hope in the unexpected places of darkness, those painful places of suffering where you would very much like not to be.
God gives you these treasures for two reasons.
First, he does it so you would know that he has the power to intervene in your darkness.
In this verse, God reveals himself as the Lord, the God of Israel.
Over and over in Scripture, he says that he is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Master, the Ruler, and the Deliverer.
He is transcendent, which means he’s above time, space, and matter, and his existence is not dependent on anything outside of himself.
His ways are higher than your ways and his thoughts higher than your thoughts. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5 NIV).
God is huge and powerful, and he can intervene in your darkness in ways only a transcendent God can do.
You can probably tell amazing stories of the ways God has intervened in your finances, your health, your family, or your career, just when you thought there was no hope of restoration or salvation. He revealed himself as he moved into your darkness and changed everything.
We ask for miracles every single day because we know he is God and we are not.
Sometimes God intervenes in ways that we have begged for.
Other times, he does not.
He may not have intervened in the darkness that has surrounded you or your family in the ways that you desired.
So, what then?
This verse reveals that God will be close to you in your darkness.
He is the Almighty God.
He’s huge, but he is also imminent, which means he is intimate.
He is personal.
He is your helper, your healer, your Savior, your friend, the lover of your wounded soul. This personal and intimate God will be close to you in your darkness because he promised he would be. He’s as close as your next breath.
Something other than Darkness to Ponder
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Psalm 112 English Standard Version
The Righteous Will Never Be Moved
112 [a] Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. 6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is steady;[b] he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. 10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!
Darkness is generally something we avoid.
It feels unknown, chaotic, and sometimes even hopeless.
The dark seasons that we endure in our lives are usually the ones we want to forget. We don’t want to revisit those struggles, often, we wonder how anything good could come from our pain.
Yet God is able to transform our dark moments into something beautiful.
This is how we know his light is greater than the darkness that plagues our world! His word says, “I will give you treasures from those dark moments.”
He unpacks rich blessings from those difficult, secret moments.
As he meets us in the dark, it’s then that we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is the Lord!
There is so much beauty in God’s power to make treasures out of our ashes.
There is so much grace when we realize our failures, in Christ, are the places where we have met God, and he carried us forward.
The lessons that come when we walk through the valley of the shadow become the ones that most profoundly define our character and shape our testimonies.
If you feel stuck in the dark, remember there are treasures to be gained even in this struggle to find even the smallest pinpoint of light. God is greater than the darkness that covers us. He uses our pain for his glory and our good. (John 1:5)
Talk It Over
When in your life has God intervened in a seemingly hopeless situation?
Do you regularly ask God for a miracle because of what you know about his character? Why or why not?
How does God show you that he is near when you are walking through a dark time in your life?
Three additional things to meditate and pray upon
1. Is there a part of your story that you are ashamed of? Ask God to help you release that shame and embrace the promise that he can use our failures for glory.
2. What lessons have you learned through the challenging circumstances you have walked through?
3. Give God thanks for how he has worked out all the pieces of your story for your good.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 139:1-18 English Standard Version
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, 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. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
True or False: Christians do not have to pretend life feels great all the time?
The apostle Paul certainly didn’t mind admitting to hardship.
In fact, Paul’s enormous trials led him to say of his troubles in Asia, “We despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.”
Trials and troubles of all magnitudes will inevitably come—and, like Paul, we don’t have to act as though everything is always fine.
As we are honest with ourselves and others about our trials, we must also remind ourselves that God has a purpose in our pain.
Paul says of his burden that “this was to make us rely not on ourselves.”
Isn’t it true that when life is going great, when everything seems rosy, we tend to just cruise along?
Then trouble hits, and suddenly we’re forced back to reliance on God.
He purposes affliction—illness, loss, difficulty in the workplace, a wayward child—that we might not rely on ourselves but on Him alone.
And what kind of God does Paul say we rely on in our trouble?
One “who raises the dead.”
In every death—both in the deaths of dreams, hopes, and health in life and then in death itself at the end of life—we can cling to God who has 100% triumphed over death and will lead us to fullness of life in eternity.
It is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that God delivers us from sin now and frees us to hope in a final deliverance from all suffering and death.
As we await our full experience of resurrection hope, God uses our trials and weaknesses to keep us close to Him.
In Jesus’ own life, resurrection power came after crucifixion pain.
The same pattern holds for us.
It is in dying that we live.
It is in weakness that we are strong. It is in emptiness that we are full.
It is in self-forgetfulness that we find true security and confidence in God.
When God sovereignly allows affliction to shake up your life, remember He has designed that very trial for us to draw closer to Him and rely more fully on Him.
And as you learn to rely on Him more and more, His strength will shine through your weakness, and you will know true spiritual power, even through the pain.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.[b]
4 The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.[d] 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being[e] rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.[f]
11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
To believe or not to believe in God … that is the most troubling of questions.
Ultimately, I believe there are no true atheists. Those who do claim atheism may be unwilling to publicly or privately acknowledge this about themselves, but God has given to every person a heavy burden. In the deep recesses of their being, they know that God is—and it is the very “is-ness” of God which creates a tug of war dilemma in men’s and women’s hearts and minds.
God created the world, and He made it beautiful in all of its perfection. God also made mankind to know Him, to commune with Him, to walk with Him in the garden, to and to enjoy all the benefits of His companionship. But man turned his back on the Designer, and as a result the perception of eternity that has been implanted within us is one which now largely taunts, tyrannizes and tests us.
People naturally seek to repress a knowledge of God (Romans 1:18-19), but a knowledge of God is inescapable. God has created us for a divine purpose—to know and worship Him—and unless we discover and fulfill that purpose, we will never be fully satisfied with anything else offered along life’s journey.
No relationship with a child, parent, spouse, lover, or friend can fulfill this great longing, nor can any experience, any possession, or any achievement.
This is the unacknowledged burden that God has laid on humanity: we will be forever dissatisfied until we do come to know the only thing that can bear the weight of our eternity—namely, to know Him and live in fellowship with Him.
You and I, who are creatures of time, were made for eternity.
We were made for God’s presence.
It should therefore be no surprise to us that when we turn away from Him, our lives are marked by frustration and confusion. When we choose to live in the dark, we lose our sight. The day that we finally acknowledge this is a great day.
The burden of being without God will weigh you down until you realize there has to be an answer somewhere, in someone else. And, of course, there is.
There are many things in this life that are beautiful, and we are free to enjoy them in accordance with the way God designed us to.
But there is nothing in this life that is ultimate, and we will not be free until we not only acknowledge this intellectually but live it out in our experience.
Is there something that you are determined to have, or to get, in your life because you think it will make you truly alive and fulfilled?
What is it that you feel you could not live, or could not be happy, without?
Be careful not to allow something good to become your god.
Instead, pray, place your ultimate hopes on the shoulders of the only one who is strong enough to bear them: the Eternal One.
To believe or not to believe in God … that is the most troubling of questions.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 31 Revised Standard Version
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge; let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me! 2 Incline thy ear to me, rescue me speedily! Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4 take me out of the net which is hidden for me, for thou art my refuge. 5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
6 Thou hatest[a] those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will rejoice and be glad for thy steadfast love, because thou hast seen my affliction, thou hast taken heed of my adversities, 8 and hast not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief, my soul and my body also. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery,[b] and my bones waste away.
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror[c] to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13 Yea, I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in thee, O Lord, I say, “Thou art my God.” 15 My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! 16 Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love! 17 Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call on thee; let the wicked be put to shame, let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. 18 Let the lying lips be dumb, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.
19 O how abundant is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take refuge in thee, in the sight of the sons of men! 20 In the covert of thy presence thou hidest them from the plots of men; thou holdest them safe under thy shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was beset as in a besieged city. 22 I had said in my alarm, “I am driven far[d] from thy sight.” But thou didst hear my supplications, when I cried to thee for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly requites him who acts haughtily. 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Have you felt at times that you were born at the wrong time or wrong place? Do you feel like God misplaced you, thinking you were meant to live in a different family, another country, or time period in history, where you believe you would have fit in better, enjoyed living more, prospered, had a better quality of life?
Or, maybe like one of the many homeless I counseled, been told your entire life that you were an accident or a mistake a waste, you’ve grown up believing it?
But it isn’t true because God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t put us in the wrong time and place. As well, He hasn’t given people the power to accidentally create another human or assign worth or personal value. Men and women may not have planned the lives of their children, but we know from His word Psalm 139:13-16, that God does plan for all of our eternities which wait far far ahead.
As Psalm 139:16 describes, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
God carefully created each one of us, as Psalm 139:13 describes, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
No matter the circumstances of our conception or birth, Psalm 139:14 reassures us of God’s plan for us. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Even so, we may continue to still feel like we don’t know which way to turn in life; some may feel lost, but when we’re not sure which way to go, we ask God to lead us, and He will, like Psalm 32:8 assures, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.”
Life Makes Sense: God’s Story of You
Psalm 139:16 Living Bible
16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
We love stories, but it’s surprising how easily we can end up missing the stories God has written for our lives.
Winston Churchill once famously claimed that history was simply “one . . . unpredictable pathway after another over which we have little, no control.”
In other words, he claimed there was no story behind our experiences in life, only a vast series of unpredictable events over which no one has any control.
Few things are more deadening to your soul than thinking that your life ultimately means little more than one unpredictable thing after another.
Yet that’s how we often feel.
On many days we view our jobs or careers or families as where we have “ended up” in life.
In fact, it can seem a bit presumptuous to think there’s some master plan behind whatever situation you are in right now.
But the Bible tells us that the events of our lives make sense because they are part of a much larger story.
The struggles of last month or the victories that we may claim in the next few weeks are not simply chance occurrences.
They are part of a story line that is going somewhere.
The work you do, the people you share life with, the abilities you have, and the weaknesses you struggle with are all part of a diverse collection of elements intended to make for a really good story—the story of you. God’s story of you.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe God?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 8 The Message
8 God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.
2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.
3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?
5-8 Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden’s dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us stewards of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.
9 God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 