Faithful God in Negative Circumstances

 

Negative emotions are God's red flags to alert us to some negative aspect in our life. Maybe we failed to obey the Lord and are now reaping the consequences of living outside of His will.

Possibly, we neglected our own needs or are taking things that other people say or do too personally. There may be an unresolved conflict in our soul that is piggy backing on some current event.

Pray about the negative emotion. What are the words in your mind associated with that feeling? These are clues to the source of the problem. Then ask God to reveal His truth about the situation.

We may have erected an idol in our life and God is using the circumstances to dethrone it from its position. Surrendering the issue to the Lord, who cares about every aspect that affects our body our soul and spirit, will put things into a proper perspective.

As we trust God to work out these issues with His victory, He will give us His peace and joy in the midst of them. We relinquish our will to His and enjoy His many blessings.

God's guidance always brings us inner peace, even if we do not like what we must do. With Christ in us, we experience true contentment all through the day (Philippians 4:12). We give thanks to God, even for the negative aspects we face, knowing that He will work out all of them for our good (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, You are our sanctuary and strength, our constant protector and provider, especially in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Due to Your dynamite power within us, we are no longer slaves to sin, but bond servants of the Living Lord (Romans 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24).

Those who hurt us will fade like the grass and die away, because we trust in You (Psalm 37:1-5). Your promises protect our life (Psalm 119:50). You keep us in perfect peace as we keep our focus on You regardless of the people and circumstances around us (Isaiah 26:3).

Thought for the Day:

We rejoice in the Lord in the midst of our trials as we trust God’s faithfulness and obey the leading of His Spirit; we relinquish the need for human understanding and we acknowledge and accomplish His will for each moment throughout the day. - James 1:2; Proverbs 3:5-6

An Eternal Perspective

Read: Isaiah 57:14-19

"Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."  - Psalm 9:10

Living with an eternal perspective gives life all the vibrancy and fragrance of a blooming flower. This lifestyle makes it so much easier to align the desires of my heart according to God’s ultimate plan for my life. I no longer look to the body or the soul to find fulfillment, although I do not neglect their legitimate needs. I delight more in reading His Word and in fellowshipping with His Body instead. I start taking every opportunity to invite people to church and to share Christ with every weary soul that He brings my way.

In order for us to have an eternal outlook, God needs to pull out all of the roots of pride, selfishness and self-reliance that prevent us from fully surrendering to Him. This takes years as the roots are strong and deep. Initially, this pruning is uncomfortable. However, ultimately, it frees us from the encumbrances of the flesh and the world. This new spiritual mindset allows us to walk in abiding joy, peace and gratitude as we accomplish His will for our lives on a daily basis.

When we sell out for Christ, we live with a stronger desire to please Him. We love God with all of our heart and we lean on Him for wisdom and guidance throughout the day. We follow Him to the cross and we lose our life for His sake; but then, we find new life through this glorious new intimate relationship with Him (Matthew 10:38-39). As we faithfully follow His precepts, our love for and trust in Him also increases. Simply doing the will of God on a daily basis brings both Him and us so much joy and satisfaction. From then on, the grief we experience when we live outside of His will sends us running back into His everlasting arms.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of Your peace and let me inspire others to believe in You and to willingly shed the pounds of earthly ties that cripple us in so many areas of our life. Give us Your eternal perspective and help us to relinquish the areas of our flesh that bind us to a carnal life.

Thought for the Day:

God's will is a continual journey, not an ultimate destination.

Help in Times of Trouble

Read: Psalm 46: 1-3

“You will give me greater honor than before and turn again and comfort me.” - Psalms 71:21 (TLB)

In the past, I often struggled with feeling undeserving of God’s love and care. Satan magnified my imperfections and convinced me that God was upset with me or did not care about me. During stressful times, I often viewed the agitation as a curse from God. I accused Him of holding a grudge against me. In reality, the opposite is true. These stressful events actually come into my life so that He can prove to me that He is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3; 7:6).

As soon as a hint of trouble arises in our lives, God offers Himself to us as a strong tower (Proverbs 18:10). Just as in Biblical days, He allows these trials to provide us and those around us with a glimpse of His awesome power in our lives. When others see Him working events out for our good, they may eventually turn to Him in their day of trouble. They may even ask us why we have so much peace in so much turmoil. At these times, we can be ready with our testimony of His grace and love.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for supplying all of our needs according to Your riches in glory. Help me to live my life so that people will see Your faithfulness and glorify You in their lives. Amen.

Thought for the Day:

Remember that there will always be times such as this, and God will always be faithful.